Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'meltdown'

English Word: meltdown

Key Russian Translations:

• срыв [sɨrɨf] - [Informal, Emotional context]
• расплавление [rəsplɐvlʲenʲije] - [Formal, Technical context, e.g., nuclear engineering]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday conversation for emotional contexts, but less frequent in technical ones)

Difficulty: B1 for 'срыв' (Intermediate, as it involves basic noun inflections); B2 for 'расплавление' (Upper-Intermediate, due to its technical vocabulary and compound structure)

Pronunciation (Russian):

срыв: [sɨrɨf] (Stress on the first syllable; the 'ы' sound is a high central vowel, which can be challenging for English speakers)

Note on срыв: Be careful with the soft 'р' sound, which is rolled lightly. Variations in fast speech may soften the ending.

расплавление: [rəsplɐvlʲenʲije] (Stress on the third syllable; includes palatalized consonants like 'лʲ', common in Russian but not in English)

Note on расплавление: This word is often pronounced more fluidly in technical discussions, with emphasis on the root for clarity.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Emotional breakdown (e.g., sudden loss of emotional control)

Translation(s) & Context:

• срыв - Used in informal, everyday situations to describe a mental or emotional collapse, such as during stress or arguments.

Usage Examples:

• После неудачного дня на работе он имел срыв и заперся в комнате.

  After a bad day at work, he had a meltdown and locked himself in his room.

• Дети иногда испытывают срыв во время экзаменов из-за давления.

  Children sometimes experience a meltdown during exams due to pressure.

• Её срыв на вечеринке шокировал всех присутствующих.

  Her meltdown at the party shocked everyone present.

• Чтобы избежать срыва, он начал практиковать медитацию.

  To avoid a meltdown, he started practicing meditation.

Nuclear or technical meltdown (e.g., reactor core failure)

Translation(s) & Context:

• расплавление - Used in formal, scientific, or engineering contexts to describe the melting of a nuclear core or similar catastrophic events.

Usage Examples:

• В случае расплавления реактора, эвакуация населения обязательна.

  In the event of a reactor meltdown, population evacuation is mandatory.

• Ученые изучают причины расплавления в Чернобыле для предотвращения будущих инцидентов.

  Scientists are studying the causes of the meltdown in Chernobyl to prevent future incidents.

• Расплавление может привести к радиоактивному загрязнению на обширной территории.

  A meltdown can lead to radioactive contamination over a vast area.

• Меры безопасности были усилены после угрозы расплавления.

  Safety measures were intensified after the threat of a meltdown.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

'срыв' is a masculine noun (2nd declension). It follows standard Russian noun inflections:

'расплавление' is a neuter noun (2nd declension) and follows regular patterns with no irregularities:

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • срыв: истерика (hysteria, more intense emotional outburst)
  • расплавление: авария (accident, in technical contexts; implies broader failure)
• Antonyms:
  • срыв: спокойствие (calmness, opposite of emotional turmoil)
  • расплавление: стабильность (stability, in technical contexts)

Related Phrases:

• Эмоциональный срыв - Emotional meltdown; Used to specify the type of breakdown in psychological discussions.
• Ядерное расплавление - Nuclear meltdown; A common phrase in safety protocols.
• Предотвратить срыв - To prevent a meltdown; Often used in stress management contexts.

Usage Notes:

'Срыв' directly corresponds to an informal English 'meltdown' in emotional contexts and is best used in casual speech, avoiding formal settings. 'Расплавление' is a precise technical term and should be reserved for scientific or engineering discussions. When choosing between translations, consider the context: emotional for personal life, technical for industry. Note that Russian nouns require case agreement, so always adjust based on sentence structure (e.g., use genitive after prepositions like 'из-за').

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'срыв' in formal reports (e.g., saying "срыв реактора" instead of "расплавление"). Correct: 'Расплавление' for technical accuracy. Explanation: This confuses emotional and physical contexts, leading to miscommunication in professional settings.
• Mistake: Forgetting noun inflections, e.g., saying "в срыв" instead of "в срыве". Correct: "в срыве" (prepositional case). Explanation: Russian requires case changes, which English learners often overlook, altering the sentence's meaning.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'срыв' (emotional meltdown) is often linked to the high-stress environments of daily life, such as in urban settings or during economic hardships, reflecting themes in literature like in works by Chekhov. It carries a connotation of vulnerability, which is sometimes stigmatized, encouraging individuals to seek collective support rather than isolation.

Related Concepts:

• стресс (stress)
• кризис (crisis)
• авария (accident)