Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'muscle'

English Word: muscle

Key Russian Translations:

• мышца /ˈmɨʂt͡sə/ - [Formal, used in medical, anatomical, or everyday contexts]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in health, fitness, and medical discussions, but not in everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: A2 (Beginner - straightforward vocabulary for basic descriptions, suitable for early learners of Russian)

Pronunciation (Russian):

мышца: /ˈmɨʂt͡sə/

Note on мышца: The "ш" sound is a soft, retroflex fricative, which can be challenging for English speakers; it sounds like "sh" in "shoe" but with a more palatalized quality. Stress is on the first syllable.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Anatomical muscle (the primary meaning, referring to body tissue)

Translation(s) & Context:

• мышца - Used in formal or informal contexts when discussing human or animal anatomy, such as in fitness routines, medical descriptions, or biology. It is a feminine noun and can be pluralized for multiple muscles.

Usage Examples:

• Я чувствую боль в мышце после тренировки.

  I feel pain in the muscle after the workout.

• Мышцы ног должны быть сильными для бега.

  The muscles of the legs need to be strong for running.

• Врачи изучают, как мышцы реагируют на физические нагрузки.

  Doctors study how muscles respond to physical exertion.

• Его мышцы напряглись от холода.

  His muscles tensed from the cold.

• Разминка помогает подготовить мышцы к упражнениям.

  Warming up helps prepare the muscles for exercises.

Metaphorical muscle (e.g., strength or power, less common direct translation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• мышца - Occasionally used metaphorically in informal speech for "strength" or "power," but more commonly replaced by words like "сила." Context: Informal, in motivational or sports talk.

Usage Examples:

• Эта команда показывает настоящую мышцу в соревнованиях.

  This team shows real muscle in competitions (implying strength and dominance).

• Его мышца воли помогла преодолеть трудности.

  His muscle of will helped him overcome difficulties (metaphorical for determination).

Russian Forms/Inflections:

"Мышца" is a feminine noun of the first declension in Russian, which means it follows regular patterns for case and number changes. It is not irregular but requires attention to gender agreement in sentences.

Note: This table applies to "мышца." If using in a sentence, adjectives and verbs must agree in gender, number, and case (e.g., "сильная мышца" for "strong muscle").

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: мускул (more technical, often used in anatomy); сила (for metaphorical strength)
• muskul is a direct borrowing and can be used interchangeably in scientific contexts, but мышца is more everyday.
• Antonyms: слабость (weakness; implies lack of muscle or strength)

Related Phrases:

• скелетные мышцы - Skeletal muscles; used in anatomical discussions to refer to muscles attached to bones.
• мышцы живота - Abdominal muscles; common in fitness contexts.
• накачивать мышцы - To pump up muscles; an idiomatic phrase for building muscle through exercise, often in informal settings.

Usage Notes:

The Russian word "мышца" directly corresponds to the English "muscle" in its anatomical sense, but English speakers should note that Russian requires proper case agreement—e.g., use genitive "мышцы" after prepositions like "в" (in). It's versatile across formal and informal domains but is most common in health-related contexts. When choosing between translations, use "мышца" for literal body parts and "сила" for abstract strength to avoid confusion. Grammatically, always treat it as feminine.

• In spoken Russian, it's often pluralized for emphasis, e.g., "мышцы болят" (muscles hurt).
• Be cautious with metaphorical uses; they are less frequent and may sound unnatural if overused.

Common Errors:

English learners often misuse cases with "мышца," such as using the nominative form in all situations. For example:

• Error: "Боль в мышца" (incorrect genitive usage).
• Correct: "Боль в мышце" (proper genitive for singular).
• Explanation: Russian requires the genitive case after "в," so always adjust based on context to avoid grammatical errors.
• Another common error is confusing it with "muskul," leading to overuse of foreign borrowings; stick to "мышца" for natural speech.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, discussions around "мышца" (muscle) often tie into fitness and sports, influenced by the country's emphasis on physical education and Olympic achievements. For instance, terms like "накачивать мышцы" reflect a cultural value on strength and resilience, stemming from historical contexts like Soviet-era sports programs.

Related Concepts:

• кость (bone)
• сухожилие (tendon)
• сустав (joint)