Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'misadventure'

English Word: misadventure

Key Russian Translations:

• несчастье (/nʲɪˈʂastʲjɪ/) - [Formal, used in literary or serious contexts]
• неудача (/nʲɪˈudətɕə/) - [Informal, everyday conversation]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in literature, news, and casual discussions, but not as frequent as basic vocabulary)

Difficulty: B1 Intermediate (requires understanding of noun declensions and contextual nuances; learners at this level can grasp it with practice)

Pronunciation (Russian):

несчастье: /nʲɪˈʂastʲjɪ/

Note on несчастье: The 'щ' sound is a voiceless palatal fricative, similar to the 'sh' in 'she' but more sibilant; be careful with stress on the second syllable.

неудача: /nʲɪˈudətɕə/

Note on неудача: The 'ч' sound is a voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate, like 'ch' in 'church'; stress falls on the second syllable, and it may vary slightly in rapid speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: An unfortunate incident or accident, often implying bad luck or mishap.

Translation(s) & Context:

• несчастье - Used in formal or narrative contexts, such as describing events in stories or legal reports.
• неудача - Applied in informal settings, like personal anecdotes or everyday failures.

Usage Examples:

• Его путешествие закончилось настоящим несчастьем, когда шторм разрушил лодку.

  His journey ended in a real misadventure when the storm wrecked the boat.

• Эта неудача в бизнесе научила его ценить риски заранее.

  This misadventure in business taught him to value risks in advance.

• Несчастье постигло семью во время отпуска, из-за чего они вернулись раньше.

  Misadventure befell the family during their vacation, causing them to return early.

• После этой неудачи он решил больше не экспериментировать с новыми идеями.

  After this misadventure, he decided not to experiment with new ideas anymore.

• В старом романе герой переживает несколько несчастий, но в конце находит счастье.

  In the old novel, the hero experiences several misadventures but finds happiness in the end.

Meaning 2: A misfortunate adventure or escapade, often with a sense of irony or humor in storytelling.

Translation(s) & Context:

• несчастье - In literary contexts, emphasizing dramatic or tragic elements.
• неудача - In casual storytelling, highlighting light-hearted failures.

Usage Examples:

• Что было тем несчастьем? Он потерял карту в лесу и бродил целый день.

  What was that misadventure? He lost the map in the forest and wandered all day.

• Её неудача с приготовлением ужина стала забавной историей на вечеринке.

  Her misadventure with cooking dinner became a funny story at the party.

• Несчастье в его жизни часто превращалось в уроки, которые он ценил.

  The misadventures in his life often turned into lessons he valued.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are nouns. "Несчастье" is a neuter noun, and "неудача" is a feminine noun. They follow standard Russian declension patterns with some irregularities.

Note: Both words are invariable in plural forms in most contexts, but "несчастья" can be pluralized as "несчастья" for multiple events.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • беда (more emotional, implying distress)
  • злоключение (specifically for adventurous mishaps)
• Antonyms:
  • удача (success)
  • счастье (happiness)

Related Phrases:

• в результате несчастья - In the result of a misfortune (used to describe consequences of an unfortunate event).
• избежать неудачи - To avoid failure (common in motivational contexts).
• несчастье не приходит одно - Misfortune never comes alone (a proverbial expression implying bad luck comes in waves).

Usage Notes:

"Несчастье" is a more formal equivalent to "misadventure" and is often used in written or narrative contexts, while "неудача" is better for informal speech. Choose based on the context: use "несчастье" for events with a sense of tragedy, and "неудача" for lighter failures. Be mindful of Russian case declensions when using these in sentences, as they change based on grammatical role. For English speakers, note that Russian often pairs these words with verbs like "стать" (to become) or "привести к" (to lead to) to mirror "end in misadventure."

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "несчастье" interchangeably with "неудача" without considering formality, e.g., saying "Это была неудача" in a formal report instead of "несчастье."

  Correct: "Это было несчастье" for formal contexts. Explanation: "Неудача" sounds too casual and may undermine the seriousness.

• Error: Incorrect declension, e.g., using "несчастье" in the genitive as "несчастье" instead of "несчастья."

  Correct: "Из-за несчастья" should be "Из-за несчастья" (nominative), but in genitive: "Из-за несчастья" is wrong; use "Из-за несчастья" properly as per case. Explanation: Russian nouns must agree in case, which English learners often overlook, leading to grammatical errors.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "несчастье" often appear in literature and folklore, such as in fairy tales by Pushkin, where misadventures drive the plot and symbolize life's unpredictability. This reflects a cultural emphasis on resilience in the face of adversity, influenced by historical events like wars and revolutions.

Related Concepts:

• опасность (danger)
• риск (risk)
• судьба (fate)