Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'fork'

English Word: fork

Key Russian Translations:

• вилка /ˈvʲilkə/ - [Formal, Noun, Used for eating utensils]
• форк /fork/ - [Informal, Loanword, Used in computing or programming contexts]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday conversations and technical discussions)

Difficulty: A1 for 'вилка' (Beginner level for basic nouns); B1 for 'форк' (Intermediate for specialized terms)

Pronunciation (Russian):

вилка: /ˈvʲilkə/ (The 'в' is pronounced as a voiced labiodental fricative, similar to 'v' in 'victory')

Note on вилка: Pay attention to the soft 'л' sound, which is palatalized; it may vary slightly in fast speech.

форк: /fork/ (Pronounced as in English, with a hard 'r' sound in some Russian accents)

Note on форк: As a loanword, pronunciation closely mirrors English; be mindful of Russian speakers who might adapt it to /ˈforʲk/ with a soft 'r'.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A utensil with prongs used for eating (e.g., table fork)

Translation(s) & Context:

• вилка - Used in everyday, domestic contexts, such as dining or kitchen settings.

Usage Examples:

• Я ем суп вилкой. (Ya yem sup vilkoy.)

  I eat soup with a fork.

• Вилка на столе чистая. (Vilka na stole chistaya.)

  The fork on the table is clean.

• Она забыла вилку в ресторане. (Ona zabytla vilku v restorane.)

  She forgot the fork in the restaurant.

• Дети играют с пластиковой вилкой. (Deti igrayut s plasticovoy vilkoy.)

  The children are playing with a plastic fork.

• Вилка упала на пол. (Vilka upala na pol.)

  The fork fell on the floor.

Meaning 2: A point where something divides, e.g., in roads or programming (e.g., fork in the road or code fork)

Translation(s) & Context:

• форк - Used in technical or metaphorical contexts, often borrowed from English.
• развилка (razvilka) - For a fork in a road, more literal and formal.

Usage Examples:

• В программировании форк создаёт новую ветвь. (V programmiorovanii fork sozdaёт novuyu vetv'.)

  In programming, a fork creates a new branch.

• На развилке дорог мы повернули направо. (Na razvilke dorog my povernuli napravo.)

  At the fork in the roads, we turned right.

• Этот форк проекта улучшает оригинальную версию. (Etot fork proyekta uluchshaet original'nuyu versiyu.)

  This fork of the project improves the original version.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'вилка' (feminine noun, first declension):

Note: 'вилка' follows regular feminine noun patterns with no irregularities.

For 'форк' (indeclinable loanword):

It does not change forms and remains 'форк' in all cases, which is common for modern borrowings.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • вилочка (vilochka) - A diminutive form, used for a small or cute fork.
  • развилка (razvilka) - Specifically for a fork in a road or path.
• Antonyms:
  • None directly applicable, as 'fork' is a specific object or concept.

Related Phrases:

• Вилка для салата (Vilka dlya salata) - Fork for salad; a specific type used in dining.
• Форк репозитория (Fork respozitoriya) - Fork of a repository; common in software development.
• Дорожная развилка (Dorozhnaya razvilka) - Road fork; refers to a junction in paths.

Usage Notes:

The English word 'fork' translates to 'вилка' in most everyday contexts, especially related to cutlery, and is a straightforward feminine noun in Russian. However, in technical fields like programming, 'форк' is preferred as a direct loanword to maintain precision. Be aware of case usage: for example, use the genitive 'вилки' when indicating possession (e.g., "fork of the set"). When choosing between translations, opt for 'вилка' in formal or domestic settings and 'форк' in modern, tech-oriented conversations.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'вилка' in a programming context, e.g., saying "вилка кода" instead of "форк кода".
  Correct: "Форк кода" means "code fork". Explanation: 'вилка' implies a physical object, leading to confusion; always use 'форк' for software terms.
• Error: Incorrectly inflecting 'форк' as if it were a Russian noun, e.g., "форка" in genitive.
  Correct: 'Форк' remains unchanged. Explanation: As an indeclinable word, altering it can make your Russian sound unnatural to native speakers.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'вилка' as a dining utensil reflects everyday table etiquette, where forks are commonly used in meals, especially in urban settings. There's no strong cultural taboo, but in traditional contexts, such as rural areas, spoons might be more prominent in some dishes, highlighting regional eating habits.

Related Concepts:

• ложка (lozhka) - Spoon
• нож (nozh) - Knife
• ответвление (otvetvleniye) - Branch or offshoot (related to programming forks)