Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'pressure'

English Word: pressure

Key Russian Translations:

• давление [ˈdavlʲenʲje] - [Formal, Used in scientific, psychological, and everyday contexts]
• нажим [ˈnaʐɨm] - [Informal, Plural forms may vary, Often used for mechanical or figurative pressure]

Frequency: High (Common in both spoken and written Russian, especially in technical and daily conversations)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate level per CEFR; basic forms are straightforward, but inflections require some grammatical knowledge. For 'давление', it's B1; for 'нажим', it's A2 due to simpler usage.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

давление: [ˈdavlʲenʲje]

Note on давление: The soft sign (ʲ) indicates palatalization of the 'l' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers; practice with native audio to master the stress on the first syllable.

Audio: []

нажим: [ˈnaʐɨm]

Note on нажим: The 'zh' sound ([ʐ]) is similar to the 's' in "measure," and the vowel [ɨ] is a central unrounded vowel; it's less stressed than in English equivalents.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Physical or mechanical force applied to an object (e.g., atmospheric pressure)

Translation(s) & Context:

• давление - Used in scientific and technical contexts, such as physics or engineering; formal and precise.
• нажим - Informal for applied force, like pressing a button; often in everyday or mechanical scenarios.

Usage Examples:

• Под давлением воздуха шины могут лопнуть. (Pod davleniem vozduha shinы mogut lopnutʹ.)

  Under air pressure, the tires might burst.

• Измерьте кровяное давление пациента. (Izmerʹte krovyanoye davleniye patsienta.)

  Measure the patient's blood pressure.

• Сильный нажим на клавишу может повредить устройство. (Silʹnyy nazhim na klavishu mozhet povreditʹ ustroystvo.)

  Strong pressure on the key might damage the device.

• Давление в трубе превышает норму. (Davleniye v trube prevyshayet normu.)

  The pressure in the pipe exceeds the norm.

2. Psychological or emotional stress (e.g., work pressure)

Translation(s) & Context:

• давление - Common in contexts of mental strain, like peer pressure or deadlines; can be formal or informal.

Usage Examples:

• Под давлением работы он чувствует усталость. (Pod davleniem raboty on chuvstvuyet ustalostʹ.)

  Under work pressure, he feels tired.

• Социальное давление заставляет людей следовать моде. (Sotsialʹnoye davleniye zastavlyayet lyudey sleduyet mode.)

  Social pressure makes people follow trends.

• Давление со стороны семьи иногда бывает полезным. (Davleniye so storony semʹi inogda byvayet poleznym.)

  Family pressure can sometimes be helpful.

• Она сопротивляется давлению и остается верной своим принципам. (Ona soprotivlyayetsya davleniyu i ostayetsya vernoy svoyim printsipam.)

  She resists pressure and stays true to her principles.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

'Давление' is a neuter noun in the second declension. It follows regular patterns for Russian nouns, with changes based on case and number. Below is a table of its inflections:

'Нажим' is a masculine noun and also follows regular declension patterns, but it is less commonly inflected in plural forms due to its contextual use.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • напор (napor) - Similar to 'pressure' but implies a flowing or directed force; often used in fluid dynamics.
  • статическое давление (staticheskoye davleniye) - More specific, for static pressure in physics.
• Antonyms:
  • ослабление (oslableniye) - Relief or easing of pressure.
  • расслабление (rasslableniye) - Relaxation, opposite in psychological contexts.

Related Phrases:

• Под давлением (Pod davleniem) - Under pressure; used to describe situations of stress or force.
• Повысить давление (Povyisitʹ davleniye) - To increase pressure; common in medical or mechanical contexts.
• Давление на нервы (Davleniye na nervy) - Nerve pressure; an idiomatic phrase for mental strain.

Usage Notes:

'Давление' directly corresponds to 'pressure' in English but can encompass both physical and metaphorical meanings. It is versatile across formal and informal settings, but in psychological contexts, it may imply external influence more than internal stress (for which 'стресс' is sometimes preferred). Always consider the case when using it in sentences, as Russian requires agreement. When choosing between 'давление' and 'нажим', opt for 'давление' in scientific or general contexts, and 'нажим' for tactile or informal applications.

Common Errors:

• English learners often misuse the genitive case, e.g., saying "без давление" instead of the correct "без давления" (without pressure). Error: "без давление" (incorrect); Correct: "без давления" – Remember to add the genitive ending for possession or absence.
• Confusing 'давление' with 'стресс': Learners might translate "work pressure" as 'стресс работы' when 'давление на работе' is more accurate for external pressure. Error: 'Стресс на работе' might imply personal anxiety; Correct: 'Давление на работе' for job-related demands.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'давление' often carries connotations of historical or social forces, such as political pressure during the Soviet era. For instance, it can evoke ideas of state control or peer influence in modern contexts, reflecting Russia's emphasis on collective resilience and endurance under stress.

Related Concepts:

• стресс (stress)
• напряжение (napryazheniye)
• сила (sila)