Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'misfortune'

English Word: misfortune

Key Russian Translations:

• несчастье /nʲɪˈʂastʲjɪ/ - [Formal, commonly used in literature, news, and everyday serious discussions]
• бедствие /bʲɪˈdstvʲɪjə/ - [Formal, often implies a larger-scale disaster or calamity]

Frequency: Medium - The word is encountered regularly in Russian media, literature, and conversations, but not as ubiquitous as everyday terms like "счастье" (happiness).

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) - Learners at this level can grasp the basic usage, though mastering inflections and nuances may require B2 proficiency.

Pronunciation (Russian):

несчастье: /nʲɪˈʂastʲjɪ/ - The stress is on the third syllable; note the palatalized 'н' and the soft 'щ' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers.

бедствие: /bʲɪˈdstvʲɪjə/ - Stress on the second syllable; pay attention to the soft 'б' and the cluster 'dstv', which requires smooth articulation.

Note on несчастье: This word has a soft 'щ' that sounds like a prolonged 'sh' with a hiss; variations in regional accents may slightly alter vowel length.

Note on бедствие: In fast speech, the 'е' in the second syllable can sound more like a schwa; avoid over-emphasizing the 'т' for natural flow.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: An unfortunate event, circumstance, or stroke of bad luck.

Translation(s) & Context:

• несчастье - Used in formal or emotional contexts, such as describing personal tragedies or historical events, e.g., in novels or news reports.
• бедствие - Applied to larger-scale misfortunes like natural disasters, emphasizing severity and public impact.

Usage Examples:

• В жизни каждого человека случаются несчастья, но важно не отчаиваться.

  In every person's life, misfortunes occur, but it's important not to despair.

• Это бедствие разрушило целые города и унесло тысячи жизней.

  This misfortune destroyed entire cities and took thousands of lives.

• Несчастье в виде потери работы вынудило его переехать в другой город.

  The misfortune of losing his job forced him to move to another city.

• После ряда несчастий семья решила начать все заново.

  After a series of misfortunes, the family decided to start over.

• Бедствие, подобное наводнению, требует быстрой реакции от властей.

  A misfortune like a flood requires a quick response from authorities.

Meaning 2: A state of bad luck or ongoing adversity (less common, metaphorical usage).

Translation(s) & Context:

• несчастье - In metaphorical contexts, such as in poetry or philosophical discussions, to denote a prolonged period of ill fortune.

Usage Examples:

• Его жизнь превратилась в сплошное несчастье из-за серии неудач.

  His life turned into a continuous misfortune due to a series of failures.

• Несчастье преследовало их на протяжении многих лет.

  Misfortune plagued them for many years.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are nouns. "Несчастье" is a neuter noun, while "бедствие" is also neuter. Russian nouns inflect for case, number, and gender. Below is a declension table for "несчастье" as an example; "бедствие" follows similar patterns but with slight variations in some forms.

For "бедствие": It is invariable in some forms but follows standard neuter declension. Note: These words do not change for gender but are irregular in plural genitive forms, which is common in Russian neuter nouns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • беда - Similar to "misfortune" but often more everyday and less formal.
  • несчастье - (as above, primary synonym)
  • катастрофа - Implies a sudden, severe event, with a nuance of irreversibility.
• Antonyms:
  • счастье - Direct opposite, meaning happiness or good fortune.
  • удача - Meaning luck or success, often in contrast to ongoing misfortune.

Related Phrases:

• Жизненное несчастье - A personal or lifelong misfortune; used in reflective or biographical contexts.
• Избежать бедствия - To avoid a disaster; common in emergency or planning discussions.
• Несчастье не приходит одно - Misfortune never comes alone (a proverb implying bad luck comes in waves); explains the idea of compounded adversity.

Usage Notes:

"Несчастье" directly corresponds to "misfortune" in English, capturing both emotional and event-based meanings, but it's more formal and less colloquial than English equivalents. Use "бедствие" for large-scale events to match words like "disaster." Be mindful of context: in Russian, these words often appear in narrative or empathetic settings. When choosing between translations, opt for "несчастье" in personal stories and "бедствие" for public crises. Grammatically, always decline according to case, e.g., use genitive "несчастья" after prepositions like "из" (from).

• Avoid direct word-for-word translations; Russian often pairs these with verbs like "случиться" (to happen) for a natural flow.
• In informal speech, synonyms like "беда" might be preferred for everyday conversations.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse "несчастье" with "счастье" due to similar endings, leading to accidental antonym use. For example:

• Error: Saying "Это счастье!" when meaning "This is a misfortune!" (Incorrect: Это счастье! means "This is happiness!").
• Correct: Это несчастье! - This correctly conveys "This is a misfortune!" with the right word.
• Another error: Failing to decline properly, e.g., using nominative "несчастье" in genitive contexts like "из несчастье" instead of "из несчастья." Explanation: Russian requires case agreement, so always check the sentence structure for accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "несчастье" often carry a deep emotional weight, influenced by literature (e.g., Tolstoy's works) and historical events like wars and revolutions. They reflect a cultural resilience in the face of adversity, where discussing misfortunes is common in storytelling to emphasize human endurance and fatalism.

Related Concepts:

• счастье
• удача
• бедствие
• кризис