Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'hypochondria'

English Word: hypochondria

Key Russian Translations:

• ипохондрия /ɪpɐˈxondrʲɪjə/ - [Formal, Medical Context]

Frequency: Medium (Common in medical and psychological discussions, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of medical terminology and Russian noun inflections)

Pronunciation (Russian):

ипохондрия: /ɪpɐˈxondrʲɪjə/

Note on ипохондрия: The stress falls on the third syllable ('hon'), and the 'х' is pronounced as a guttural 'kh' sound, similar to the Scottish 'loch'. Pronunciation may vary slightly in regional dialects.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The excessive worry about having a serious illness, often without any real basis.

Translation(s) & Context:

• ипохондрия - Used in formal medical, psychological, or everyday contexts when discussing anxiety about health; typically in professional settings like therapy or doctor-patient conversations.

Usage Examples:

• Он страдает ипохондрией и постоянно проверяет своё здоровье.

  He suffers from hypochondria and constantly checks his health.

• Её ипохондрия заставляет её посещать врачей по малейшему недомоганию.

  Her hypochondria makes her visit doctors at the slightest discomfort.

• В современном обществе ипохондрия часто связана с доступностью информации в интернете.

  In modern society, hypochondria is often linked to the availability of information on the internet.

• Психотерапевт диагностировал у пациента лёгкую форму ипохондрии.

  The psychotherapist diagnosed the patient with a mild form of hypochondria.

• Из-за ипохондрии она избегает социальных мероприятий, боясь заразиться.

  Due to her hypochondria, she avoids social events for fear of getting infected.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

"ипохондрия" is a feminine noun (first declension) in Russian, which means it follows regular patterns for most inflections. It is not irregular but can change based on case, number, and gender agreements. Below is a table outlining its primary inflections:

Note: As a borrowed word, it does not have verb forms, but it can be used in various syntactic structures without changing its root.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • истеричность (hysteria-like behavior; implies emotional exaggeration, often used in less formal contexts)
  • тревожность (anxiety; more general and less specific to health worries)
• Antonyms:
  • оптимизм (optimism; contrasts with excessive worry by implying a positive outlook)
  • спокойствие (calmness; suggests emotional stability without health-related fears)

Related Phrases:

• симптомы ипохондрии - Symptoms of hypochondria; used when discussing manifestations in a medical context.
• лечение ипохондрии - Treatment of hypochondria; common in therapeutic discussions.
• ипохондрический страх - Hypochondriac fear; refers to irrational fears related to health.

Usage Notes:

"ипохондрия" directly corresponds to the English "hypochondria" as a medical term, but in Russian, it is primarily used in formal or professional settings like psychology and healthcare. It is a feminine noun, so it must agree in gender with adjectives and verbs (e.g., "страдает ипохондрией" for "suffers from hypochondria"). When choosing between synonyms like "тревожность," opt for "ипохондрия" if the context specifically involves health anxiety. Be cautious with informal speech, as it might sound overly technical; in everyday conversation, Russians may use simpler terms.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing "ипохондрия" with "истерия" (hysteria), leading to incorrect usage in sentences like "Он имеет истерию" instead of "Он страдает ипохондрией."

  Correct: "ипохондрия" specifically denotes health-related anxiety, while "истерия" implies emotional outbursts. Use: "Он страдает ипохондрией" (He suffers from hypochondria).

• Error: Forgetting noun inflections, e.g., saying "о ипохондрия" instead of "об ипохондрии" in prepositional case.

  Correct: Always inflect based on case, as in "Разговор об ипохондрии" (A conversation about hypochondria).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, "ипохондрия" is often linked to the broader historical context of Soviet-era medicine, where access to healthcare was limited, leading to heightened health anxieties. It can carry a connotation of over-caution in a society that values stoicism, making it a topic in literature and media to humorously or critically depict personal neuroses.

Related Concepts:

• психология (psychology)
• медицина (medicine)
• тревога (anxiety)