Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'ours'

English Word: ours

Key Russian Translations:

• наши [ˈnaʂɨ] - [Plural, Informal/Formal]
• наш [naʂ] - [Singular Masculine, Informal/Formal]
• наша [ˈnaʂə] - [Singular Feminine, Informal/Formal]
• наше [ˈnaʂə] - [Singular Neuter, Informal/Formal]

Frequency: High - The word and its forms are commonly used in everyday Russian conversation and writing to express possession.

Difficulty: A1 (Beginner) - Basic possessive pronouns are introduced early in Russian language learning, though mastering inflections may require practice.

Pronunciation (Russian):

наши: [ˈnaʂɨ]

наш: [naʂ]

наша: [ˈnaʂə]

наше: [ˈnaʂə]

Note on наши: The 'ш' sound is a voiceless postalveolar fricative, similar to the 'sh' in English "she," but ensure the vowel is soft and unstressed in casual speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Possessive pronoun indicating ownership or relation (e.g., belonging to us)

Translation(s) & Context:

• наши - Used for plural nouns or in general possessive contexts, such as referring to items or ideas that belong to a group including the speaker.
• наш - Applied to singular masculine nouns in possessive structures.

Usage Examples:

• Это наши книги. (Eta nashi knigi.)

  This is our books. (Context: Referring to books owned by us in a plural sense.)

• Наш дом очень большой. (Nash dom ochen' bol'shoy.)

  Our house is very big. (Context: Describing a singular masculine noun in a possessive sentence.)

• Это наша идея, и мы её реализуем. (Eta nasha ideya, i my yeyo realizeruem.)

  This is our idea, and we're implementing it. (Context: Feminine noun in a possessive context, showing agreement.)

• Наше решение было правильным. (Nashe resheniye bylo pravil'nym.)

  Our decision was correct. (Context: Neuter noun, emphasizing a past action or choice.)

• Ваши вещи похожи на наши. (Vashi veshchi pokhozhi na nashi.)

  Your things are similar to ours. (Context: Comparing possessions in a conversational setting.)

Meaning 2: Emphatic possession in responses or contrasts

Translation(s) & Context:

• наши - Used for emphasis in replies, e.g., when distinguishing ownership.

Usage Examples:

• Не трогай это, это наши! (Ne trogai eto, eto nashi!)

  Don't touch that, that's ours! (Context: Asserting ownership in an informal, emphatic way.)

• Это не ваши, а наши проблемы. (Eto ne vashi, a nashi problemy.)

  These are not yours, but our problems. (Context: Contrasting possessions in a discussion.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

The Russian translations of "ours" are possessive pronouns that inflect based on gender, number, and case. They follow the standard adjectival declension patterns in Russian grammar.

Note: These forms change based on the grammatical case of the noun they modify. For example, in genitive case, "нашего" is used for masculine/neuter singular.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • нашёй (nasheoy) - A less common variant, but similar in possessive context.
  • принадлежащий нам (prinadlezhashchiy nam) - More descriptive, formal synonym meaning "belonging to us."
• Antonyms:
  • ваши (vashi) - Yours (plural).
  • чужой (chuzhoy) - Foreign or someone else's.

Synonyms like "принадлежащий нам" are used in more formal or written contexts to add emphasis or clarity.

Related Phrases:

• Наши люди (Nashi lyudi) - Our people (Meaning: Refers to compatriots or team members; used in social or national contexts).
• Наши традиции (Nashi traditsii) - Our traditions (Common in cultural discussions).
• Это наши правила (Eto nashi pravila) - These are our rules (Used in settings like families or organizations to denote established norms).

Usage Notes:

In Russian, the translations of "ours" must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify, unlike English where "ours" is invariable. For example, choose "наш" for masculine nouns and "наши" for plurals. This ensures grammatical harmony in sentences. When selecting among translations, consider the context: use plural forms for groups and singular for individuals. English learners should practice declensions to avoid errors in formal writing or speech.

• Always pair with the appropriate noun case, e.g., in questions like "Это наши?" meaning "Is this ours?"
• In informal speech, Russians might drop the pronoun if context is clear, but it's essential in emphatic statements.

Common Errors:

One common mistake is failing to decline the pronoun correctly, e.g., saying "Это наши книги" in genitive context instead of "Это книги наших" (This is our books' something). Correct usage: Use "наших" in genitive. Another error is confusing it with "ваши" (yours), leading to mix-ups in possession. For instance, incorrectly saying "Это ваши дом" instead of "Это наш дом" – the right form is "ваш дом" for yours (singular masculine).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, possessive pronouns like "наши" often carry a sense of collective identity, especially in phrases like "наши люди" (our people), which can imply national or group solidarity. This reflects Russia's emphasis on community and shared heritage, differing from more individualistic uses in English.

Related Concepts:

• твой (tvoy) - Your (informal singular)
• ихний (ikhniy) - Theirs (colloquial variant)
• мой (moy) - Mine