Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'horrible'

English Word: horrible

Key Russian Translations:

• ужасный /ʊˈʒasnɨj/ - [Formal, Informal]
• страшный /ˈstraʃnɨj/ - [Informal, often used for something frightening rather than just unpleasant]

Frequency: High - This word is commonly used in everyday Russian conversation, literature, and media.

Difficulty: A2-B1 - Beginner to intermediate level; straightforward for basic learners, but full mastery requires understanding of adjective declensions (CEFR reference).

Pronunciation (Russian):

ужасный: /ʊˈʒasnɨj/

Note on ужасный: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the 'ж' sound, which is a voiced palatal fricative, similar to the 's' in "measure" in English. Variations may occur in regional dialects.

страшный: /ˈstraʃnɨj/

Note on страшный: Stress on the first syllable; the 'ш' is a voiceless palatal fricative, like 'sh' in "shoe." This word might have slight variations in fast speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Causing a feeling of fear or horror (e.g., something terrifying)

Translation(s) & Context:

• ужасный - Used in contexts describing something extremely frightening, such as a horror movie or a nightmare (e.g., in formal writing or casual speech).
• страшный - Often applied to physical fear or threats, like a scary story, and is more common in informal settings.

Usage Examples:

• Это был ужасный сон, полный монстров и тьмы.

  This was a horrible dream, full of monsters and darkness.

• Страшный шторм разрушил несколько домов в деревне.

  The horrible storm destroyed several houses in the village.

• Ужасный фильм, который мы смотрели вчера, заставил меня не спать всю ночь.

  The horrible movie we watched yesterday kept me awake all night.

• Страшный вид из окна в бурю напугал детей.

  The horrible view from the window during the storm scared the children.

Meaning 2: Very unpleasant or of poor quality (e.g., something bad or awful)

Translation(s) & Context:

• ужасный - Common for describing substandard experiences, like bad weather or poor service, in both formal and informal contexts.
• страшный - Less common here, but can be used informally for emphasis on negativity.

Usage Examples:

• Ужасная погода испортила наш пикник.

  The horrible weather ruined our picnic.

• Это ужасный ресторан; еда была невкусной, а обслуживание медленным.

  This is a horrible restaurant; the food was tasteless, and the service was slow.

• Страшный день на работе, когда всё пошло не так.

  A horrible day at work when everything went wrong.

• Ужасный вкус этого чая; я больше не куплю его.

  The horrible taste of this tea; I won't buy it again.

• Страшный отель, где всё было грязным и шумным.

  The horrible hotel where everything was dirty and noisy.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "ужасный" and "страшный" are adjectives in Russian, which means they inflect based on gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives follow a standard pattern for first-declension adjectives. Here's a breakdown:

These adjectives do not have irregular forms; they follow the standard hard-stem declension. For example, in a sentence: "ужасный дом" (horrible house) changes to "в ужасном доме" in the prepositional case.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • отвратительный (otvratitel'nyy) - More intense, implying disgust; used for something repulsive.
  • плохой (plokhoy) - General for "bad," but less emphatic than ужасный.
• Antonyms:
  • прекрасный (prekrasnyy) - Wonderful or beautiful.
  • хороший (khoroshiy) - Good or nice.

Related Phrases:

• ужасный вид (uzhastnyy vid) - Horrible sight; used to describe something visually appalling.
• страшная история (strashnaya istoriya) - Scary story; common in storytelling or horror contexts.
• ужасная погода (uzhastnaya pogoda) - Awful weather; refers to unpleasant conditions like storms.

Usage Notes:

"Ужасный" directly corresponds to "horrible" in English for both fear-inducing and unpleasant contexts, making it a versatile choice. It can be used in formal writing (e.g., news articles) or informal speech, but avoid it in very polite or professional settings where "плохой" might be milder. For "страшный," it's better suited for literal fear rather than general negativity. When choosing between translations, opt for "ужасный" if emphasizing intensity, and consider gender agreement in sentences (e.g., "ужасная книга" for a feminine noun).

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using "ужасный" without proper declension, e.g., saying "в ужасный дом" instead of "в ужасном доме" (prepositional case). Correct: Always adjust for case; explanation: Russian requires adjectives to agree with nouns in case, number, and gender.
• Mistake: Confusing "ужасный" with "страшный" in non-fear contexts, e.g., using "страшный" for bad food. Correct: Use "ужасный" for general unpleasantness; explanation: "Страшный" implies fear, which might sound odd or exaggerated.
• Mistake: Overusing in formal contexts, e.g., in business emails. Correct: Stick to neutral words like "плохой"; explanation: It can come across as too emotional or informal.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "ужасный" are often used hyperbolically in everyday speech to express strong emotions, reflecting the language's expressive nature. For instance, Russians might describe a minor inconvenience as "ужасный" for emphasis, which aligns with cultural tendencies toward dramatic expression in literature and media, such as in classic works by Dostoevsky where horror themes are prevalent.

Related Concepts:

• монстр (monstr) - Monster
• кошмар (koshmar) - Nightmare
• страх (strakh) - Fear