Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'malnutrition'

English Word: malnutrition

Key Russian Translations:

• недоедание /nʲɪdɐˈjɛdənʲɪje/ - [Formal, Medical context]
• мальнутриция /məlʲnutɾʲiˈtsɨjə/ - [Formal, Technical or borrowed term, often in scientific literature]

Frequency: Low (Primarily used in medical, nutritional, or public health discussions; not common in everyday conversation)

Difficulty: Intermediate (B1-B2 on CEFR scale; requires basic understanding of medical vocabulary and noun inflections)

Pronunciation (Russian):

недоедание: /nʲɪdɐˈjɛdənʲɪje/

мальнутриция: /məlʲnutɾʲiˈtsɨjə/

Note on недоедание: The stress falls on the third syllable (-'jɛ-), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the palatalized 'н' sound. Pronunciation may vary slightly in regional dialects.

Note on мальнутриция: This is a borrowed word, so it's pronounced more like its English origin; focus on the soft 'ц' sound, which is similar to 'ts' in "cats."

Audio: []

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: A condition resulting from insufficient, unbalanced, or improper diet leading to health issues.

Translation(s) & Context:

• недоедание - Used in formal medical or nutritional contexts to describe general malnutrition, especially in children or during famines.
• мальнутриция - Applied in scientific or clinical settings for more specific types of malnutrition, such as protein-energy malnutrition.

Usage Examples:

• В развивающихся странах недоедание часто приводит к задержке роста у детей.

  In developing countries, malnutrition often leads to stunted growth in children.

• Из-за мальнутриции пациенту потребовалась госпитализация для восстановления.

  Due to malnutrition, the patient required hospitalization for recovery.

• Недоедание может быть вызвано не только голодом, но и несбалансированным питанием.

  Malnutrition can be caused not only by hunger but also by an unbalanced diet.

• Врачи борются с мальнутрицией, пропагандируя здоровое питание в сообществах.

  Doctors combat malnutrition by promoting healthy eating in communities.

• Хроническое недоедание ослабляет иммунную систему и увеличивает риск заболеваний.

  Chronic malnutrition weakens the immune system and increases the risk of diseases.

Secondary Meaning: In broader contexts, referring to poor nutritional intake affecting overall well-being.

Translation(s) & Context:

• недоедание - Common in everyday health discussions, emphasizing the lack of essential nutrients.
• недостаточное питание /nʲɪdɐstɐˈtoʧnəje pʲɪˈtanʲɪje/ - A more descriptive phrase used in educational or preventive contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Недостаточное питание в раннем возрасте может повлиять на когнитивное развитие.

  Inadequate nutrition in early childhood can affect cognitive development.

• Для предотвращения недоедания рекомендуется сбалансированная диета с витаминами.

  To prevent malnutrition, a balanced diet with vitamins is recommended.

• Мальнутриция среди пожилых людей часто связана с одиночеством и потерей аппетита.

  Malnutrition among the elderly is often linked to loneliness and loss of appetite.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are nouns. "Недоедание" is a neuter noun (ср. род) and follows standard first-declension patterns with irregularities in some cases. "Мальнутриция" is also a neuter noun but is less inflected as a borrowed term.

Note: "Мальнутриция" has limited plural forms and is often used in singular in technical contexts, remaining unchanged in many cases due to its borrowed nature.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • голод (golod) - More general, implying starvation; used for acute cases.
  • недостаток питания (nedostatok pitaniya) - Emphasizes deficiency; interchangeable in preventive health contexts.
• Antonyms:
  • хорошее питание (horoshee pitanie) - Good nutrition; implies balanced and sufficient intake.
  • полноценное питание (polnocennoe pitanie) - Wholesome nutrition; often used in dietary advice.

Related Phrases:

• Симптомы недоедания (Simptomy nedoedaniya) - Symptoms of malnutrition; used in medical diagnostics.
• Профилактика мальнутриции (Profilaktika malnutricii) - Prevention of malnutrition; common in public health campaigns.
• Лечение недоедания у детей (Lechenie nedoedaniya u detey) - Treatment of malnutrition in children; refers to pediatric care.

Usage Notes:

Choose "недоедание" for everyday or general medical discussions, as it directly corresponds to the English term and is more integrated into Russian. "Мальнутриция" is preferred in scientific or international contexts due to its borrowed status, but it may sound less natural. Always consider the context: use formal language in health reports. Grammatically, these nouns require appropriate case agreement with prepositions (e.g., "из-за недоедания" for "due to malnutrition"). English speakers should note that Russian often pairs these with verbs like "вызывать" (to cause) or "бороться с" (to combat) for dynamic usage.

Common Errors:

• Confusing "недоедание" with "голод" (hunger): Learners might use "голод" for malnutrition, but it's more specific to starvation. Correct: "Недоедание включает не только голод, но и дефицит витаминов." (Error: Using "голод" alone; Explanation: "Голод" implies immediate food lack, while "недоедание" covers broader nutritional issues.)
• Improper inflection: Forgetting to change cases, e.g., saying "в недоедание" instead of "в недоедании". Correct: Use genitive in prepositional phrases; Explanation: This is a common grammatical error for non-native speakers, leading to unclear sentences.

Cultural Notes:

In Russia, terms like "недоедание" often evoke historical contexts such as the famines during the Soviet era or World War II, where malnutrition was widespread. This adds a layer of sensitivity; discussing it may reference national resilience or modern efforts to address food security in rural areas.

Related Concepts:

• витаминный дефицит (vitamin deficiency)
• анемия (anemia)
• рахит (rickets)