Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'personal'

English Word: personal

Key Russian Translations:

• личный [ˈlʲitʂnɨj] - [Formal, Adjective, Used in general contexts for 'private' or 'individual']
• персональный [pʲɪrsɐˈnalʲnɨj] - [Formal, Adjective, Used specifically for 'personalized' or 'individualized' items, e.g., technology]
• индивидуальный [ˌɪndʲɪvʲɪˈduːlʲnɨj] - [Semi-formal, Adjective, Used when emphasizing uniqueness, though less direct for 'personal']

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday language, especially in formal writing, business, and technology contexts)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian adjective declensions; 'личный' is straightforward, but 'персональный' may vary by context)

Pronunciation (Russian):

личный: [ˈlʲitʂnɨj]

персональный: [pʲɪrsɐˈnalʲnɨj]

индивидуальный: [ˌɪndʲɪvʲɪˈduːlʲnɨj]

Note on личный: The stress is on the first syllable; be cautious with the soft 'л' sound, which is common in Russian and may be tricky for English speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Relating to a particular person or individual (e.g., private or belonging to someone)

Translation(s) & Context:

• личный - Used in everyday and formal contexts for personal belongings or information, such as in legal or daily life scenarios.
• персональный - Applied in contexts involving customization, like personal devices or services.

Usage Examples:

• Это мои личные записи. (This is my personal diary.)

  This is my personal diary. (Context: Emphasizing privacy in a journal or notes.)

• У него персональный компьютер с уникальными настройками. (He has a personal computer with unique settings.)

  He has a personal computer with unique settings. (Context: Referring to customized technology.)

• Личные данные должны быть защищены законом. (Personal data must be protected by law.)

  Personal data must be protected by law. (Context: In a legal or digital privacy discussion.)

• Индивидуальный подход к каждому клиенту — это наш принцип. (A personal approach to each client is our principle.)

  A personal approach to each client is our principle. (Context: In business, highlighting individualized service.)

• Не мешай в мои личные дела. (Don't interfere in my personal affairs.)

  Don't interfere in my personal affairs. (Context: Informal conversation about boundaries.)

Meaning 2: Intimate or direct (e.g., personal relationship or attack)

Translation(s) & Context:

• личный - Used for emotional or relational contexts, like personal relationships.
• индивидуальный - Less common, but can imply a one-on-one interaction.

Usage Examples:

• Это был личный разговор между друзьями. (It was a personal conversation between friends.)

  It was a personal conversation between friends. (Context: Private, informal dialogue.)

• Его комментарий был слишком личным и обидным. (His comment was too personal and offensive.)

  His comment was too personal and offensive. (Context: In a debate or argument.)

• Индивидуальный тренинг помогает в личностном росте. (Personal training helps with individual growth.)

  Personal training helps with individual growth. (Context: Self-improvement or coaching.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations are adjectives, which inflect based on gender, number, and case in Russian. 'Личный' and 'персональный' follow standard adjective patterns, while 'индивидуальный' is similar but may have slight irregularities.

For 'персональный', the inflections are identical to 'личный'. Note: These are regular; no irregularities.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: частный (chastnyy) - More specific to 'private property'; индивидуальный (individualnyy) - Emphasizes uniqueness.
• Антонимы: общий (obshchiy) - General or public; коллективный (kolkektivnyy) - Collective or group-based.

Related Phrases:

• Личные данные (Personal data) - Refers to private information, often in digital or legal contexts.
• Персональный кабинет (Personal account) - Used for online profiles or user dashboards.
• Личный опыт (Personal experience) - Implies individual life lessons or stories.

Usage Notes:

'Личный' is the most direct translation for 'personal' in general use and aligns closely with English, but it's more formal in Russian. Use 'персональный' for contexts involving personalization, like gadgets or services. Be mindful of declensions when using these in sentences; for example, in prepositional phrases, the adjective must agree in case. English speakers often confuse 'личный' with 'индивидуальный'—choose based on whether you mean 'private' or 'unique'.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'личный' without proper declension, e.g., saying "мой личный вещь" instead of "моя личная вещь". Correct: Always match gender and case, as in "моя личная вещь" (my personal thing). Explanation: Russian adjectives must agree with nouns, which can trip up English learners used to invariable adjectives.
• Error: Overusing 'персональный' for general 'personal' matters, e.g., "персональный разговор" when 'личный разговор' is more appropriate. Correct: Reserve 'персональный' for customized items; use 'личный' for relational contexts. Explanation: This can make speech sound overly technical.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'личный' often carries a strong emphasis on privacy, reflecting historical contexts like the Soviet era where personal matters were guarded due to surveillance. This can make discussions of 'personal space' more sensitive in social interactions compared to Western norms.

Related Concepts:

• интимный (intimnyy)
• приватный (privatnyy)
• самостоятельный (samostoyatelnyy)