Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'irritant'

English Word: irritant

Key Russian Translations:

• раздражитель [zɐ.drɐ.ʐɨˈtʲe.lʲ] - [Formal, Used in medical or scientific contexts]
• раздражающий агент [zɐ.drɐ.ʐaˈju.ʂɨj ɐˈɡʲent] - [Informal, Plural forms possible, Used in everyday discussions of annoyances]

Frequency: Medium (Common in specialized fields like medicine and chemistry, but less frequent in casual conversation)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of basic noun declensions and context-specific vocabulary. For 'раздражитель', it's B1; for 'раздражающий агент', it might be B2 due to compound structure)

Pronunciation (Russian):

раздражитель: [zɐ.drɐ.ʐɨˈtʲe.lʲ]

раздражающий агент: [zɐ.drɐ.ʐaˈju.ʂɨj ɐˈɡʲent]

Note on раздражитель: The stress falls on the third syllable ('те'), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the soft 'тʲ'. Pronunciation may vary slightly in fast speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A substance or agent that causes irritation, especially in a physical or medical sense (e.g., chemical irritants).

Translation(s) & Context:

• раздражитель - Used in formal scientific or medical contexts, such as describing allergens or chemicals.
• раздражающий агент - Applied in broader contexts, like environmental discussions, to refer to factors causing discomfort.

Usage Examples:

• Этот химический раздражитель может вызвать аллергию у чувствительных людей.

  This chemical irritant can cause allergies in sensitive people.

• В лаборатории мы изучаем, как раздражающие агенты влияют на кожу.

  In the laboratory, we study how irritants affect the skin.

• Избегайте контакта с раздражителем, чтобы предотвратить раздражение глаз.

  Avoid contact with the irritant to prevent eye irritation.

• Раздражающий агент в воздухе сделал дыхание затруднительным.

  The irritant agent in the air made breathing difficult.

Meaning 2: Something that annoys or irritates in a non-physical sense (e.g., a persistent problem).

Translation(s) & Context:

• раздражитель - Informal use, often metaphorically in daily life to describe emotional annoyances.
• раздражающий агент - In psychological or social contexts, referring to factors that provoke irritation.

Usage Examples:

• Его постоянные опоздания стали настоящим раздражителем для команды.

  His constant lateness became a real irritant for the team.

• Раздражающий агент в разговоре — это когда кто-то прерывает вас без причины.

  An irritant in conversation is when someone interrupts you without reason.

• Этот шум из соседней квартиры действует как раздражитель на мою концентрацию.

  This noise from the neighboring apartment acts as an irritant on my concentration.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

'раздражитель' is a masculine noun (3rd declension). It follows standard Russian noun inflection patterns. Below is a table of its forms:

For 'раздражающий агент', it is a phrase where 'раздражающий' is an adjective that agrees with the noun. It inflects as follows: 'раздражающий' changes based on gender, number, and case (e.g., раздражающую for feminine accusative). This phrase does not have irregular forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • стимул (stimul) - Often used interchangeably in medical contexts, but can imply a milder effect.
  • раздражающее вещество (razdrazhayushchee veshchestvo) - More specific to chemical agents, with a focus on substances.
• Antonyms:
  • успокаивающее средство (uspokaivayushchee sredstvo) - A calming agent, opposite in effect.
  • нейтрализатор (neytralinzator) - Something that neutralizes irritation.

Related Phrases:

• Химический раздражитель (Chemical irritant) - Refers to substances causing physical reactions, often in safety contexts.
• Эмоциональный раздражитель (Emotional irritant) - Describes factors that provoke annoyance in interpersonal situations.
• Избегать раздражителя (To avoid the irritant) - A common phrase for preventive measures in health or daily life.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'раздражитель' directly corresponds to the English 'irritant' in medical and scientific contexts, but it may sound more formal. Use 'раздражающий агент' for broader applications, especially when describing non-physical irritations. Be mindful of context: in everyday speech, Russians might opt for simpler terms to avoid sounding overly technical. Grammatically, always decline nouns according to case, as shown in the inflections table. When choosing between translations, select based on specificity—'раздражитель' for concise, single-word use, and 'раздражающий агент' for descriptive phrases.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'раздражитель' without proper declension, e.g., saying "Я видел раздражитель" in a context requiring genitive like "Я видел раздражителя". Correct: Always match the case, as in "Я видел раздражителя (of the irritant)". Explanation: Russian nouns must agree with the sentence structure, which English learners often overlook, leading to grammatical errors.

• Error: Confusing 'раздражитель' with 'раздражение' (irritation, the state). For example, saying "Это раздражение" when meaning "This irritant". Correct: Use 'раздражитель' for the cause, not the effect. Explanation: These are related but distinct; mixing them can alter the sentence meaning entirely.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, terms like 'раздражитель' are frequently encountered in health and environmental discussions, reflecting a historical emphasis on industrial safety due to the Soviet era's focus on chemistry and manufacturing. This word carries a neutral connotation but can evoke awareness of pollution or workplace hazards, which are common themes in modern Russian media.

Related Concepts:

• аллерген (allergen)
• токсин (toxin)
• раздражение (irritation)