Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'juggle'

English Word: juggle

Key Russian Translations:

• жонглировать [ʐɐnɡlʲɪrəvatʲ] - [Verb, Informal, Used in both literal and metaphorical contexts]
• балансировать [bələnsʲɪrəvatʲ] - [Verb, Formal, Often used metaphorically for managing tasks]

Frequency: Medium - This word is commonly encountered in discussions of performance arts or multitasking, but not in everyday casual conversation.

Difficulty: B1 - Intermediate level per CEFR, as it requires understanding of verb conjugation; for 'балансировать', it may be slightly easier at A2 for beginners due to simpler forms.

Pronunciation (Russian):

жонглировать: [ʐɐnɡlʲɪrəvatʲ]

балансировать: [bələnsʲɪrəvatʲ]

Note on жонглировать: The initial 'ж' sound is a voiced palatal fricative, which can be challenging for English speakers; it sounds like the 's' in 'measure'. Variations in stress may occur in fast speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To perform juggling with objects (literal sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• жонглировать - Used in contexts involving circus performances or physical skill, such as juggling balls or props.

Usage Examples:

• Он жонглирует мячами на уличном представлении. (He juggles balls at a street performance.)

  English Translation: He juggles balls at a street performance.

• Дети учатся жонглировать кольцами в цирковой школе. (The children are learning to juggle rings in circus school.)

  English Translation: The children are learning to juggle rings in circus school.

• Она может жонглировать пятью предметами одновременно. (She can juggle five items at once.)

  English Translation: She can juggle five items at once.

• Во время фестиваля артист жонглировал огненными факелами. (During the festival, the artist juggled fiery torches.)

  English Translation: During the festival, the artist juggled fiery torches.

Meaning 2: To manage multiple tasks or responsibilities simultaneously (metaphorical sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• жонглировать - Common in professional or daily life contexts, implying skillful handling of competing demands.
• балансировать - Used when emphasizing equilibrium, such as in work-life balance.

Usage Examples:

• Ей приходится жонглировать работой и уходом за детьми. (She has to juggle work and childcare.)

  English Translation: She has to juggle work and childcare.

• Менеджер жонглирует несколькими проектами одновременно. (The manager is juggling several projects at the same time.)

  English Translation: The manager is juggling several projects at the same time.

• Чтобы преуспеть, ему нужно балансировать между учёбой и хобби. (To succeed, he needs to juggle between studying and hobbies.)

  English Translation: To succeed, he needs to juggle between studying and hobbies.

• В современном мире люди часто жонглируют социальными сетями и реальной жизнью. (In the modern world, people often juggle social media and real life.)

  English Translation: In the modern world, people often juggle social media and real life.

• Она балансирует между карьерой и семейными обязанностями. (She is juggling between her career and family responsibilities.)

  English Translation: She is juggling between her career and family responsibilities.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both translations are verbs, which undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number in Russian. 'жонглировать' is a first-conjugation verb with regular patterns, while 'балансировать' follows similar rules but may have slight irregularities in imperfective aspects.

Note: These verbs are imperfective by default. For perfective forms, use 'жонглировать' in contexts requiring completion, but it doesn't have a direct perfective pair; 'балансировать' can pair with 'сбалансировать' for completed actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • маневрировать [mənʲɪvrʲɪrəvatʲ] - Often used for strategic juggling, with a nuance of evasion.
  • управлять [ʊprəvlʲætʲ] - More general, implying control without the playful connotation.
• Antonyms:
  • игнорировать [ɪɡnərʲɪrəvatʲ] - Implies ignoring tasks entirely.
  • отказываться [ɒtkɑzɨvɑtʲsə] - Means to give up or refuse, contrasting with managing multiple things.

Related Phrases:

• жонглировать мячами - Juggling balls; a literal phrase used in circus contexts.
• балансировать на грани - Balancing on the edge; metaphorical for handling risks in daily life.
• жонглировать обязанностями - Juggling responsibilities; common in professional settings to describe multitasking.

Usage Notes:

'жонглировать' directly corresponds to the English 'juggle' in both literal and figurative senses, making it the most versatile choice. Use it in informal contexts for a dynamic feel, but opt for 'балансировать' in formal or professional scenarios where stability is emphasized. Be mindful of aspect in Russian: pair it with imperfective verbs for ongoing actions. When choosing between translations, select based on context—'жонглировать' for playful or skill-based juggling, and 'балансировать' for equilibrium-focused scenarios.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Incorrectly conjugating 'жонглировать' by treating it like an English verb (e.g., saying *жонглируетс* instead of жонглирует). Correct: Always follow Russian conjugation rules, as shown in the table above. Explanation: Russian verbs change based on person and number, unlike English.
• Mistake: Using 'балансировать' interchangeably with 'жонглировать' in literal contexts (e.g., *балансировать мячами* for juggling balls). Correct: Use жонглировать for physical juggling to avoid confusion. Explanation: 'Балансировать' implies balance, not the rapid manipulation implied by 'juggle'.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, juggling (жонглирование) is often associated with circus traditions, as seen in famous circuses like the Moscow State Circus. Metaphorically, it reflects the fast-paced modern life in Russia, where people frequently discuss 'juggling' work and personal life amid economic pressures, highlighting resilience and adaptability.

Related Concepts:

• цирк (circus)
• мультитаскинг (multitasking)
• акробатика (acrobatics)