Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'fright'

English Word: fright

Key Russian Translations:

• Испуг /ɪˈspuɡ/ - [Informal, often used for sudden fear]
• Страх /strɑx/ - [Formal, general fear or dread]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in everyday conversation and literature, but not as frequent as basic emotion words)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of noun declensions and basic emotion vocabulary; 'Испуг' may be slightly easier for beginners, while 'Страх' aligns with more advanced contexts)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Испуг: /ɪˈspuɡ/

Страх: /strɑx/

Note on Испуг: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the 'г' sound, which is a voiced velar fricative, similar to the 'g' in 'go' but softer in Russian.

Note on Страх: The 'х' is a voiceless velar fricative, like the 'ch' in Scottish 'loch'; this can be challenging for English speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: Sudden or intense fear, often as a reaction to something startling

Translation(s) & Context:

• Испуг - Used in informal, everyday situations to describe a brief, shocking fear, such as from a loud noise.
• Страх - Applied in more formal or prolonged contexts, like fear of the dark or general anxiety.

Usage Examples:

• Внезапный шум вызвал у меня испуг. (Vnezapnyy shum vyzval u menya ispug.)

  A sudden noise caused me fright.

• От испуга она упала на землю. (Ot ispuga ona upala na zemlyu.)

  From fright, she fell to the ground.

• Этот фильм полон страхов и напряжения. (Etot film polon strahov i napryazheniya.)

  This movie is full of fright and tension.

• Страх перед высотой не позволяет ему подниматься на горы. (Strakh pered vysotoy ne pozvolyaet yemu podnimat'sya na gory.)

  Fright of heights doesn't allow him to climb mountains.

• После испуга ребенок не мог успокоиться. (Posle ispuga rebenok ne mog uspokoit'sya.)

  After the fright, the child couldn't calm down.

Secondary Meaning: Something that causes fear, like a scary event or object

Translation(s) & Context:

• Испуг - In contexts where the object itself is startling, e.g., a horror story.
• Страх - For more abstract or enduring sources of fear, like phobias.

Usage Examples:

• Этот дом полон страхов для детей. (Etot dom polon strahov dlya detey.)

  This house is full of fright for children.

• Его рассказы всегда вызывают испуг. (Yego rasskazy vsegda vyzovyvayut ispug.)

  His stories always cause fright.

• Страх темноты – распространенная проблема. (Strakh temnoty – rasprostranennaya problema.)

  Fright of the dark is a common issue.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'Испуг' and 'Страх' are masculine nouns in Russian, which means they follow standard masculine noun declension patterns. 'Испуг' is less commonly inflected in modern usage, while 'Страх' has more regular changes.

Note: These are regular declensions; 'Испуг' may remain unchanged in some informal contexts, making it simpler for learners.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Ужас (uzhas) - More intense fear, often with horror.
  • Тревога (trevoga) - Anxiety or worry, slightly less sudden than 'испуг'.
• Antonyms:
  • Смелость (smelost') - Courage.
  • Спокойствие (spokoystvo) - Calmness.

Related Phrases:

• Испугаться чего-либо (Ispugat'sya chego-libo) - To get frightened by something; used for sudden reactions.
• Преодолеть страх (Preodolet' strakh) - To overcome fear; common in motivational contexts.
• Страх сцены (Strakh tsemy) - Stage fright; specifically for performance anxiety.

Usage Notes:

'Fright' in English often implies a temporary shock, which aligns closely with 'Испуг' in Russian for informal settings. Use 'Страх' for more enduring fears to match formal English equivalents. Be mindful of context: in Russian, these words can vary by register—'Испуг' is conversational, while 'Страх' suits literature or psychology. When choosing between translations, opt for 'Испуг' in everyday dialogue and 'Страх' in abstract discussions. Grammatically, always decline these nouns according to case for correct sentence structure.

Common Errors:

• Confusing 'Испуг' with 'Страх' and using them interchangeably: English learners might say 'Я имею страх' instead of 'Я испытываю страх' for a prolonged fear, but for sudden fright, 'Я получил испуг' is incorrect—use 'Я испугался' (verb form). Correct: Испугался шума (Got frightened by the noise).

• Forgetting declension: Learners often leave nouns undeclined, e.g., saying 'Из-за страх' instead of 'Из-за страха'. This makes the sentence grammatically incorrect. Explanation: Russian requires case agreement, so always adjust for genitive as in the example.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'Страх' often appear in folklore and literature, such as in fairy tales by Pushkin, where fear is a common theme in stories of Baba Yaga. This reflects a cultural emphasis on resilience against fear, encouraging individuals to 'overcome' it, as seen in proverbs like 'Страх глаза велики' (Fear makes things seem bigger than they are), highlighting how fright can distort perception.

Related Concepts:

• Тревога (trevoga)
• Ужас (uzhas)
• Паника (panika)