Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'perpetrator'

English Word: perpetrator

Key Russian Translations:

• преступник [prʲɪˈstupnʲɪk] - [Formal, Legal contexts]
• злоумышленник [zləʊˈumɨʂlʲɪnʲɪk] - [Formal, Often used for premeditated or malicious actors]

Frequency: Medium (Commonly encountered in legal, news, and crime-related discussions, but not everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; Requires understanding of Russian noun declensions and formal vocabulary; For 'злоумышленник', it may lean towards C1 due to its specificity)

Pronunciation (Russian):

преступник: [prʲɪˈstupnʲɪk]

Note on преступник: The stress falls on the second syllable ("stup"). Be mindful of the palatalized 'r' sound, which is common in Russian.

злоумышленник: [zləʊˈumɨʂlʲɪnʲɪk]

Note on злоумышленник: The 'ш' sound is a soft, retroflex fricative; stress is on the third syllable ("mysh").

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

A person who commits a crime or wrongdoing.

Translation(s) & Context:

• преступник - Used in general legal and everyday contexts for someone who has committed a crime, such as in police reports or news articles.
• злоумышленник - Applied in more formal or literary contexts for someone with malicious intent, often implying premeditation, as in espionage or planned offenses.

Usage Examples:

• Полиция арестовала преступника, который ограбил банк.

  The police arrested the perpetrator who robbed the bank.

• Злоумышленник планировал диверсию, но был пойман вовремя.

  The perpetrator planned a sabotage but was caught in time.

• В суде обвинили преступника в серии краж.

  In court, the perpetrator was accused of a series of thefts.

• Злоумышленник использовал поддельные документы для обмана жертв.

  The perpetrator used forged documents to deceive the victims.

• Преступник скрылся с места происшествия, но следствие продолжается.

  The perpetrator fled the scene, but the investigation is ongoing.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'преступник' and 'злоумышленник' are masculine nouns in Russian, belonging to the second declension. They undergo regular noun inflections based on case, number, and gender. 'Преступник' is more commonly used and follows standard patterns, while 'злоумышленник' is similar but less frequent.

For 'злоумышленник', the inflections are identical in pattern: Nominative singular: злоумышленник; Genitive singular: злоумышленника; Plural: злоумышленники, etc. These nouns do not have irregular forms, making them straightforward for learners.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • злодей (villain; more literary, implying evil nature)
  • нарушитель (violator; used for breakers of rules or laws, with a less severe connotation)
• Antonyms:
  • жертва (victim; refers to the person harmed by the perpetrator)
  • защитник (defender; someone who protects or opposes the perpetrator)

Related Phrases:

• Преступник на свободе - A perpetrator on the loose; Meaning: Refers to a criminal who has escaped and is still at large, often used in news reports.
• Злоумышленник в маске - A masked perpetrator; Meaning: Describes someone committing a crime while concealing their identity, common in heist or thriller contexts.
• Разоблачить преступника - To unmask the perpetrator; Meaning: To reveal or expose the identity of the wrongdoer, frequently in investigative scenarios.

Usage Notes:

Use 'преступник' for straightforward criminal acts in everyday or legal English contexts, as it directly corresponds to 'perpetrator' in crime reports. 'Злоумышленник' is better for situations involving malice or planning, making it a more precise match for formal English usage. Be aware of Russian's grammatical gender and case requirements; always decline the noun according to its role in the sentence. In informal speech, simpler synonyms like 'нарушитель' might be preferred, but for accuracy in translation, stick to these based on context.

Common Errors:

• Confusing 'perpetrator' with 'victim': English learners often mistakenly use 'преступник' to refer to the victim. Error example: "Преступник был ранен" (meaning "The victim was injured"). Correct: Use 'жертва' for victim, e.g., "Жертва была ранена". Explanation: 'Преступник' specifically denotes the offender, so ensure context clarifies the role.

• Incorrect declension: Forgetting to change the noun in different cases, e.g., saying "Полиция ищет преступник" instead of "Полиция ищет преступника" (Accusative case). Correct: Always apply proper declension based on sentence structure to avoid grammatical errors.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of a 'perpetrator' is often explored in literature and media, such as in Dostoevsky's works, where characters like Raskolnikov in 'Crime and Punishment' embody the internal conflict of a wrongdoer. This reflects a broader cultural emphasis on moral and psychological depth in portraying criminals, differing from Western media's focus on action.

Related Concepts:

• Преступление (crime)
• Суд (trial)
• Расследование (investigation)