Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'lees'

English Word: lees

Key Russian Translations:

• осадок [ɐˈsadək] - [Formal, Used in contexts like winemaking or chemistry]
• дрожжи [ˈdroʐɨ] - [Informal, Plural, Specifically for yeast-related sediment in brewing]

Frequency: Low (This term is specialized and appears infrequently in everyday conversation, mostly in technical or culinary contexts.)

Difficulty: Intermediate (B1 level; requires basic knowledge of Russian nouns and scientific vocabulary. For 'осадок', it's straightforward; for 'дрожжи', the plural form adds slight complexity.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

осадок: [ɐˈsadək]

дрожжи: [ˈdroʐɨ]

Note on осадок: The stress falls on the second syllable; be careful with the soft 'д' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. Pronunciation may vary slightly in fast speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Sediment or residue, especially in winemaking or brewing (the most common usage of 'lees' in English)

Translation(s) & Context:

• осадок - Used in formal or technical contexts, such as describing wine production or chemical processes.
• дрожжи - Applied in informal or specific brewing contexts, often implying biological sediment.

Usage Examples:

• В вине часто остается осадок на дне бутылки.

  In wine, sediment often remains at the bottom of the bottle.

• После брожения дрожжи оседают как осадок в бочке.

  After fermentation, the yeast settles as sediment in the barrel.

• Осадок в чае нужно аккуратно слить, чтобы не испортить вкус.

  The sediment in the tea needs to be carefully poured off to avoid ruining the flavor.

• Дрожжи в пиве формируют осадок, который влияет на качество напитка.

  Yeast in beer forms sediment that affects the drink's quality.

• В лаборатории мы изучаем, как осадок влияет на химические реакции.

  In the laboratory, we study how sediment affects chemical reactions.

Meaning 2: Less common metaphorical or archaic uses (e.g., remnants or dregs in a broader sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• осадок - In metaphorical contexts, like emotional remnants, but less frequent.

Usage Examples:

• От того спора остался неприятный осадок в душе.

  From that argument, an unpleasant sediment remained in the soul.

• Осадок от прошлых ошибок помогает учиться на опыте.

  The sediment from past mistakes helps one learn from experience.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

'Осадок' is a masculine noun (3rd declension), and it follows standard Russian noun inflections. It is invariable in the plural form when referring to types of sediment but can change in singular based on case. 'Дрожжи' is a plural-only noun and does not inflect like singular nouns.

Note: 'Осадок' has regular inflections, making it easier for learners, while 'дрожжи' is invariant in form but always plural, which is a common feature in Russian for collective nouns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • выжимки (similar to 'lees' in pressing contexts; more specific to fruit or juice extraction)
  • отходы (general term for waste or remnants, with a slight negative connotation)
• Antonyms:
  • очистка (purification or filtration, as it opposes sediment buildup)

Related Phrases:

• Осадок вина - Sediment in wine (refers to the natural byproduct in aged wines, often discussed in enology).
• Оседание дрожжей - Settling of yeast (used in brewing to describe the process of fermentation completion).
• Убрать осадок - To remove sediment (a common phrase in cooking or lab settings for clearing impurities).

Usage Notes:

'Осадок' directly corresponds to the English 'lees' in winemaking contexts, but it's a broader term in Russian for any sediment. Use 'дрожжи' when emphasizing biological elements like yeast. In formal writing, prefer 'осадок' for precision; in everyday speech, it might be simplified. Be mindful of grammatical gender—'осадок' is masculine, affecting adjective agreements. When choosing between translations, opt for 'осадок' for general sediment and 'дрожжи' for brewing-specific scenarios.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Confusing 'осадок' with 'осадок' in the wrong case, e.g., using nominative 'осадок' in a genitive context like "в осадок" instead of "в осадке".
  Correct: Use the proper case, e.g., "в осадке вина" (in the sediment of wine). Explanation: Russian requires case agreement, which English speakers often overlook.
• Mistake: Treating 'дрожжи' as a singular noun and adding incorrect inflections, e.g., saying "дрожжа" instead of the plural form.
  Correct: Always use 'дрожжи' in plural. Explanation: This is a pluralia tantum noun in Russian, meaning it doesn't have a singular form, unlike English equivalents.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'осадок' in the context of winemaking reflects traditions in regions like Crimea or the Caucasus, where homemade wine is common. It symbolizes the natural, unfiltered aspects of life, often appearing in literature to represent unresolved emotions or the 'dregs' of experience, as in classic works by Chekhov.

Related Concepts:

• осадок в реке
• дрожжевое брожение
• фильтрация