Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'orphan'

English Word: orphan

Key Russian Translations:

• сирота /sʲɪˈrɔtə/ - [Formal, Informal; Used to refer to a child without parents]

Frequency: Medium (Common in literature, news, and everyday discussions about family or social issues, but not as frequent as basic daily words)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; Learners at this level should understand it with basic context, but mastering its inflections requires knowledge of Russian noun declensions)

Pronunciation (Russian):

сирота: /sʲɪˈrɔtə/

Note on сирота: The initial 'с' is palatalized (sʲ), which can be tricky for English speakers; it sounds like a soft 's' followed by a 'y' glide. Stress falls on the second syllable.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

A child whose parents have died or are absent.

Translation(s) & Context:

• сирота - Used in both formal contexts (e.g., legal documents) and informal conversations (e.g., storytelling) to describe someone who has lost their parents; it carries a sense of sympathy or social concern.

Usage Examples:

• Маленький мальчик стал сиротой после аварии.

  The little boy became an orphan after the accident.

• В приюте живут многие сироты, ожидающие усыновления.

  Many orphans live in the orphanage, waiting for adoption.

• Она выросла как сирота и преодолела множество трудностей.

  She grew up as an orphan and overcame many hardships.

• Сирота в этой истории находит новую семью.

  The orphan in this story finds a new family.

• Во время войны многие дети превратились в сирот.

  During the war, many children turned into orphans.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

'Сирота' is a feminine noun in the first declension group. It changes based on case and number, following standard Russian noun patterns. Below is a table of its inflections:

Note: The word is invariable in gender but must agree with adjectives and verbs in number and case. It does not have irregular forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: безродный (bezrodnyy) - Less common, implies someone without family ties; беспризорный (besprizornyy) - Often used for street children, with a connotation of neglect.
• Antonyms: None direct, but родительский (roditel'skiy) can imply 'parental' in context, or simply contrast with family-related terms.

Related Phrases:

• сиротский дом - An orphanage; commonly used in discussions about child welfare.
• оставить сиротой - To leave someone as an orphan; often in tragic narratives, e.g., after a loss.
• сирота судьбы - An orphan of fate; a poetic phrase implying someone abandoned by circumstances, with a sense of destiny or misfortune.

Usage Notes:

'Сирота' directly corresponds to 'orphan' in English but carries an emotional weight in Russian culture, often evoking sympathy or historical contexts like wars. It is neutral in formality but avoid using it lightly in conversations. When choosing translations, stick to 'сирота' for literal meanings; for broader contexts, 'беспризорный' might fit abandonment scenarios. Grammatically, always decline it according to Russian case rules to ensure agreement with other sentence elements.

• In formal writing, pair it with adjectives like 'молодой сирота' (young orphan).
• In spoken language, it's common in narratives but sensitive; be aware of cultural nuances.

Common Errors:

English learners often forget to decline 'сирота' correctly in sentences. For example:

• Error: Говорить о сирота (incorrect, as it should be in the correct case, e.g., prepositional: о сироте).
• Correct: Говорить о сироте. Explanation: In the prepositional case, it changes to 'сироте' to indicate 'about the orphan'.
• Another Error: Using 'сирота' as masculine, e.g., confusing gender agreements.
• Correct: Сирота пришла (The orphan [feminine] came), not treating it as masculine.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'сирота' is often linked to historical events like World War II or the Soviet era, where many children became orphans due to conflicts. It appears frequently in literature (e.g., in works by Dostoevsky) and symbolizes resilience or social inequality, adding a layer of emotional depth beyond the literal meaning.

Related Concepts:

• усыновление (adoption)
• приют (orphanage or shelter)
• беспризорность (homelessness or abandonment)