Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'mighty'

English Word: mighty

Key Russian Translations:

• могучий [mɐˈɡut͡ɕɪj] - [Formal, Literary]
• сильный [ˈsʲilʲnɨj] - [Informal, Everyday]
• мощный [ˈmoʂnɨj] - [Informal, Used for physical power]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations are commonly encountered in literature and descriptive contexts but less so in casual conversation.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for могучий and сильный; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for мощный, as they involve adjective inflections and contextual nuances according to CEFR standards.

Pronunciation (Russian):

могучий: [mɐˈɡut͡ɕɪj]

сильный: [ˈsʲilʲnɨj]

мощный: [ˈmoʂnɨj]

Note on могучий: The stress falls on the second syllable; be cautious with the palatalized 'г' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. Variations may occur in dialects.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: Possessing great strength or power (e.g., physical, metaphorical, or supernatural)

Translation(s) & Context:

• могучий - Used in formal or literary contexts to describe something overwhelmingly powerful, often with a heroic connotation.
• сильный - Applied in everyday situations for general strength, such as physical or emotional resilience.
• мощный - Employed for mechanical or intense power, like engines or forces.

Usage Examples:

• Могучий воин защитил деревню от врагов. (Moguchiy voin zashchitil derevnyu ot vragov.)

  A mighty warrior protected the village from enemies. (This example shows могучий in a heroic, narrative context.)

• Сильный ветер сломал несколько деревьев в парке. (Sil'nyy veter slomal neskol'ko derev'ev v parke.)

  A mighty wind broke several trees in the park. (Here, сильный illustrates physical force in a natural setting.)

• Эта машина имеет мощный двигатель, способный развивать высокую скорость. (Eta mashina imet moshchnyy dvigatel', sposobnyy razvivat' vysokuyu skorost'.)

  This car has a mighty engine capable of reaching high speeds. (мощный is used for mechanical power in technical descriptions.)

• Могучий лидер вдохновил народ на перемены. (Moguchiy lider vdochnovil narod na peremeny.)

  The mighty leader inspired the people to change. (Demonstrates могучий in a metaphorical, leadership context.)

Secondary Meaning: Impressive or formidable in size or influence

Translation(s) & Context:

• сильный - In contexts emphasizing dominance or impact.
• мощный - For large-scale influence, like in economics or politics.

Usage Examples:

• Сильный дождь превратил улицы в реки. (Sil'nyy dozhd' prevratil ulitsy v reki.)

  The mighty rain turned the streets into rivers. (Shows сильный in weather-related descriptions.)

• Мощный экономический рост поднял страну на новый уровень. (Moshchnyy ekonomicheskiy rost podnyal stranu na novyy uroven'.)

  The mighty economic growth elevated the country to a new level. (Illustrates мощный in an abstract, economic context.)

• Могучий поток рек сделал долину плодородной. (Moguchiy potok rek sdelal dolinu plodorodnoy.)

  The mighty river flow made the valley fertile. (Uses могучий for natural phenomena with poetic flair.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations are adjectives, which inflect based on gender, number, and case in Russian. Below is a table for могучий as an example; similar patterns apply to сильный and мощный with minor variations.

Note: These adjectives follow the standard first-declension pattern. If no changes are needed (e.g., in certain fixed phrases), they remain invariant.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • сильный (similar to 'strong', but more general)
  • мощный (emphasizes raw power, often interchangeable with могучий in literary contexts)
  • крепкий (implies sturdiness, with a slight nuance of durability)
• Antonyms:
  • слабый (weak, directly opposite in strength)
  • хилый (frail, used for physical weakness)

Related Phrases:

• Могучий богатырь (Moguchiy bogatyr') - A mighty hero or warrior; often refers to folklore figures in Russian epics.
• Сильный удар (Sil'nyy udar) - A mighty blow; used in sports or combat contexts.
• Мощный поток (Moshchnyy potok) - A mighty stream or flow; common in descriptions of rivers or energy.

Usage Notes:

• Choose могучий for formal or poetic contexts where 'mighty' implies grandeur, as in literature or historical texts, to match the English word's archaic feel.
• Сильный is more versatile for everyday use and directly aligns with 'mighty' in physical contexts, but avoid it in highly formal settings where it might sound too plain.
• Be mindful of gender and case agreements in sentences; for example, могучий changes to могучая with feminine nouns.
• In spoken Russian, мощный is preferred for modern, technical scenarios, helping to convey 'mighty' in a contemporary way.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using могучий in casual conversation, e.g., saying "могучий ветер" instead of "сильный ветер" for a simple 'mighty wind'. Correct: Сильный ветер. Explanation: Могучий sounds overly dramatic and literary, leading to unnatural speech; opt for сильный in informal settings.
• Mistake: Forgetting adjective inflections, e.g., saying "могучий женщина" instead of "могучая женщина". Correct: Могучая женщина. Explanation: Russian adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case, which English learners often overlook.
• Mistake: Confusing with synonyms, e.g., using мощный for personal strength when сильный is more appropriate. Correct: Use сильный for human attributes. Explanation: Мощный implies mechanical or abstract power, not personal traits.

Cultural Notes:

Words like могучий often evoke Russian folklore, such as the epic tales of bogatyrs (mighty warriors) in works by Pushkin or folk stories. This reflects a cultural emphasis on heroism and resilience in the face of vast landscapes, helping English users appreciate the word's deeper, nationalistic connotations in Russian literature and history.

Related Concepts:

• геройский (heroic)
• непобедимый (invincible)
• эпический (epic)