Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'favoritism'

English Word: favoritism

Key Russian Translations:

• фаворитизм [fɐvɐˈrʲitʲɪzm] - [Formal, used in contexts like politics, business, or law]
• предвзятость [prʲɪdˈvzʲatəsʲtʲ] - [Formal, broader connotation implying bias, often in social or ethical discussions]

Frequency: Medium (Common in formal written contexts such as media, legal documents, and academic discussions, but less frequent in everyday spoken Russian)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate, as it involves understanding borrowed words and nuanced connotations; for 'предвзятость', it may be slightly easier at B1 due to its native roots)

Pronunciation (Russian):

фаворитизм: [fɐvɐˈrʲitʲɪzm]

предвзятость: [prʲɪdˈvzʲatəsʲtʲ]

Note on фаворитизм: The stress falls on the third syllable ('ri'), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the soft 'r' sound; pronounce it with a clear Russian 'ы' vowel.

Note on предвзятость: The initial 'prʲ' cluster requires a palatalized 'r', which is a common challenge; practice with native audio for accuracy.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The practice of giving special treatment to one person or group, especially unfairly, often in professional or social settings.

Translation(s) & Context:

• фаворитизм - Used in formal contexts to denote systemic favoritism, such as in corporate hierarchies or government policies.
• предвзятость - Applied in broader bias scenarios, like judicial or interpersonal relations, where unfair preference is implied.

Usage Examples:

• В компании существует явный фаворитизм, где руководители продвигают только своих друзей.

  In the company, there is clear favoritism where managers promote only their friends.

• Предвзятость в суде может привести к несправедливым решениям, если судья фаворитизирует одну сторону.

  Bias in court can lead to unfair decisions if the judge shows favoritism to one side.

• Родители иногда проявляют фаворитизм к старшему ребёнку, что вызывает ревность у младших.

  Parents sometimes show favoritism to the older child, which causes jealousy in the younger ones.

• В политике фаворитизм часто маскируется под "лояльность", но это всё равно предвзятость.

  In politics, favoritism is often disguised as 'loyalty', but it's still bias.

• Чтобы избежать предвзятости, компании вводят политики против фаворитизма в найме сотрудников.

  To avoid bias, companies implement policies against favoritism in hiring employees.

Another meaning: Unfair partiality in non-professional contexts, such as family or personal relationships.

Translation(s) & Context:

• фаворитизм - Informal family settings, emphasizing emotional favoritism.
• предвзятость - Less common here, but used for broader emotional bias.

Usage Examples:

• Фаворитизм в семье может разрушить отношения между братьями и сёстрами.

  Favoritism in the family can destroy relationships between siblings.

• Если учитель проявляет предвзятость, ученики чувствуют несправедливость.

  If a teacher shows favoritism, students feel injustice.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'фаворитизм' and 'предвзятость' are masculine nouns in Russian. 'Фаворитизм' is an uncountable noun with limited inflections, while 'предвзятость' follows standard adjective-derived noun patterns. Below is a table for 'предвзятость' as it has more variations; 'фаворитизм' remains largely unchanged.

For 'фаворитизм', it is typically invariable in most cases (e.g., remains 'фаворитизм' in nominative and accusative), but in genitive, it becomes 'фаворитизма'.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • предпочтение (preference, but with less negative connotation)
  • партикуляризм (particularism, used in specific ideological contexts)
• Antonyms:
  • беспристрастность (impartiality, emphasizing fairness)
  • справедливость (justice, broader ethical term)

Note: 'Предпочтение' is a milder synonym, often used for positive preferences, whereas 'фаворитизм' implies unfairness.

Related Phrases:

• Проявлять фаворитизм - To show favoritism; often used in professional critiques.
• Избегать предвзятости - To avoid bias; common in ethical or legal discussions.
• Фаворитизм в политике - Favoritism in politics; highlights corruption themes.

Usage Notes:

'Фаворитизм' directly mirrors the English 'favoritism' in formal contexts, making it the preferred translation for unfair preferential treatment. However, 'предвзятость' is better for broader bias scenarios. Be cautious with context: in Russian, these words often carry a negative tone and are used in written or formal speech. When choosing between translations, opt for 'фаворитизм' in business or political discussions, as it retains the English loanword's specificity. Grammatically, both are nouns and require appropriate case agreement in sentences.

• Always pair with verbs like 'проявлять' (to show) for dynamic usage.
• In informal settings, Russian speakers might use euphemisms to soften the impact.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse 'фаворитизм' with 'предпочтение', thinking they are interchangeable. For example, incorrect: "Я имею предпочтение к другу" (meaning favoritism), which should be "Я проявляю фаворитизм к другу" to convey unfairness. Correct usage: Use 'фаворитизм' for systemic issues and explain the context to avoid implying simple preference. Another error is incorrect inflection, e.g., using 'фаворитизм' in genitive as 'фаворитизм' instead of 'фаворитизма', leading to grammatical errors in sentences like "Из-за фаворитизм" (should be "Из-за фаворитизма").

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'фаворитизм' is often associated with historical contexts like the tsarist era or modern oligarchic systems, where favoritism towards certain groups (e.g., through nepotism) has led to social inequality. This reflects broader themes of 'blat' (informal connections), highlighting how favoritism can undermine meritocracy in Russian society.

Related Concepts:

• дискриминация (discrimination)
• непотизм (nepotism)
• лояльность (loyalty)