Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'outsider'

English Word: outsider

Key Russian Translations:

• чужой ([ˈtʃuʐoj]) - [Informal, used for someone not belonging to a group or as an adjective implying strangeness]
• иностранец ([ɪnɐˈstranʲɪts]) - [Formal, specifically for a foreigner or non-native in a cultural or national context]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday conversations, literature, and media, but not as ubiquitous as basic vocabulary)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of basic noun and adjective declensions, suitable for learners with some grasp of Russian grammar)

Pronunciation (Russian):

чужой: [ˈtʃuʐoj]

Note on чужой: The stress is on the first syllable; the 'ж' sound is a soft, voiced fricative, which can be challenging for English speakers. Variations may occur in dialects, but standard pronunciation holds.

иностранец: [ɪnɐˈstranʲɪts]

Note on иностранец: The stress is on the third syllable; pay attention to the palatalized 'нʲ' sound, which softens the preceding consonant. This word is often pronounced more rapidly in casual speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A person who is not part of a particular group, society, or community (e.g., social outsider)

Translation(s) & Context:

• чужой - Used in informal settings to describe someone excluded or unfamiliar, often with emotional connotations.
• иностранец - Applied in formal or legal contexts, such as immigration or international relations.

Usage Examples:

• Он чувствует себя чужим в новой компании. (He feels like an outsider in the new group.)

  Translation: He feels like an outsider in the new group.

• В этой деревне иностранец всегда привлекает внимание. (In this village, an outsider always draws attention.)

  Translation: In this village, an outsider always draws attention.

• Как чужой, она не понимала их традиций. (As an outsider, she didn't understand their traditions.)

  Translation: As an outsider, she didn't understand their traditions.

• Иностранец в большом городе должен адаптироваться к местным обычаям. (An outsider in the big city must adapt to local customs.)

  Translation: An outsider in the big city must adapt to local customs.

• В школьном классе он был чужим из-за своего акцента. (In the school class, he was an outsider because of his accent.)

  Translation: In the school class, he was an outsider because of his accent.

Meaning 2: In sports or betting contexts, someone or something not favored to win (e.g., an underdog)

Translation(s) & Context:

• чужой - Informally used to imply an unexpected participant, though less common; often metaphorical.

Usage Examples:

• Эта команда — настоящий чужой в турнире, но они борются. (This team is a real outsider in the tournament, but they're fighting.)

  Translation: This team is a real outsider in the tournament, but they're fighting.

• Как чужой, игрок удивил всех своим выступлением. (As an outsider, the player surprised everyone with his performance.)

  Translation: As an outsider, the player surprised everyone with his performance.

• В ставках на лошадей чужой часто выигрывает неожиданно. (In horse betting, an outsider often wins unexpectedly.)

  Translation: In horse betting, an outsider often wins unexpectedly.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For "чужой" (an adjective), it follows standard Russian adjective declension patterns, which are regular but require attention to gender, number, and case. It is invariable in some predicative uses but inflects fully as an attributive adjective.

Case	Singular Masculine	Singular Feminine	Singular Neuter	Plural
Nominative	чужой	чужая	чужое	чужие
Genitive	чужого	чужой	чужого	чужих
Dative	чужому	чужой	чужому	чужим
Accusative	чужого/чужой (animate)	чужую	чужое	чужих/чужие (animate)
Instrumental	чужим	чужой	чужим	чужими
Prepositional	чужом	чужой	чужом	чужих

For "иностранец" (a masculine noun), it is a second-declension noun and inflects regularly for case and number, but does not change for gender.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	иностранец	иностранцы
Genitive	иностранца	иностранцев
Dative	иностранцу	иностранцам
Accusative	иностранца	иностранцев
Instrumental	иностранцем	иностранцами
Prepositional	иностранце	иностранцах

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • посторонний (postoronniy) - Similar to "outsider" but often implies someone unrelated or intrusive; used in formal contexts.
  • незнакомец (neznakomets) - Emphasizes unfamiliarity, more neutral than "чужой".
• Antonyms:
  • свой (svoy) - Meaning "one's own" or "insider", contrasting with exclusion.
  • член (chlen) - In group contexts, meaning "member".

Related Phrases:

• чужой человек (chuzhoy chelovek) - Meaning: A stranger or unfamiliar person; used in everyday warnings about trust.
• иностранец в России (inostranez v Rossii) - Meaning: A foreigner in Russia; often in discussions of expatriate life or cultural adaptation.
• чужой в своем доме (chuzhoy v svoyem dome) - Meaning: Feeling like an outsider in one's own home; a common idiom for alienation.

Usage Notes:

• "Чужой" is the most direct translation for "outsider" in informal, emotional contexts, but it can carry negative connotations of exclusion, unlike the neutral English term.
• "Иностранец" is better for literal foreigners and is restricted to formal or official scenarios; avoid it for metaphorical uses.
• When choosing between translations, consider the context: social vs. national. Russian adjectives like "чужой" must agree in gender, number, and case, which is a key grammatical point for English learners.
• In spoken Russian, "outsider" might be borrowed as "аутсайдер" in modern slang, especially in sports, but this is less traditional.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "чужой" interchangeably with "иностранец" without considering context. Incorrect: "Он иностранец в группе друзей." (This implies he's a foreigner, not just an outsider.) Correct: "Он чужой в группе друзей." (Better for social exclusion.) Explanation: "Иностранец" specifically denotes nationality, leading to confusion in non-immigration contexts.
• Error: Forgetting to decline "чужой" properly, e.g., using the masculine form for feminine nouns. Incorrect: "Эта чужой женщина." Correct: "Эта чужая женщина." Explanation: Russian adjectives must match the noun's gender, which English speakers often overlook.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of an "outsider" like "чужой" often ties to the traditional emphasis on community and belonging. Historically, in rural or Soviet-era settings, outsiders were viewed with suspicion, reflecting themes in literature like Tolstoy's works. This can help English learners understand the subtle emotional weight in modern Russian interactions.

Related Concepts:

• гость (guest)
• приезжий (visitor or newcomer)
• изгой (outcast)