Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'girl'

English Word: girl

Key Russian Translations:

• девочка /dʲɪˈvɔtʲkə/ - [Informal, for young girls or children]
• девушка /ˈdʲevʊʂkə/ - [Informal, for teenage girls or young women; also used in formal contexts like addressing someone on the phone]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday conversations, literature, and media, but not as ubiquitous as basic nouns like "дом" (house))

Difficulty: A2 (Elementary level; straightforward for beginners, but understanding nuances like age-appropriate usage requires basic familiarity with Russian noun genders and declensions)

Pronunciation (Russian):

девочка: /dʲɪˈvɔtʲkə/

девушка: /ˈdʲevʊʂkə/

Note on девочка: The soft sign (ь) in "девочка" affects the pronunciation of the preceding consonant, making it palatalized; be careful with the stress on the second syllable, which is common in Russian and can trip up learners.

Note on девушка: The "ш" sound is a retroflex fricative, similar to "sh" in "shoe," but ensure the initial "д" is softly palatalized.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. A young female child (typically under 12-13 years old)

Translation(s) & Context:

• девочка - Used in casual, family, or educational settings to refer to a little girl; common in informal speech.

Usage Examples:

• Русский: В парке маленькая девочка катается на велосипеде.

  English: In the park, the little girl is riding a bicycle.

• Русский: Учительница помогла девочке с домашним заданием.

  English: The teacher helped the girl with her homework.

• Русский: Девочка с куклой выглядит очень счастливой.

  English: The girl with the doll looks very happy.

• Русский: Моя сестра — веселая девочка, которая любит приключения.

  English: My sister is a cheerful girl who loves adventures.

2. A young woman (typically teenage or early adult, e.g., 13-25 years old)

Translation(s) & Context:

• девушка - Used in social, professional, or polite contexts; can be formal, such as when answering the phone (e.g., "Алло, девушка?").

Usage Examples:

• Русский: Молодая девушка работает в кафе на углу.

  English: The young girl works at the cafe on the corner.

• Русский: Девушка в красном платье танцует на вечеринке.

  English: The girl in the red dress is dancing at the party.

• Русский: Я увидел девушку, которая читает книгу в парке.

  English: I saw the girl who is reading a book in the park.

• Русский: Девушка на телефоне вежливо ответила на вопрос.

  English: The girl on the phone politely answered the question.

• Русский: Эта девушка — студентка университета.

  English: This girl is a university student.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "девочка" and "девушка" are feminine nouns in Russian, which means they decline according to case, number, and gender rules. Russian nouns have six cases and can be singular or plural. "Девочка" is a first-declension noun, while "девушка" follows similar patterns but has some irregularities in certain forms.

Note: These nouns do not change in the plural genitive form in a highly irregular way, but the patterns above are standard for most feminine nouns ending in -a.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • девица (similar to девушка, but slightly outdated or rural; implies a young unmarried woman)
  • барышня (archaic synonym for девушка, often used in literature for a young lady)
• Antonyms:
  • мальчик (boy, for девочка)
  • мужчина (man, for девушка)

Related Phrases:

• Маленькая девочка — A little girl; used in affectionate or descriptive contexts.
• Девушка за прилавком — The girl at the counter; common in retail or service scenarios.
• Хорошая девочка — Good girl; a phrase often used with children, similar to English encouragement.
• Девушка на телефоне — Girl on the phone; implies a receptionist or operator role.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "девочка" corresponds more closely to an English "girl" in the sense of a child, while "девушка" aligns with a young woman or adolescent. Choose based on age and context: use "девочка" for children under 13 and "девушка" for older teens or young adults. Be mindful of formality— "девушка" can be polite in service interactions, but it might sound dated or overly familiar in modern urban speech. Grammatically, both are feminine nouns, so they require feminine agreement in adjectives and verbs (e.g., "красивая девочка" for "beautiful girl").

Common Errors:

• Confusing "девочка" and "девушка": English learners often use "девочка" for older females, which can sound childish or inappropriate. Correct: Use "девушка" for teenagers. Example of error: Saying "Эта взрослая девочка" (This adult girl) instead of "Эта взрослая девушка".
• Incorrect declension: Forgetting to change the ending in cases, e.g., saying "с девочка" instead of "с девочкой" in the instrumental case. Correct: Always decline based on sentence role.
• Overusing in formal writing: Beginners might overuse these in essays; instead, vary with descriptions like "молодая женщина" for more precision.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, terms like "девочка" and "девушка" carry subtle gender expectations from historical contexts, such as in literature by authors like Tolstoy, where young women are often idealized. "Девушка" can evoke images from Soviet-era films, implying innocence or modernity, helping non-native speakers appreciate the social nuances in everyday Russian interactions.

Related Concepts:

• мальчик (boy)
• женщина (woman)
• ребёнок (child)