Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'lifetime'

English Word: lifetime

Key Russian Translations:

• жизнь /ʐɨzʲnʲ/ - [General]
• всю жизнь /fsʊ ʐɨzʲnʲ/ - [Idiomatic, Informal]
• продолжительность жизни /prədlʊʐɨtʲelʲnəsʲtʲ ʐɨzʲnʲi/ - [Formal, Technical]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday conversations, literature, and scientific contexts, but not as ubiquitous as basic nouns).

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate level; requires understanding of noun inflections and contextual usage, per CEFR standards. For 'жизнь', it's B1; for 'продолжительность жизни', it may be B2 due to compound structure.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

жизнь: /ʐɨzʲnʲ/

всю жизнь: /fsʊ ʐɨzʲnʲ/ (Note on всю жизнь: The word "всю" is pronounced with a soft 's' sound, and stress falls on "жизнь"; common in spoken Russian for emphasis on duration.)

продолжительность жизни: /prədlʊʐɨtʲelʲnəsʲtʲ ʐɨzʲnʲi/ (Note on продолжительность жизни: This is a multi-syllable phrase; focus on the soft consonants and stress on the first syllable of "продолжительность" for natural flow.)

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The duration of a person's life or existence

Translation(s) & Context:

• жизнь - Used in general contexts to refer to the span of life, such as in biographical or philosophical discussions.
• всю жизнь - Employed idiomatically to emphasize the entirety of one's lifetime, often in emotional or narrative contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Я посвятил всю жизнь изучению науки.

  I dedicated my entire lifetime to studying science.

• Его жизнь была полна приключений с самого рождения.

  His lifetime was full of adventures from birth.

• Продолжительность жизни человека зависит от многих факторов.

  The lifetime of a person depends on many factors.

• В этой стране средняя продолжительность жизни увеличилась за последние годы.

  In this country, the average lifetime has increased in recent years.

• Она провела всю жизнь в деревне, окружённая природой.

  She spent her entire lifetime in the village, surrounded by nature.

A period of time for which something lasts or is valid

Translation(s) & Context:

• продолжительность жизни - Applied in technical or scientific contexts, such as product lifecycles or warranties.
• жизнь - Used metaphorically for non-human entities, like the lifetime of a battery.

Usage Examples:

• Срок службы этой лампочки — вся её жизнь без замены.

  The lifetime of this lightbulb is its entire duration without replacement.

• Продолжительность жизни смартфона обычно составляет 2-3 года.

  The lifetime of a smartphone is usually 2-3 years.

• В этой модели машины жизнь двигателя продлена за счёт новых технологий.

  In this car model, the lifetime of the engine has been extended through new technologies.

• Жизнь этого проекта закончилась раньше, чем ожидалось.

  The lifetime of this project ended sooner than expected.

• Вся жизнь батарейки измеряется в часах работы.

  The entire lifetime of the battery is measured in hours of operation.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'жизнь' (a feminine noun in the first declension), it follows standard Russian noun inflections. It is not irregular but changes based on case, number, and gender. Below is a table of its key inflections:

For 'всю жизнь' (a phrase), it does not inflect as a single unit; 'всю' inflects as an accusative feminine form of 'весь', while 'жизнь' inflects as above. 'Продолжительность жизни' is a noun phrase; 'продолжительность' (feminine) inflects similarly to 'жизнь', and is often used in nominative form in fixed expressions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • существование (sushchestvovanie) - More abstract, emphasizing existence over duration.
  • период (period) - Neutral term for any time span, often used in formal contexts.
  • век (vek) - Implies a longer era or age, with subtle poetic connotations.
• Antonyms:
  • смерть (smert') - Direct opposite, meaning death or end.
  • мгновение (mgnovenie) - A brief moment, contrasting with extended duration.

Related Phrases:

• Вся жизнь — как сон (Vsya zhizn' — kak son) - Meaning: Life is like a dream; used in philosophical or reflective contexts to express the fleeting nature of existence.
• Продолжить жизнь (Prodolzhit' zhizn') - Meaning: To extend life; common in medical or motivational discussions.
• Жизнь в полную силу (Zhizn' v polnuyu silu) - Meaning: To live life to the fullest; an idiomatic expression for embracing experiences fully.

Usage Notes:

'Жизнь' directly corresponds to 'lifetime' in personal contexts but is more versatile in Russian, often implying the quality of life rather than just duration. Use 'всю жизнь' for emphasis on entirety, especially in informal storytelling. 'Продолжительность жизни' is preferred in formal or scientific English equivalents, such as in demographics or product lifecycles. Be mindful of grammatical agreement: 'жизнь' must agree in case and number with surrounding words. When choosing between translations, opt for 'жизнь' in everyday speech and 'продолжительность жизни' in technical writing to match register.

Common Errors:

• English learners often misuse 'жизнь' by treating it as unchangeable, leading to errors like saying "в жизнь" instead of the correct genitive "в жизни" (in life). Correct usage: "В жизни есть много сюрпризов" (In life, there are many surprises), not "В жизнь есть много сюрпризов".

• Confusing 'всю жизнь' with 'вся жизнь', which changes the meaning slightly; the former emphasizes the whole duration idiomatically, while the latter is more literal. Error example: Using 'вся жизнь' in a phrase where 'всю жизнь' is needed for idiomatic flow, e.g., incorrectly saying "Я видел вся жизнь" instead of "Я видел всю жизнь" (I saw the whole lifetime).

• Over-literal translation leading to awkward phrasing, such as directly translating 'lifetime achievement' as 'достижение жизни' instead of the more natural 'достижение всей жизни' or 'жизненное достижение'.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, concepts like 'жизнь' often carry deep philosophical undertones, influenced by literary figures such as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, who explored the meaning of life in works like "War and Peace." Phrases involving 'лifetime' equivalents can evoke themes of resilience and fate, reflecting Russia's historical emphasis on endurance through hardship.

Related Concepts:

• судьба (sud'ba) - Fate or destiny.
• вечность (vechnost') - Eternity.
• возраст (vozrast) - Age or lifespan stage.