Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'politician'

English Word: politician

Key Russian Translations:

• политик [pɐˈlʲitʲɪk] - [Formal, Singular]
• политический деятель [pəlʲɪˈtʲit͡ɕɪskʲɪj dʲʲiˈtʲeľ] - [Formal, More descriptive, Used in official contexts]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in news, politics, and discussions, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of political vocabulary and basic noun inflections)

Pronunciation (Russian):

политик: [pɐˈlʲitʲɪk]

Note on политик: The stress is on the second syllable; the 'л' is palatalized, which is a common feature in Russian words of foreign origin. Pay attention to the soft sign (ь) affecting pronunciation.

политический деятель: [pəlʲɪˈtʲit͡ɕɪskʲɪj dʲʲiˈtʲeľ]

Note on политический деятель: This phrase has multiple syllables with stress on the third syllable of "политический"; practice breaking it down for better fluency.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

General meaning: A person actively involved in politics, especially as an elected official or party member.

Translation(s) & Context:

• политик - Used in formal discussions, news reports, or academic contexts to refer to a professional politician.
• политический деятель - Employed when emphasizing the active role or contributions in political affairs, often in historical or analytical writing.

Usage Examples:

• Этот политик известен своими реформами в области образования. (Etot politik izvesten svoyemi reformami v oblasti obrazovaniya.)

  This politician is known for his reforms in the field of education. (Context: Describing a well-known figure in a news article.)

• Молодой политик выиграл выборы с большим отрывом. (Molodoy politik vyigral vybory s bol'shim otryvom.)

  The young politician won the elections by a large margin. (Context: Reporting on election results in a conversational tone.)

• Как политический деятель, она внесла значительный вклад в развитие страны. (Kak politicheskiy deyatel', ona vnesla znachitel'nyy vklad v razvitie strany.)

  As a political figure, she made a significant contribution to the country's development. (Context: In a biographical or formal essay.)

• В парламенте много опытных политиков, но мало новых идей. (V parlamente mnogo opytnykh politikov, no malo novykh idey.)

  In parliament, there are many experienced politicians, but few new ideas. (Context: Critiquing the political system in a debate.)

• Политический деятель должен быть честным и ответственным. (Politicheskiy deyatel' dolzhen byt' chestnym i otvetstvennym.)

  A political figure must be honest and responsible. (Context: In an educational or motivational speech.)

Alternative meaning: Someone who engages in politics as a career, often with negative connotations (e.g., manipulative).

Translation(s) & Context:

• политик - Can imply cynicism or opportunism in informal contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Этот политик всегда ставит личные интересы выше общественных. (Etot politik vsegda stavit lichnye interesy vyshe obshchestvennykh.)

  This politician always puts personal interests above public ones. (Context: Expressing criticism in a casual conversation.)

• Многие люди разочарованы в политиках из-за коррупции. (Mnogie lyudi razocharovany v politikakh iz-za korruptsii.)

  Many people are disappointed in politicians due to corruption. (Context: Discussing societal issues in a blog post.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

The primary translation "политик" is a masculine noun (3rd declension). It follows standard Russian noun inflections. Below is a table outlining its key forms:

For "политический деятель", it is a phrase where "деятель" (a masculine noun) inflects similarly, but "политический" is an adjective that agrees with the noun in case, number, and gender. It has regular adjective inflections.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • деятель (deyat'el) - More general, often used for activists.
  • политик-руководитель (politik-rukovoditel') - Emphasizes leadership role.
• Antonyms:
  • обыватель (obyvatel') - A regular citizen, non-political.
  • оппозиционер (oppozitsioner) - An opposition figure, but can be context-dependent.

Related Phrases:

• Политический лидер (Politicheskiy lider) - Political leader; refers to a prominent figure in politics.
• Выборный политик (Vybornyy politik) - Elected politician; used in contexts of democratic processes.
• Коррумпированный политик (Korrumpirovannty politik) - Corrupt politician; highlights negative aspects.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "политик" directly corresponds to "politician" but is often used more formally than in English. Choose "политический деятель" for contexts requiring emphasis on actions or historical significance. Be mindful of gender agreement, as Russian nouns must align with adjectives and verbs. For plural forms, use when referring to a group, e.g., in parliamentary discussions.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "политик" in the wrong case, e.g., saying "Я видел политика" instead of "Я видел политика" (correct for accusative, but ensure context matches). Correct: Always check the sentence structure for proper declension. Explanation: Russian requires nouns to change based on case, which English speakers might overlook.
• Error: Confusing with "политика" (politics as a field). Correct: Use "политик" for the person, not the concept. Explanation: "Политика" means the practice or science of politics, so context is key to avoid mix-ups.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, politicians are often viewed with skepticism due to historical contexts like the Soviet era, where political figures were associated with state control. Terms like "политик" can carry connotations of power struggles, as seen in modern Russian media, reflecting a society where political discourse is highly influential.

Related Concepts:

• правительство (pravitel'stvo)
• выборы (vybory)
• партия (partiya)