Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'gland'

English Word: gland

Key Russian Translations:

• железа [ʐɨˈlʲezə] - [Formal, Singular]
• железы [ʐɨˈlʲezɨ] - [Formal, Plural]

Frequency: Medium (Common in medical and biological contexts, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, as it involves basic anatomical vocabulary and noun declensions)

Pronunciation (Russian):

железа: [ʐɨˈlʲezə]

железы: [ʐɨˈlʲezɨ]

Note on железа: The initial 'ж' is a voiced retroflex fricative, which can be challenging for English speakers; it sounds like the 's' in 'measure'. Stress falls on the second syllable.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A organ in the body that secretes substances, such as hormones or sweat (Biological context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• железа - Used in formal medical or scientific discussions to refer to a single gland, e.g., in anatomy textbooks.
• железы - Used for multiple glands, such as in general biology or health-related conversations.

Usage Examples:

• В человеческом теле железа вырабатывают гормоны, регулирующие метаболизм.

  In the human body, glands produce hormones that regulate metabolism.

• Проблемы с железами эндокринной системы могут привести к заболеваниям.

  Problems with the endocrine glands can lead to diseases.

• Потовая железа активизируется во время физических нагрузок.

  The sweat gland becomes active during physical exercise.

• Врачи изучают железы для понимания иммунной системы.

  Doctors study glands to understand the immune system.

• Железы в слюнных протоках помогают переваривать пищу.

  Glands in the salivary ducts help digest food.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

"Железа" is a feminine noun in Russian, belonging to the first declension. It follows standard noun inflection patterns for case, number, and gender. Below is a table outlining its key inflections:

Note: This is a regular declension for feminine nouns ending in -a. There are no irregular forms for this word.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • органы секреции (organy sekretsii) - More general term for secretory organs; used in broader biological contexts.
  • эндокринные железы (endokrinnыe zhelezy) - Specifically for endocrine glands; implies hormone production.
• Antonyms:
  • мышцы (myshtsy) - Muscles; contrasts as non-secretory tissues.

Related Phrases:

• Эндокринная железа - Endocrine gland; commonly used in medical discussions to refer to hormone-producing structures.
• Сальные железы - Sebaceous glands; refers to oil-producing glands in the skin, often in dermatology contexts.
• Железы внутренней секреции - Glands of internal secretion; a fixed phrase for endocrine glands, emphasizing their function.

Usage Notes:

The Russian word "железа" directly corresponds to the English "gland" in biological and medical contexts, but it's important to specify the type (e.g., endocrine or exocrine) for precision. Use the singular form for individual instances and plural for general references. In formal writing or speech, pair it with adjectives like "эндокринная" to avoid ambiguity. English learners should note that Russian nouns require agreement in gender, number, and case, so "железа" must decline accordingly in sentences.

• When translating "gland," choose "железа" for general use, but opt for more specific terms if the context demands it.
• In everyday Russian, this word is rarely used outside scientific or health-related topics, so it's not ideal for casual conversation.

Common Errors:

One common mistake for English speakers is confusing the genitive form "железы" (of the gland) with the nominative plural, leading to incorrect sentence structure. For example:

• Incorrect: "Проблемы железы" (Problems gland) - This mixes cases incorrectly.
• Correct: "Проблемы железы" should be "Проблемы с железой" (Problems with the gland), where "железой" is the instrumental case.
• Another error is overgeneralizing; learners might use "железа" for non-biological contexts, like mechanical glands, which is inaccurate in Russian.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and medicine, discussions around "железа" (glands) often tie into broader health awareness, influenced by historical Soviet-era emphasis on public health education. For instance, thyroid gland issues are frequently referenced in everyday conversations due to regional dietary factors in Russia, highlighting the word's relevance in personal health narratives.

Related Concepts:

• гормоны (hormones)
• эндокринная система (endocrine system)
• секреция (secretion)