Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'expense'

English Word: expense

Key Russian Translations:

• расход [rɐˈsxot] - [Formal, commonly used in financial and everyday contexts]
• затрата [zəˈtraty] - [Formal, often used in plural form for multiple costs or in business settings]

Frequency: Medium (Frequently encountered in financial, business, and daily life discussions, but less common in casual conversation)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of basic noun declensions and contexts, suitable for learners with some familiarity with Russian grammar)

Pronunciation (Russian):

расход: [rɐˈsxot] (The 'x' sound is a guttural fricative, similar to the 'ch' in Scottish 'loch')

Note on расход: Pay attention to the stress on the second syllable; misplacing it can alter perceived meaning slightly.

затрата: [zəˈtraty] (The 'z' is soft, and the word often ends with a 'y' sound in plural forms)

Note on затрата: In plural, it becomes 'затраты' [zəˈtraty], with a subtle shift in vowel pronunciation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The cost or money spent on something.

Translation(s) & Context:

• расход - Used in general financial contexts, such as personal budgeting or accounting.
• затрата - Typically applied in more formal or professional settings, like business reports or economic discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Его ежемесячные расходы на продукты выросли из-за инфляции.

  His monthly expenses for groceries increased due to inflation.

• Компания старается минимизировать затраты на производство.

  The company is trying to minimize production expenses.

• Расход на топливо для машины составил значительную часть бюджета.

  The expense for car fuel made up a significant part of the budget.

• Затраты на образование в России часто покрываются стипендиями.

  Expenses for education in Russia are often covered by scholarships.

An outlay or expenditure for a specific purpose.

Translation(s) & Context:

• расход - Informal or everyday use, especially when referring to personal spending.
• затрата - More formal, often in planned or strategic contexts like project management.

Usage Examples:

• Путевые расходы были возмещены работодателем.

  Travel expenses were reimbursed by the employer.

• Основные затраты проекта включают материалы и рабочую силу.

  The main expenses of the project include materials and labor.

• Расход на развлечения должен быть ограничен, чтобы сэкономить деньги.

  Expenses on entertainment should be limited to save money.

• Затраты на медицинское обслуживание в этой клинике довольно высокие.

  Medical expenses at this clinic are quite high.

• Её расходы на книги превысили ожидания в этом месяце.

  Her expenses on books exceeded expectations this month.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "расход" and "затрата" are masculine nouns in Russian, following standard declension patterns. "Расход" is often used in singular and plural forms, while "затрата" is commonly plural. Below is a table outlining their basic inflections:

Note: These nouns do not have irregular inflections but must agree with adjectives and verbs in gender, number, and case, which is standard for Russian masculine nouns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • тратa (Similar to расход but more informal, often for smaller personal outlays)
  • издержка (Used in economic contexts, implying costs with potential losses)
• Antonyms:
  • доход (Income; refers to money earned rather than spent)
  • прибыль (Profit; the opposite in business scenarios)

Related Phrases:

• Операционные расходы - Operational expenses; refers to day-to-day business costs.
• Капитальные затраты - Capital expenses; costs for long-term investments.
• Необоснованные расходы - Unjustified expenses; wasteful or unnecessary spending.
• Расходный бюджет - Expense budget; a planned allocation for expenditures.

Usage Notes:

"Расход" is the most direct equivalent to "expense" in everyday English, especially for personal finance, while "затрата" is better for formal or professional contexts like accounting. Be mindful of case agreement in Russian sentences; for example, use genitive case after prepositions like "на" (on). If the expense is plural or involves multiple items, "затраты" is often preferred. English speakers might confuse it with "cost," but "затрата" implies a planned or calculated outlay, whereas "расход" can be more spontaneous.

• Choose "расход" for informal writing or speech.
• In business documents, "затрата" aligns better with English "expenditure."

Common Errors:

English learners often misuse case endings, such as saying "на расход" instead of the correct "на расходах" in prepositional contexts. For example:

• Incorrect: "Я потратил на расход." (Wrong: Fails to use the proper case for the object.)
• Correct: "Я потратил на расходы." (Right: Uses plural genitive for multiple expenses, meaning "I spent on expenses.")

Explanation: Russian requires nouns to change based on their role in the sentence, so always check the case when using these words in phrases.

Another common mistake is overusing "затрата" in casual speech, where "расход" would sound more natural, leading to overly formal language.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, tracking "расходы" or "затраты" is emphasized in personal finance due to historical economic instability, such as during the Soviet era. Terms like these often appear in discussions about budgeting, reflecting a cultural value on frugality and careful resource management in everyday life.

Related Concepts:

• бюджет (Budget)
• финансы (Finances)
• экономия (Savings)