Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'lone'

English Word: lone

Key Russian Translations:

• одинокий /ɐ.dʲɪˈno.kʲɪj/ - [Informal, Adjective, Used in emotional or personal contexts]
• одиночный /ɐ.dʲɪˈno.ʧ.nɨj/ - [Formal, Adjective, Used for physical isolation or individual items]

Frequency: Medium (Common in literature, everyday conversations, and emotional descriptions, but not as frequent as basic adjectives like "big" or "small")

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; involves understanding adjective inflections and contextual nuances; for 'одинокий', it's intermediate due to emotional connotations, while 'одиночный' is slightly easier as it's more literal)

Pronunciation (Russian):

одинокий: /ɐ.dʲɪˈno.kʲɪj/

одиночный: /ɐ.dʲɪˈno.ʧ.nɨj/

Note on одиночный: The stress falls on the third syllable, which can be tricky for English speakers due to the soft 'ч' sound; pronounce it with a clear palatalized 'n'.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Alone or solitary (referring to emotional or social isolation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• одинокий - Used in contexts involving feelings of loneliness, such as in personal relationships or introspection (e.g., describing someone who feels isolated emotionally).

Usage Examples:

• Он часто чувствует себя одиноким в шумном городе.

  He often feels lone in the noisy city.

• Её одиночество в старости делает её одинокой.

  Her solitude in old age makes her lone.

• Дети, оставшиеся одни, могут стать одинокими без поддержки.

  Children left alone can become lone without support.

• После развода он стал ещё более одиноким человеком.

  After the divorce, he became an even more lone person.

Meaning 2: Isolated or single (referring to physical separation or individuality)

Translation(s) & Context:

• одиночный - Used for objects or situations that are physically separate, such as in descriptions of items or events (e.g., a lone tree in a field).

Usage Examples:

• В лесу стоит одиночный дуб, окружённый молодыми деревьями.

  In the forest stands a lone oak, surrounded by young trees.

• Его одиночный полёт над горами был опасным приключением.

  His lone flight over the mountains was a dangerous adventure.

• Одиночный выстрел эхом разнёсся по долине.

  The lone shot echoed through the valley.

• В группе друзей он всегда кажется одиночным наблюдателем.

  In a group of friends, he always seems like a lone observer.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'одинокий' and 'одиночный' are adjectives in Russian, which means they inflect based on gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives follow standard patterns for hard-stem adjectives, with some irregularities in spelling.

For 'одинокий' (irregular due to its soft stem):

For 'одиночный' (more regular):

These adjectives do not change for tense or person like verbs, but they must agree with the noun they modify.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: изолированный (izolirovannyy) - More formal, emphasizing separation; самотёчный (samotyotchnyy) - Informal, implying self-isolation.
• Antonyms: окружённый (okruzhennyy) - Surrounded; социальный (sotsialnyy) - Social, implying connectedness.

Related Phrases:

• Одинокий волк - Lone wolf; Refers to an independent or solitary person, often in a metaphorical sense.
• Одиночное плавание - Lone sailing; Used for solo adventures or isolated activities.
• Чувствовать себя одиноким - To feel lone; A common phrase for expressing emotional isolation.

Usage Notes:

'Одинокий' best corresponds to the emotional aspect of 'lone' in English, such as in phrases about personal feelings, while 'одиночный' aligns more with physical or literal isolation (e.g., a lone house). In formal contexts, prefer 'одиночный' for objects. Be mindful of gender and case agreement in sentences. When choosing between translations, consider the context: use 'одинокий' for human emotions and 'одиночный' for inanimate subjects to ensure accuracy.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing 'одинокий' with 'один' (one), leading to misuse like saying 'один человек' to mean 'lone person' instead of 'одинокий человек'. Correct: Use 'одинокий' for emotional loneliness; Explanation: 'Один' means numerical singularity, not isolation.

• Error: Forgetting adjective inflections, e.g., using 'одинокий' in the wrong case like 'с одинокий' instead of 'с одиноким'. Correct: 'С однимоким другом' (with a lone friend); Explanation: Russian adjectives must match the noun's case, which English speakers often overlook.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, themes of loneliness ('одинокий') are prevalent in literature and art, as seen in works by authors like Chekhov and Tolstoy. It often symbolizes deep introspection or the vastness of Russian landscapes, reflecting a cultural emphasis on individual endurance in isolation.

Related Concepts:

• социальный
• изоляция
• одиночество