Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'icing'

English Word: icing

Key Russian Translations:

• глазурь [ɡlɐˈzurʲ] - [Formal, Singular, Used in culinary contexts]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday conversations about food and cooking, but not ubiquitous in general language).

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires basic understanding of Russian noun declensions and vocabulary related to cuisine).

Pronunciation (Russian):

глазурь: [ɡlɐˈzurʲ]

Note on глазурь: The stress falls on the second syllable. The 'зурь' ending may be challenging for English speakers due to the soft 'рʲ' sound, which is a palatalized 'r'. Practice with native audio for accuracy.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: A sweet, glossy coating or frosting applied to cakes, pastries, or desserts.

Translation(s) & Context:

• глазурь - Used in formal and informal culinary descriptions, especially for baked goods. Common in recipes and food discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Этот торт покрыт вкусной шоколадной глазурью.

  This cake is covered with delicious chocolate icing.

• Глазурь на пирожных должна быть гладкой и блестящей.

  The icing on the pastries should be smooth and shiny.

• Для приготовления глазурь смешайте сахар с водой и нагревайте на медленном огне.

  To make icing, mix sugar with water and heat on low fire.

• Дети любят торт с разноцветной глазурью на праздниках.

  Children love cake with colorful icing on holidays.

• В этой выпечке глазурь добавляет дополнительный вкус и текстуру.

  In this baking, the icing adds extra flavor and texture.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

глазурь is a feminine noun in the third declension. It follows regular patterns for Russian feminine nouns ending in -ь. Below is a table of its inflections:

Note: This noun does not change in the plural form, which is common for some mass or uncountable nouns in Russian, making it relatively straightforward once the singular patterns are learned.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • покрытие (pokrytiye) - More general term for any coating, often used interchangeably in casual contexts.
  • фарш (farsh) - Specifically for fillings or frostings in some regional usages, with a slight nuance toward meat or savory mixtures.
• Antonyms:
  • неприкрытый (neprikrytyy) - Meaning 'uncovered' or 'bare', used to describe food without any coating.

Related Phrases:

• шоколадная глазурь - Chocolate icing; A common phrase in dessert recipes, referring to a sweet chocolate-based topping.
• цукатная глазурь - Candied icing; Used for fruit-based or crystallized coatings, often in traditional Russian baking.
• наносить глазурь - To apply icing; A phrase in instructional contexts, like cooking tutorials.

Usage Notes:

The Russian word "глазурь" directly corresponds to "icing" in English, particularly in culinary contexts, but it is more commonly used for sweet, glossy frostings on baked goods. It is neutral in terms of formality and can be used in both everyday conversations and professional settings, such as recipes or restaurant descriptions. When choosing between synonyms like "покрытие", opt for "глазурь" if the context specifically involves sweet coatings to maintain precision. Grammatically, remember that as a feminine noun, it requires agreement in gender, number, and case with adjectives and verbs (e.g., "вкусная глазурь" for "tasty icing").

• In informal speech, Russians might shorten or adapt phrases, but "глазурь" remains standard.
• Avoid confusing it with "глаз" (eye), which sounds similar but is unrelated.

Common Errors:

One common mistake for English learners is incorrect case usage, such as using the nominative "глазурь" in all contexts. For example:

• Incorrect: "Я ем торт с глазурь" (This omits the proper instrumental case).
• Correct: "Я ем торт с глазурью" (Using instrumental case for "with icing").

Explanation: Russian requires case changes based on prepositions and sentence structure, so always check the context to apply the right form.

• Another error is translating "icing" as "мороз" (frost), which is incorrect as it refers to frozen conditions, not food coatings.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, "глазурь" is often associated with traditional desserts like "пряники" (gingerbread cookies) or holiday cakes, which are popular during festivals such as New Year's Eve. While not deeply symbolic, it reflects the importance of sweets in Russian hospitality and family gatherings, where elaborately iced treats are a sign of care and celebration.

Related Concepts:

• пряники (gingerbread)
• выпечка (baking)
• десерт (dessert)