Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'filthy'

English Word: filthy

Key Russian Translations:

• грязный [ɡrɐˈznɨj] - [Informal, Common in everyday contexts for physical or moral uncleanliness]
• нечистый [nʲɪˈt͡ɕistɨj] - [Formal, Often used in literary or technical contexts to imply impurity or moral corruption]
• мерзкий [ˈmʲɛrzkʲɪj] - [Informal/Slang, Emphasizes disgust or vileness, especially in moral senses]

Frequency: Medium (Words like "грязный" appear regularly in daily conversation, media, and literature, but are not as ubiquitous as basic vocabulary.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; these adjectives involve basic inflection rules, but mastering gender, number, and case agreements can be challenging for learners.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

грязный: [ɡrɐˈznɨj]

нечистый: [nʲɪˈt͡ɕistɨj]

мерзкий: [ˈmʲɛrzkʲɪj]

Note on грязный: The stress falls on the second syllable, and the initial "г" is a voiced velar fricative, which may be difficult for English speakers to distinguish from a hard "g". Pronunciation can vary slightly in fast speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Dirty or unclean (Referring to physical filth or mess)

Translation(s) & Context:

• грязный - Used in everyday situations to describe something physically soiled or unhygienic, such as a dirty room or clothes.
• нечистый - Applied in more formal or metaphorical contexts, like contaminated water or impure substances.

Usage Examples:

• В этой комнате так грязно, что невозможно дышать.

  In this room, it's so filthy that it's impossible to breathe.

• Он носит грязные ботинки после прогулки по улице.

  He wears filthy boots after walking down the street.

• Не пей эту нечистую воду из реки.

  Don't drink that filthy water from the river.

• Грязные руки могут распространять болезни.

  Filthy hands can spread diseases.

Meaning 2: Morally filthy or obscene (Referring to something vile, corrupt, or indecent)

Translation(s) & Context:

• мерзкий - Common in informal speech to express strong disgust, such as for unethical behavior or vulgar language.
• грязный - Used metaphorically for moral corruption, like in discussions of politics or ethics.

Usage Examples:

• Его мерзкие шутки оскорбляют всех вокруг.

  His filthy jokes offend everyone around.

• Эта грязная сделка разрушила его репутацию.

  This filthy deal ruined his reputation.

• Не смотри на этот мерзкий фильм, он полон непристойностей.

  Don't watch that filthy film; it's full of obscenities.

• Грязные политические интриги всегда вызывают скандалы.

  Filthy political intrigues always cause scandals.

• Её мерзкое поведение на вечеринке шокировало гостей.

  Her filthy behavior at the party shocked the guests.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are primarily adjectives, which in Russian undergo inflection based on gender, number, and case. "Грязный" and similar words follow standard first-declension adjective patterns with some irregularities in spelling.

For "нечистый" and "мерзкий", the inflections follow similar patterns but may have slight phonetic variations in speech.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • гнусный (gnusnyy) - More intense, implying repulsiveness.
  • скверный (skvernyy) - Often used for morally bad or unpleasant things.
  • загрязненный (zagryaznennyy) - Specifically for environmental or physical contamination.
• Antonyms:
  • чистый (chistyy) - Clean or pure.
  • благой (blagoy) - Noble or virtuous.

Related Phrases:

• Грязная работа (Gryaznaya rabota) - Dirty work; refers to unpleasant or menial tasks.
• Мерзкие сплетни (Merzkie spletni) - Filthy gossip; used for malicious rumors.
• Нечистые на руку (Nechistye na ruku) - Filthy-handed; idiom for corrupt or dishonest people.

Usage Notes:

"Filthy" in English often carries a strong connotation of disgust, which aligns closely with "грязный" for physical dirt or "мерзкий" for moral vileness. Choose "грязный" for literal, everyday contexts, but opt for "нечистый" in formal or scientific discussions to avoid sounding too casual. Be mindful of Russian adjective agreement: always match gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies. For example, in slang, "filthy" might intensify other words (e.g., filthy rich as "грязно богатый"), but this is less common in Russian.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "грязный" without proper inflection, e.g., saying "грязный дом" for a feminine noun like "улица" (street), resulting in "грязный улица" instead of "грязная улица".

  Correct: "Грязная улица" – Always ensure agreement to avoid grammatical errors.

• Error: Confusing "грязный" with "нечистый" in informal speech, leading to overly formal language.

  Correct: Use "грязный" for casual contexts; for example, say "грязные руки" instead of "нечистые руки" when talking about dirty hands in everyday conversation.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "грязный" can carry deeper connotations related to historical contexts, such as the emphasis on cleanliness in Soviet-era hygiene campaigns or in literature where filth symbolizes moral decay (e.g., in Dostoevsky's works). This reflects a cultural value on purity and order, so using these terms can evoke strong emotional responses in social or political discussions.

Related Concepts:

• загрязнение (zagryazneniye) - Pollution
• непристойность (nepristoynost') - Indecency
• гнусность (gnusnost') - Vile nature