Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'period'

English Word: period

Key Russian Translations:

• период [ˈpʲerʲɪɐd] - [Formal, commonly used in academic and scientific contexts]
• точка [ˈtotkə] - [Informal, specifically for punctuation mark]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in educational, historical, and scientific texts, but not everyday casual conversation)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires basic understanding of noun declensions and vocabulary related to time concepts, based on CEFR standards)

Pronunciation (Russian):

период: [ˈpʲerʲɪɐd] (Stress on the first syllable; the 'pʲ' sound is a palatalized 'p', which may be challenging for English speakers)

Note on период: The pronunciation can vary slightly in fast speech, where the 'rʲ' sound softens; practice with native speakers for accuracy.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A length of time or an interval (e.g., historical or geological period)

Translation(s) & Context:

• период - Used in formal contexts like history, science, or education to denote a specific span of time (e.g., in academic writing or lectures).

Usage Examples:

• В этот исторический период Россия пережила значительные изменения.

  In this historical period, Russia underwent significant changes.

• Геологический период, известный как Юра, длился миллионы лет.

  The geological period known as the Jurassic lasted for millions of years.

• В школьном периоде жизни важно развивать навыки чтения.

  During the school period of life, it's important to develop reading skills.

• Этот период экономического роста принес новые возможности для бизнеса.

  This period of economic growth brought new opportunities for business.

• В переходный период после реформ страна столкнулась с вызовами.

  In the transitional period after the reforms, the country faced challenges.

Meaning 2: A punctuation mark (e.g., the full stop in writing)

Translation(s) & Context:

• точка - Informal usage in everyday writing or conversation, equivalent to the English period in sentences.

Usage Examples:

• В конце предложения ставится точка.

  At the end of a sentence, a period is placed.

• Не забывайте ставить точку после каждого утверждения.

  Don't forget to put a period after each statement.

• В русском языке точка используется так же, как в английском.

  In Russian, the period is used in the same way as in English.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For "период" (a masculine noun of the 2nd declension), it follows regular noun declension patterns in Russian. Below is a table outlining its key inflections:

For "точка" (a feminine noun of the 1st declension), it is also regular but changes as follows: Nominative singular - точка; Genitive singular - точки; Plural - точки, etc. It does not have irregular forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • эпоха (era; often implies a longer, more significant time span)
  • этап (stage; used for phases in a process, with a connotation of progression)
• Antonyms:
  • момент (moment; refers to a very short duration)
  • мгновение (instant; emphasizes brevity)

Related Phrases:

• исторический период - A specific time in history (e.g., used in discussions of events like the Soviet era).
• переходный период - Transitional period (commonly refers to times of change, such as post-reform adjustments in Russia).
• критический период - Critical period (in contexts like child development or crisis management).

Usage Notes:

The Russian word "период" directly corresponds to the English "period" in contexts of time intervals but is more formal and prevalent in written or academic English. Use it in neutral or formal settings; for everyday speech, Russians might opt for simpler phrases. When choosing between translations like "период" and "эпоха", select based on scale— "период" for general spans, "эпоха" for culturally significant ones. Grammatically, always decline it according to Russian case rules to avoid errors in sentence structure.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "период" without proper declension, e.g., saying "в период" instead of the correct "в периоде" for prepositional case.

  Correct: в периоде (in the period) - Explanation: Russian requires case agreement; failing this can make the sentence grammatically incorrect and confusing.

• Error: Confusing "период" with "точка" in time-related contexts, e.g., using "точка" to mean a time period.

  Correct: Use "период" for time; "точка" only for punctuation - Explanation: This mix-up stems from literal translations, but "точка" has no temporal meaning, leading to misunderstandings in communication.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, terms like "период" often appear in historical contexts, such as the "Soviet period" (советский период), which carries emotional and political weight due to Russia's complex history. This reflects a cultural emphasis on viewing time through the lens of national events, helping English speakers appreciate the deeper historical connotations in Russian discourse.

Related Concepts:

• время (time)
• история (history)
• эра (era)