Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'indiscriminate'

English Word: indiscriminate

Key Russian Translations:

• неразборчивый [nʲɪrɐˈzborʧʲɪvɨj] - [Formal, Adjective; used in contexts involving judgment or selection]
• беспорядочный [bʲɪspɐˈradəʧnɨj] - [Informal, Adjective; often in everyday or chaotic scenarios]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations appear regularly in written Russian, such as in literature, news, and formal discussions, but not as commonly as basic vocabulary.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of adjective forms and nuanced contexts. For 'неразборчивый', it's B2 due to its formal usage; for 'беспорядочный', it's also B2 as it involves basic inflection.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

неразборчивый: [nʲɪrɐˈzborʧʲɪvɨj]

Note on неразборчивый: Stress falls on the third syllable ('zbor'), which is a common challenge for English speakers due to Russian's complex stress patterns. The 'ч' sound is palatalized, similar to 'ch' in 'church' but softer.

беспорядочный: [bʲɪspɐˈradəʧnɨj]

Note on беспорядочный: The initial 'б' is pronounced with a slight palatalization, and the stress is on the third syllable ('rad'). Variations in informal speech may soften the 'ч' sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Without distinction or careful selection, often implying randomness or lack of judgment

Translation(s) & Context:

• неразборчивый - Used in formal contexts, such as legal, academic, or ethical discussions, to describe actions or decisions that do not differentiate between options.
• беспорядочный - Applied in informal or everyday scenarios, like describing disorganized events or behaviors, emphasizing chaos rather than intent.

Usage Examples:

• Его неразборчивый подход к выбору друзей часто приводил к разочарованиям.

  His indiscriminate approach to choosing friends often led to disappointments.

• Беспорядочный обстрел города вызвал панику среди жителей.

  The indiscriminate shelling of the city caused panic among the residents.

• Неразборчивое потребление информации в интернете может быть опасным.

  Indiscriminate consumption of information on the internet can be dangerous.

• Беспорядочная толпа на концерте не соблюдала никаких правил.

  The indiscriminate crowd at the concert ignored all rules.

• В неразборчивом использовании ресурсов лежит риск экологической катастрофы.

  In the indiscriminate use of resources lies the risk of an ecological disaster.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'неразборчивый' and 'беспорядочный' are Russian adjectives, which typically follow patterns of agreement with nouns in gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives are inflected and must agree with the nouns they modify. These are regular adjectives, following the standard pattern for hard-stem adjectives.

Note: These adjectives do not have irregular forms, but they must always agree with the noun in case, number, and gender.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: произвольный (proizvol'nyy; implies arbitrary choice), случайный (sluchainyy; suggests randomness)
• Antonyms: избирательный (izbiratel'nyy; means selective), разборчивый (razborchivyy; implies discerning judgment, with a subtle difference that it often connotes carefulness in a positive way)

Related Phrases:

• неразборчивая критика - Indiscriminate criticism (used to describe unfounded or blanket negative feedback without basis).
• беспорядочная атака - Indiscriminate attack (common in military or metaphorical contexts to denote untargeted aggression).
• неразборчивое потребление - Indiscriminate consumption (refers to excessive or unthinking use, often in environmental discussions).

Usage Notes:

'Неразборчивый' is a more formal equivalent to 'indiscriminate' and is often used in professional or intellectual contexts to highlight a lack of discernment, similar to how 'indiscriminate' is used in English legal or ethical discussions. In contrast, 'беспорядочный' leans towards describing chaos and is better for informal settings. Choose 'неразборчивый' when emphasizing poor judgment, and 'беспорядочный' for physical or situational disorder. Be mindful of grammatical agreement with nouns, as Russian adjectives must match in gender, number, and case. This word pair does not have significant regional variations in standard Russian.

Common Errors:

• Common mistake: English learners often confuse 'неразборчивый' (indiscriminate) with 'разборчивый' (discerning or picky), leading to sentences like "Он разборчивый в еде" when meaning the opposite. Correct usage: "Он неразборчивый в еде" (He is indiscriminate with food). Explanation: The prefix 'не-' negates the meaning, so always double-check for the negative form to avoid implying selectivity.

• Another error: Failing to inflect the adjective properly, e.g., saying "неразборчивый женщина" instead of "неразборчивая женщина". Correct: Ensure gender agreement; this stems from English's lack of adjective inflection, making Russian grammar a common pitfall.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, terms like 'неразборчивый' often carry a negative connotation, reflecting a societal value on carefulness and discernment, especially in personal relationships or decision-making. For instance, in literature such as Dostoevsky's works, indiscriminate actions are portrayed as morally flawed, highlighting Russia's historical emphasis on intellectual and ethical depth.

Related Concepts:

• произвольный
• случайный
• избирательный