Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'plough'

English Word: plough

Key Russian Translations:

• плуг [pluk] - [Noun, Formal, Used in agricultural or technical contexts]
• пахать [pɐˈxatʲ] - [Verb, Informal, Used for the action of tilling soil]

Frequency: Medium - The word and its translations are common in rural, agricultural, or historical discussions but less frequent in everyday urban conversations.

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for 'плуг' as a noun; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for 'пахать' as a verb, due to verb conjugation and contextual usage in Russian grammar.

Pronunciation (Russian):

плуг: [pluk]

Note on плуг: The 'у' is a short, unstressed vowel, similar to the 'oo' in "book." Stress falls on the first syllable.

пахать: [pɐˈxatʲ]

Note on пахать: The 'х' is a guttural 'kh' sound, as in Scottish "loch." The verb has palatalization in some forms, which can be tricky for beginners.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Noun: A tool used for turning over soil in agriculture.

Translation(s) & Context:

• плуг - Typically used in formal or technical descriptions of farming equipment, such as in literature or modern agricultural discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Русский: Фермер купил новый плуг для вспашки больших полей.

  English: The farmer bought a new plough for tilling large fields.

• Русский: В музее выставлен старинный плуг, используемый в XIX веке.

  English: In the museum, an old plough from the 19th century is on display.

• Русский: Плуг должен быть крепким, чтобы выдерживать тяжелую почву.

  English: The plough needs to be sturdy to handle heavy soil.

• Русский: Современные плуги оснащены автоматикой для повышения эффективности.

  English: Modern ploughs are equipped with automation for increased efficiency.

Verb: To turn over soil with a plough, often metaphorically for hard work.

Translation(s) & Context:

• пахать - Used in informal or literal agricultural contexts, and sometimes figuratively for intense effort, like "ploughing through work."

Usage Examples:

• Русский: Крестьяне пахали землю с рассвета до заката.

  English: The peasants ploughed the land from dawn until dusk.

• Русский: Он пахал в офисе допоздна, чтобы закончить проект.

  English: He ploughed through his work late into the night to finish the project.

• Русский: Летом мы пахали поля, а зимой отдыхали.

  English: In summer, we ploughed the fields, and in winter, we rested.

• Русский: Не стоит пахать в одиночку; давай позовем помощников.

  English: Don't plough alone; let's call for helpers.

• Русский: Эта машина может пахать даже каменистую почву.

  English: This machine can plough even rocky soil.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'плуг' (a masculine noun in the second declension), it follows standard Russian noun patterns with changes based on case and number. It is regular and straightforward.

For 'пахать' (a verb of the first conjugation), it is irregular in some aspects due to aspectual pairs. The imperfective form is 'пахать,' and the perfective is 'пахнуть' (though not directly related). Conjugations vary by tense, person, and number:

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Орудие для пахоты (orudiye dlya pakhoty) - A more descriptive term for plough, emphasizing the tool's function.
  • Вспашник (vspashnik) - Less common, used in specific regional dialects for a plough or tiller.
• Antonyms:
  • Не пахать (ne pakhat') - Not directly an antonym, but implies cessation; for concepts, perhaps "оставлять землю нетронутой" (leave the land untouched).

Related Phrases:

• Пахотные земли [pakhotnyye zemli] - Arable land; refers to soil suitable for ploughing and farming.
• Вспахать поле [vspakhat' pole] - To plough a field; a common agricultural phrase indicating preparation of land.
• Плуг и борозда [plug i borozda] - Plough and furrow; an idiomatic expression symbolizing traditional farming.

Usage Notes:

'Плуг' directly corresponds to the noun form of 'plough' and is used in formal or technical English-Russian translations, especially in agricultural texts. 'Пахать' aligns with the verb form and can be metaphorical, similar to "plough through" in English, but always consider the aspect in Russian (imperfective for ongoing actions). In formal contexts, opt for 'плуг' over slang; for verbs, ensure correct conjugation to match subject and tense. English speakers should note that Russian verbs often require aspect pairs, so 'пахать' (imperfective) pairs with 'вспахать' (perfective) for completed actions.

Common Errors:

• Mistaking 'пахать' for a noun: English learners might use it as a direct synonym for 'plough' without conjugating, e.g., saying "Я пахать" instead of "Я пашу." Correct: Use the proper verb form based on person and tense.
• Overgeneralizing inflections: Beginners often apply wrong case endings, like saying "плугa" in nominative instead of genitive "плуга." Error example: "У меня плугa" (wrong); Correct: "У меня плуг" for nominative possession.
• Ignoring aspect: Using 'пахать' for a completed action, e.g., "Я пахать поле" meaning "I ploughed the field," which should be "Я вспахал поле" for perfective aspect.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the plough symbolizes hard labor and rural life, often romanticized in literature like Tolstoy's works. Historically, it represents the serf-based agriculture of the 19th century, evoking themes of endurance and connection to the land in a vast, agrarian society like Russia's.

Related Concepts:

• Трактор (traktor) - Tractor, a modern farming machine.
• Сеялка (seyalka) - Seeder, used after ploughing.
• Урожай (urozhay) - Harvest, the result of ploughing and farming efforts.