Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'outlaw'

English Word: outlaw

Key Russian Translations:

• преступник /prʲɪˈstupnʲɪk/ - [Formal, Singular]
• бандит /ˈbandʲɪt/ - [Informal, Often used in narrative or media contexts]

Frequency: Medium (Common in legal, news, and literary contexts, but not everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires basic understanding of Russian noun declensions and vocabulary related to law and society)

Pronunciation (Russian):

преступник: /prʲɪˈstupnʲɪk/ (Stress on the second syllable; the 'prʲ' sound involves a palatalized 'r', which can be tricky for English speakers)

бандит: /ˈbandʲɪt/ (Stress on the first syllable; note the soft 'dʲ' sound, similar to 'dy' in "yard")

Note on преступник: This word has a hard 'p' sound at the beginning, and the ending changes with declension, affecting pronunciation slightly in context.

Note on бандит: The 'и' at the end can vary slightly in speed of speech, making it sound more like /ˈbandʲit/ in casual conversation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A person who has broken the law and is outside of legal protection (Noun form).

Translation(s) & Context:

• преступник - Used in formal legal or official contexts, such as court discussions or historical texts.
• бандит - Applied in informal or storytelling contexts, like describing criminals in movies or novels, often implying violence.

Usage Examples:

• В старом вестерне главный герой был известным преступником, скрывающимся от шерифа.

  In the old western, the main character was a notorious outlaw hiding from the sheriff.

• Бандит из местного района был пойман полицией после серии ограблений.

  The outlaw from the local area was caught by the police after a series of robberies.

• Преступник, объявленный вне закона, жил в горах, избегая цивилизации.

  The outlaw, declared outside the law, lived in the mountains, avoiding civilization.

• Этот бандит возглавлял группу, которая грабила банки в 19 веке.

  This outlaw led a group that robbed banks in the 19th century.

• В истории России многие преступники становились легендами народного фольклора.

  In Russian history, many outlaws became legends in folk folklore.

Meaning 2: To declare someone as outside the law (Verb form, less common in Russian as a single word).

Translation(s) & Context:

• объявить вне закона - Used in formal or legal contexts, often as a phrase rather than a single word.

Usage Examples:

• Суд решил объявить его вне закона за многочисленные преступления.

  The court decided to outlaw him for numerous crimes.

• В средневековой России король мог объявить кого-то вне закона, лишая его защиты.

  In medieval Russia, the king could outlaw someone, depriving them of protection.

• Правительство объявило группу бандитов вне закона, чтобы оправдать их преследование.

  The government outlawed the group of bandits to justify their pursuit.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For "преступник" (a masculine noun, second declension), it follows standard Russian noun patterns with changes based on case and number. It is inflected regularly.

For "бандит" (also masculine, second declension), it inflects similarly:

For the phrase "объявить вне закона" (verb phrase), it does not inflect as a single word but follows standard verb conjugation for "объявить" (to declare).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • грабитель (robber; implies theft, often used interchangeably but with a focus on property crimes)
  • разбойник (brigand; has a more archaic or literary connotation, suitable for historical contexts)
• Antonyms:
  • законник (lawman or upholder of the law; directly contrasts with an outlaw)
  • герой (hero; in contexts where outlaws are villains)

Related Phrases:

• законы преступника - Laws of the outlaw (Refers to rules or codes followed by criminals in organized groups.)
• бандитская шайка - Outlaw gang (A common phrase for a group of criminals working together.)
• объявить вне закона - To declare an outlaw (As discussed, used in legal contexts to strip legal protections.)

Usage Notes:

"Преступник" is the most direct and formal translation for "outlaw" as a noun, closely matching its legal implications, while "бандит" adds a connotation of violence or banditry. Choose based on context: use "преступник" in official or neutral settings, and "бандит" in informal or dramatic ones. Be mindful of Russian's grammatical cases; for example, in sentences like "He caught the outlaw," you must decline the noun (e.g., "он поймал преступника"). The verb form is rare as a single word, so phrases like "объявить вне закона" are preferred. English speakers often confuse this with milder terms, but in Russian, it carries a strong negative weight.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "преступник" without proper declension, e.g., saying "с преступник" instead of "с преступником" (with the outlaw).

  Correct: "с преступником" - Explanation: Russian requires the instrumental case for "with," so always check the case based on sentence structure to avoid sounding unnatural.

• Error: Confusing "бандит" with "бандид" (a misspelling or non-word).

  Correct: "бандит" - Explanation: Ensure correct spelling and pronunciation; common for English learners to alter vowels due to similar-sounding English words.

• Error: Directly translating the verb "outlaw" as a single Russian word without context.

  Correct: Use the phrase "объявить вне закона" - Explanation: Russian doesn't have a perfect one-word equivalent, so learners should practice full phrases to convey the meaning accurately.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, outlaws like "преступник" or "бандит" often appear in folklore and literature, such as in stories of Stenka Razin or modern depictions in films. These figures symbolize rebellion against authority, reflecting historical contexts like the Russian Revolution, where outlaws were sometimes romanticized as folk heroes fighting oppression.

Related Concepts:

• преступление (crime)
• закон (law)
• грабеж (robbery)