Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'opinionated'

English Word: opinionated

Key Russian Translations:

• упрямый [ʊˈpramɨj] - [Informal, often used in everyday conversations to describe someone stubbornly holding opinions]
• самоуверенный [səməʊˈuvərɛnnɨj] - [Formal, typically in professional or intellectual contexts]
• принципиальный [prʲɪnˈtsɨpʲɪlʲnɨj] - [Formal, emphasizing principled stubbornness in opinions]

Frequency: Medium - This word and its translations are commonly encountered in discussions, literature, and media, but not as ubiquitous as basic vocabulary.

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) - For упрямый and самоуверенный; B2 for принципиальный, as it requires understanding nuanced contexts in Russian sentence structures.

Pronunciation (Russian):

упрямый: [ʊˈpramɨj]

Note on упрямый: The stress falls on the second syllable ("pram"), which can be tricky for English speakers due to Russian's vowel reductions in unstressed positions.

самоуверенный: [səməʊˈuvərɛnnɨj]

Note on самоуверенный: Pay attention to the soft sign (ь) affecting the pronunciation of the preceding consonant, making it softer and more palatalized.

принципиальный: [prʲɪnˈtsɨpʲɪlʲnɨj]

Note on принципиальный: The initial "prʲ" sound involves palatalization, which is a common feature in Russian but may require practice for non-native speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Having and expressing very strong opinions, often stubbornly

Translation(s) & Context:

• упрямый - Used in informal, everyday contexts to describe someone who is opinionated and resistant to change, e.g., in family or social discussions.
• самоуверенный - Applied in more formal settings, like debates or professional environments, to indicate overconfidence in one's opinions.
• принципиальный - Employed in ethical or philosophical contexts, highlighting a principled stance that makes someone opinionated.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда упрямый в своих политических взглядах и rarely changes his mind.

  He is always opinionated in his political views and rarely changes his mind.

• Её самоуверенный подход к обсуждениям often alienates others.

  Her opinionated approach to discussions often alienates others.

• Этот принципиальный критик известен своими упрямыми отзывами о кино.

  This principled critic is known for his opinionated reviews of films.

• В семейных спорах она становится упрямой, отстаивая свои убеждения.

  In family disputes, she becomes opinionated, defending her beliefs.

• Самоуверенный лектор не слушает контраргументы, что типично для таких людей.

  The opinionated lecturer doesn't listen to counterarguments, which is typical for such people.

Possibly implying arrogance or inflexibility

Translation(s) & Context:

• упрямый - In negative contexts, such as arguments, to show stubbornness that borders on arrogance.
• самоуверенный - Often carries a connotation of overconfidence, used in interpersonal dynamics.

Usage Examples:

• Его упрямый характер в работе делает его трудным коллегой.

  His opinionated nature at work makes him a difficult colleague.

• Самоуверенный менеджер игнорирует советы команды.

  The opinionated manager ignores the team's advice.

• Принципиальный, но упрямый лидер не всегда учитывает общественное мнение.

  The principled but opinionated leader doesn't always consider public opinion.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations (упрямый, самоуверенный, принципиальный) are adjectives, which inflect based on gender, number, and case in Russian. Russian adjectives agree with the nouns they modify and follow standard patterns, though упрямый has no irregularities.

Note: These adjectives follow the standard hard-stem pattern, with no irregular inflections.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • упорный - More about persistence, but similar in stubborn contexts.
  • настойчивый - Emphasizes insistence, often with a positive connotation.
  • твердый - Used for firmness in opinions, with less negative undertone.
• Antonyms:
  • гибкий - Implies flexibility and openness to other views.
  • открытый - Suggests being open-minded and receptive.

Related Phrases:

• упрямый как осел - Literally "stubborn as a mule"; used to describe someone extremely opinionated in a humorous way; English equivalent: "as stubborn as a mule".
• самоуверенный тон - "Opinionated tone"; refers to a speaking style that asserts strong views; context: in debates or speeches.
• принципиальный подход - "Principled approach"; implies an opinionated method based on core beliefs; often in ethical discussions.

Usage Notes:

• упрямый is the most direct translation for "opinionated" in informal settings, closely matching the English nuance of stubbornness, but it can sound more negative in Russian.
• Choose самоуверенный when the context involves overconfidence, as it aligns with English usage in professional or social scenarios.
• принципиальный is ideal for formal or ethical contexts, emphasizing moral steadfastness rather than mere stubbornness.
• Grammar note: Always ensure the adjective agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies, e.g., "упрямый человек" vs. "упрямая женщина".
• Be cautious with register: упрямый is informal and might offend, while the others are more neutral in formal writing.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using упрямый interchangeably with твердый without considering connotation. Incorrect: "Твердый человек" might imply physical firmness, not opinionated behavior. Correct: Use упрямый for opinions. Explanation: Твердый focuses on literal strength, while упрямый targets mental stubbornness.
• Error: Forgetting adjective agreement, e.g., saying "упрямый женщина" instead of "упрямая женщина". Incorrect: упрямый женщина. Correct: упрямая женщина. Explanation: Russian adjectives must match the noun's gender.
• Error: Overusing самоуверенный to mean "confident" without the opinionated aspect. Incorrect: Using it for general self-assurance. Correct: Reserve for contexts with strong, unyielding opinions. Explanation: This can lead to miscommunication in social interactions.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, being "opinionated" like упрямый can be seen as a double-edged trait—valued in contexts like literature (e.g., Dostoevsky's characters) for its passion, but criticized in daily life for hindering compromise. Historically, during Soviet times, principled stubbornness was glorified in propaganda, influencing modern perceptions of words like принципиальный.

Related Concepts:

• убеждение (conviction)
• взгляд (viewpoint)
• настойчивость (persistence)