Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'lapse'

English Word: lapse

Key Russian Translations:

• ошибка /ɐˈʂɨbkə/ - [Informal, Common in everyday speech]
• упущение /ʊpʊˈɕːenʲije/ - [Formal, Used in legal or professional contexts]
• промах /ˈproməx/ - [Informal, Often for minor mistakes]

Frequency: Medium (The word and its translations are encountered regularly in Russian texts, but not as ubiquitous as basic vocabulary like "дом" for house.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of noun declensions and common error types, though "ошибка" is straightforward for learners at this level. For "упущение," it may lean towards B2 due to more formal usage.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

ошибка: /ɐˈʂɨbkə/ (The "ш" sound is a voiceless postalveolar fricative, similar to "sh" in "shoe," but ensure the stress on the second syllable.)

упущение: /ʊpʊˈɕːenʲije/ (Note the palatalized "щ" sound, which is softer and more whistling than standard "sh"; stress on the third syllable.)

промах: /ˈproməx/ (The "х" is a voiceless velar fricative, like the "ch" in Scottish "loch"; stress on the first syllable.)

Note on ошибка: Be cautious with the vowel reduction in unstressed syllables, common in Russian; the first "о" may sound like a schwa.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A temporary failure of concentration, memory, or judgment (Noun form)

Translation(s) & Context:

• ошибка - Used in casual conversations for everyday slips, such as forgetting a name.
• упущение - Applied in formal settings, like business or law, for oversights with consequences.

Usage Examples:

• Я допустил ошибку в расчётах. (Ya dopustil oshibku v raschotakh.)

  I made a mistake in the calculations. (This shows "ошибка" in a simple past context, highlighting a minor error.)

• Его упущение в контракте привело к проблемам. (Yego upushcheniye v kontrakte privelo k problemam.)

  His lapse in the contract led to problems. (Demonstrates "упущение" in a formal, professional scenario with consequences.)

• Этот промах мог стоить нам победы. (Etot promakh mog stoistit nam pobedy.)

  This lapse could have cost us the victory. (Illustrates "промах" in a competitive or informal context.)

• Из-за моей ошибки мы опоздали на встречу. (Iz-za moyey oshibki my opozdali na vstrechu.)

  Because of my lapse, we were late for the meeting. (Shows "ошибка" with prepositional phrases for varied grammar.)

Meaning 2: The ending or expiration of something, such as a period of time (Verb or Noun form)

Translation(s) & Context:

• истечение - For time-based lapses, like a contract expiring, in formal contexts.
• прекращение - For general cessation, often in administrative or everyday use.

Usage Examples:

• Срок действия лицензии истёк. (Srok deystviya litsenzii istek.)

  The lapse of the license period has occurred. (This example uses "истечение" implicitly, in a legal context.)

• Прекращение контракта произошло из-за невыполнения условий. (Prekrashcheniye kontrakta proizoslo iz-za nevypolneniya usloviy.)

  The lapse of the contract happened due to unmet conditions. (Shows "прекращение" with causative structures.)

• Из-за лени время истекло незаметно. (Iz-za leni vremya isteklos' nezametno.)

  Due to laziness, the time lapsed unnoticed. (Adapts to informal narrative, emphasizing time passage.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For "ошибка" (feminine noun, first declension), it follows standard Russian noun patterns with regular inflections:

For "упущение" (neuter noun, also regular), it inflects similarly but is less commonly pluralized. "Промах" ( masculine) has standard masculine inflections and is invariant in some contexts.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • погрешность (pogreshnost') - Slight error, often in scientific contexts.
  • недочет (nedochet) - Oversight, with a nuance of something missing.
• Antonyms:
  • точность (tochnost') - Accuracy.
  • безупречность (bezuprechnost') - Flawlessness.

Related Phrases:

• Сделать ошибку - To make a mistake; often used in self-reflection or apologies.
• Упущенное время - Lapsed time; refers to wasted opportunities in motivational contexts.
• Избежать промаха - To avoid a lapse; common in strategic planning.

Usage Notes:

• Choose "ошибка" for informal, everyday lapses to match the neutral tone of "lapse" in English, while "упущение" is better for formal equivalents where implications are more serious.
• In Russian, these words often require agreement in gender, number, and case, so pay attention to sentence structure—e.g., "моя ошибка" (my lapse) uses feminine endings.
• Context matters: In professional emails, opt for "упущение" to convey formality, whereas in casual talk, "промах" feels more relatable.

Common Errors:

• Confusing case endings: English learners might say "в ошибка" instead of "в ошибке" (in the lapse). Correct: Use genitive "ошибки" after prepositions like "в".
• Overusing formal words: Beginners often default to "упущение" everywhere, but it's awkward in casual speech; instead, use "ошибка" for daily interactions.
• Wrong stress: Mispronouncing "оши́бка" as "ош ибка" can alter meaning; always stress the second syllable for clarity.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, admitting a "л lapse" like an "ошибка" is often seen as a sign of humility, especially in educational or professional settings, influenced by historical emphasis on collective responsibility in Soviet times. This can make such admissions more common in interpersonal communication compared to some Western contexts.

Related Concepts:

• провал (proval) - Failure.
• ошибочный (oshibochnyy) - Erroneous.
• корректировка (korrektirovka) - Correction.