Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'litter'

English Word: litter

Key Russian Translations:

• мусор [ˈmusər] - [Informal, Everyday use for waste or trash]
• помёт [pɐˈmʲot] - [Formal or specific to animal litters, e.g., young animals]

Frequency: Medium (Common in daily conversations about waste, but less frequent in other contexts like animal breeding)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate for мусор; A2 for помёт, as it involves basic vocabulary but specific contexts)

Pronunciation (Russian):

мусор: [ˈmusər]

Note on мусор: The stress is on the first syllable; the 'о' is pronounced as a schwa sound, which can be tricky for English speakers used to clearer vowels.

помёт: [pɐˈmʲot]

Note on помёт: The 'ё' is a distinct sound with a soft 'y' glide; ensure to pronounce the stress on the second syllable for natural flow.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Waste or rubbish (e.g., discarded items)

Translation(s) & Context:

• мусор - Used in informal, everyday contexts for household or street trash.
• отходы - Used in more formal or environmental contexts, emphasizing waste management.

Usage Examples:

• Не бросай мусор на улице, пожалуйста. (Ne brosay musor na ulitse, pozhaluysta.)

  Don't throw litter on the street, please. (This shows a polite imperative in an urban setting.)

• Мусорные баки заполнены до отказа. (Musornyye baki zapolneny do otkaza.)

  The litter bins are completely full. (Demonstrates plural noun usage in a practical scenario.)

• В городе много мусора после фестиваля. (V gorode mnogo musora posle festivalya.)

  There's a lot of litter in the city after the festival. (Illustrates use in a post-event context.)

• Собирайте мусор в пакет и выносите его на улицу. (Sobirayte musor v paket i vynostite yego na ulitsu.)

  Collect the litter in a bag and take it out to the street. (Shows imperative with direct object for instructions.)

Meaning 2: A group of young animals born to one mother

Translation(s) & Context:

• помёт - Used in formal, zoological, or veterinary contexts for animal litters.
• выводок - Informal alternative for birds or small animals.

Usage Examples:

• У кошки родился помёт из пяти котят. (U koshki rodilsya pomet iz pyati katyat.)

  The cat had a litter of five kittens. (This example highlights animal breeding contexts.)

• В зоопарке наблюдают за помётом волчат. (V zooparke nablyudayut za pometom volchat.)

  In the zoo, they're observing the litter of wolf cubs. (Demonstrates use in a scientific or observational setting.)

• Помёт щенков выглядит здоровым. (Pomet shchenkov vyglit zdorovym.)

  The litter of puppies looks healthy. (Shows adjective modification in descriptive contexts.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both translations are nouns, but they follow different inflection patterns in Russian. Мусор is a masculine noun that inflects for case and number, while помёт is also masculine but has irregular forms in some cases.

Note: Мусор is often used in singular form even for multiple items, making it somewhat invariable in everyday speech.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • отходы (othody) - More formal synonym for мусор, emphasizing byproducts.
  • выводок (vyvodok) - Synonym for помёт, but often for birds.
• Antonyms:
  • чистота (chistota) - Cleanliness, opposite of мусор in waste contexts.
  • одиночество (odinoctvo) - Loneliness, metaphorically opposite for помёт in social animal contexts.

Related Phrases:

• Собрать мусор - To collect litter; used for cleaning up waste.
• Мусорный бак - Litter bin; a common household or public item.
• Помёт животных - Animal litter; refers to young in breeding contexts.

Usage Notes:

The English word "litter" corresponds most directly to "мусор" in casual contexts like environmental discussions, but choose "помёт" for animal-related meanings. Be mindful of formality: "мусор" is informal and widespread, while "помёт" is more specialized. In Russian, nouns like these change based on case, so always adjust for sentence structure (e.g., use genitive after prepositions like "из"). When multiple translations exist, select based on context to avoid confusion.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "мусор" interchangeably with "помёт" in animal contexts. Correct: "Помёт" specifically means a group of young animals, while "мусор" means waste. Example of error: *У кошки мусор из котят* (incorrect). Correct: У кошки помёт из котят. Explanation: This mixes unrelated meanings, leading to confusion.

• Error: Forgetting case inflections, e.g., saying *в мусор* instead of *в мусоре*. Correct: в мусоре (prepositional case). Explanation: Russian requires case agreement, which English learners often overlook, altering the sentence's grammatical accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, "мусор" often appears in discussions about environmental issues, reflecting a growing emphasis on anti-littering campaigns in urban areas like Moscow. Historically, waste management wasn't a major focus in rural settings, but it's now tied to modern sustainability efforts, symbolizing societal progress.

Related Concepts:

• экология (ekologiya)
• вывоз мусора (vyvoz musora)
• питомник (pitomnik)