Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'peculiarity'

English Word: peculiarity

Key Russian Translations:

• особенность [ɐsəˈbʲenːəsʲtʲ] - [Formal, Singular]
• странность [ˈstrannəsʲtʲ] - [Informal, Plural when emphasizing multiple oddities]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday discussions about characteristics, but not as frequent as basic vocabulary)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of noun inflections and contextual nuances. For 'особенность', it's B1; for 'странность', it's also B1 due to similar grammatical rules.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

особенность: [ɐsəˈbʲenːəsʲtʲ]

странность: [ˈstrannəsʲtʲ]

Note on особенность: The stress falls on the third syllable; be careful with the palatalized 'bʲ' sound, which is a common challenge for English speakers. A slight variation in informal speech may soften the final 'tʲ'.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

A strange or unusual feature or quality

Translation(s) & Context:

• 'особенность' - Used in formal or descriptive contexts, such as describing unique traits in psychology or science.
• 'странность' - Applied in informal settings, like casual conversations about eccentric behaviors or odd occurrences.

Usage Examples:

• Эта особенность его характера всегда удивляла друзей. (Eta osobennost' yego kharaktera vsegda udivlyala druzey.)

  This peculiarity of his character always surprised his friends.

• В этом городе есть странность: все дома окрашены в синий цвет. (V etom gorode est' strannost': vse doma okrashingeny v siniy tsvet.)

  In this city, there's a peculiarity: all the houses are painted blue.

• Особенности климата в Сибири делают её уникальной. (Osobennosti klimata v Sibiri delayut yeyo unikal'noy.)

  The peculiarities of the climate in Siberia make it unique.

• Её странности в поведении иногда вызывают недоумение. (Yeyo strannosti v povedenii inogda vyzyvayut nedoumienie.)

  Her peculiarities in behavior sometimes cause bewilderment.

• Каждый человек имеет свои особенности, которые делают его неповторимым. (Kazhdyy chelovek imeet svoi osobennosti, kotorye delayut yego nepovtorimym.)

  Every person has their own peculiarities that make them unique.

A characteristic or distinguishing feature

Translation(s) & Context:

• 'особенность' - Common in academic or neutral contexts, such as biology or linguistics.

Usage Examples:

• Особенность этого языка — его сложная грамматика. (Osobennost' etogo yazyka — yego slozhnaya grammatika.)

  The peculiarity of this language is its complex grammar.

• В архитектуре здания есть интересная особенность. (V arkhitekture zdaniya est' interesnaya osobennost'.)

  The building's architecture has an interesting peculiarity.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'особенность' and 'странность' are feminine nouns in Russian, following the standard first declension pattern. They undergo changes based on case, number, and gender. 'Особенность' is regular, while 'странность' is also regular but can vary slightly in plural forms.

For 'странность', the plural forms are similar: Nominative plural is 'странности'. These nouns do not change for verbs but must agree with adjectives and other modifiers.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • характерная черта (kharakter naya cherta) - More neutral, often used interchangeably but emphasizes positive traits.
  • причуда (prichuda) - Informal, implies whimsy or eccentricity.
• Antonyms:
  • норма (norma) - Standard or normal feature.
  • стандарт (standart) - Common or typical characteristic.

Related Phrases:

• Интересная особенность (Interesnaya osobennost') - An interesting peculiarity; used to highlight unique aspects in descriptions.
• Странности поведения (Strannosti povedeniya) - Peculiarities of behavior; often in psychological or social contexts.
• Особенности русского языка (Osobennosti russkogo yazyka) - Peculiarities of the Russian language; refers to unique linguistic features.

Usage Notes:

'Особенность' is the most direct translation for 'peculiarity' in formal contexts, such as academic writing, while 'странность' suits informal or everyday speech. English speakers should note that Russian nouns like these must agree in case, number, and gender with surrounding words. For example, choose 'особенность' when describing neutral or positive traits, but opt for 'странность' if implying something odd or negative. Be mindful of context: in scientific discussions, 'особенность' is preferred due to its precision.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'особенность' in the wrong case, e.g., saying "Я люблю особенность" instead of "Я люблю эту особенность" (correct accusative form).
  Correct: Ensure proper declension; explanation: Russian requires nouns to change based on their role in the sentence, unlike English.
• Mistake: Confusing 'особенность' with 'странность' in formal writing, e.g., using 'странность' in a scientific paper.
  Correct: Use 'особенность' for objectivity; 'странность' is more subjective and informal.
• Mistake: Forgetting gender agreement, e.g., saying "Этот особенность" (wrong masculine article) instead of "Эта особенность" (feminine).
  Correct: Always use feminine adjectives and articles; explanation: This is a common error for English learners due to the lack of grammatical gender in English.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'особенность' often carry a sense of appreciation for uniqueness, reflecting the value placed on individuality in literature and art, such as in the works of Tolstoy or Chekhov, where characters' peculiarities drive the narrative. However, 'странность' might imply social nonconformity, which can be viewed with humor or caution in everyday interactions.

Related Concepts:

• характер (kharakter) - Character
• привычка (privychka) - Habit
• аномалия (anomalia) - Anomaly