Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'maintenance'

English Word: maintenance

Key Russian Translations:

• обслуживание /ɐbslʊˈʐɨvənʲɪje/ - [Formal, commonly used in technical or professional contexts]
• содержание /sɐdʲɪˈʐanʲɪje/ - [Formal, often in financial or property-related contexts]
• уход /ʊˈxot/ - [Informal, typically for personal or daily care scenarios]

Frequency: Medium (The word and its translations are frequently encountered in everyday conversations, technical manuals, and business discussions, but not as ubiquitous as basic vocabulary.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; learners at this CEFR level can grasp the basic usage, but mastering inflections and contextual nuances may require practice. For 'содержание', it might lean towards B2 due to its financial connotations.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

обслуживание: /ɐbslʊˈʐɨvənʲɪje/ (Stress on the fourth syllable; note the soft 'н' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers.)

содержание: /sɐdʲɪˈʐanʲɪje/ (Stress on the third syllable; the palatalized 'дʲ' requires careful tongue placement.)

уход: /ʊˈxot/ (Stress on the first syllable; the 'х' is a guttural sound similar to Scottish 'loch'.)

Note on обслуживание: This word often has a rolling 'р' in some dialects, but standard pronunciation avoids it. Pay attention to the vowel reductions in fast speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: The act of keeping something in good condition, such as equipment or machinery.

Translation(s) & Context:

• обслуживание - Used in formal or technical contexts, like vehicle or system upkeep.
• уход - More informal, for routine care in everyday situations.

Usage Examples:

• Регулярное обслуживание автомобиля предотвращает поломки. (Regular maintenance of the car prevents breakdowns.)

  English: Regular maintenance of the car prevents breakdowns.

• В компании есть отдел, ответственный за уход за оборудованием. (In the company, there is a department responsible for the maintenance of equipment.)

  English: In the company, there is a department responsible for the maintenance of equipment.

• Без надлежащего обслуживания машина быстро выйдет из строя. (Without proper maintenance, the machine will quickly break down.)

  English: Without proper maintenance, the machine will quickly break down.

• Ежедневный уход за садом включает полив и подрезку. (Daily maintenance of the garden includes watering and pruning.)

  English: Daily maintenance of the garden includes watering and pruning.

Meaning 2: Financial support or upkeep, such as for property or alimony.

Translation(s) & Context:

• содержание - Primarily in legal or financial contexts, like property maintenance costs.
• обслуживание - Less common here, but used for service contracts.

Usage Examples:

• Содержание квартиры включает оплату коммунальных услуг. (Maintenance of the apartment includes paying for utilities.)

  English: Maintenance of the apartment includes paying for utilities.

• Суд присудил ежемесячное содержание бывшему супругу. (The court awarded monthly maintenance to the former spouse.)

  English: The court awarded monthly maintenance to the former spouse.

• Расходы на содержание дома выросли из-за инфляции. (Expenses for the maintenance of the house have increased due to inflation.)

  English: Expenses for the maintenance of the house have increased due to inflation.

• Обслуживание здания требует регулярных инвестиций. (Maintenance of the building requires regular investments.)

  English: Maintenance of the building requires regular investments.

• Его содержание как арендатора включает ремонтные работы. (His maintenance as a tenant includes repair work.)

  English: His maintenance as a tenant includes repair work.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Most translations like 'обслуживание' and 'содержание' are neuter nouns in Russian, following the standard third declension patterns. 'Уход' is a masculine noun with its own inflections. These words are not irregular but require attention to case, number, and gender agreements.

Note: 'Уход' is less commonly pluralized and remains invariant in many contexts.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • ремонт (remont) - More focused on repairs; differs from 'обслуживание' by emphasizing fixes over prevention.
  • консервация (konservatsiya) - Used for preservation, especially in industrial contexts.
  • забота (zabota) - Informal synonym for 'уход', implying care with emotional nuance.
• Antonyms:
  • разрушение (razrusheniye) - Destruction or neglect.
  • игнорирование (ignorirovaniye) - Ignoring or failing to maintain.

Related Phrases:

• Регулярное обслуживание - Regular maintenance; used for scheduled upkeep in professional settings.
• Содержание в порядке - Keeping in order; implies maintaining tidiness or functionality.
• Уход за собой - Self-care; a common phrase for personal maintenance like grooming.
• Техническое обслуживание - Technical maintenance; specific to machinery or systems, with a formal connotation.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'обслуживание' is the most direct equivalent to 'maintenance' in technical contexts, but choose 'содержание' for financial aspects to ensure precision. Be mindful of the formal register; 'уход' is better for informal or personal scenarios. Always consider case agreement in sentences, as Russian nouns change based on grammatical role. For English learners, note that Russian doesn't use articles, so 'maintenance' might not directly translate word-for-word.

• When discussing ongoing actions, pair with verbs like 'проводить' (to carry out) for a dynamic feel.
• In business emails, 'обслуживание' is preferred over 'уход' to maintain professionalism.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse 'обслуживание' with 'ремонт', thinking they mean the same thing. For example, incorrectly saying "Я сделал обслуживание" when meaning "I fixed it" – the correct term for repair is 'ремонт'. Another error is neglecting case endings, like using nominative 'обслуживание' in a genitive context (e.g., "без обслуживание" instead of "без обслуживания"). Explanation: Russian requires precise declension to convey relationships, so always check the sentence structure for accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, maintenance often ties to the Soviet-era emphasis on durability and repair, as seen in phrases like 'уход за дачей' (cottage maintenance). This reflects a historical value of resourcefulness, where fixing and maintaining items is preferred over replacement, influencing modern attitudes in everyday life.

Related Concepts:

• ремонт
• консервация
• забота
• профилактика