Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'punishment'

English Word: punishment

Key Russian Translations:

• наказание [nəkɐˈzanʲɪje] - [Formal, commonly used in legal, educational, or disciplinary contexts]
• штраф [ʂtraf] - [Informal or specific to fines and penalties, often in everyday or financial contexts]
• наказ [nɐˈkas] - [Formal or archaic, used in historical or literary contexts for punishment as retribution]

Frequency: Medium - The word and its translations are encountered regularly in Russian media, literature, and daily conversations, especially in legal or social discussions.

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for 'наказание'; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for 'штраф' due to its specific contextual usage and potential idiomatic variations.

Pronunciation (Russian):

наказание: [nəkɐˈzanʲɪje] - Stress on the third syllable; note the palatalized 'н' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers.

штраф: [ʂtraf] - The 'ш' is a voiceless retroflex fricative; pronounce with a sharp, hissing sound similar to English 'sh' but more retracted.

наказ: [nɐˈkas] - Stress on the second syllable; the final 'с' is soft and unaspirated.

Note on наказание: Be cautious with the vowel reduction in unstressed syllables, common in Russian; the 'а' in the first syllable often sounds like a schwa [ə].

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The act of imposing a penalty for wrongdoing.

Translation(s) & Context:

• наказание - Used in formal contexts like law, education, or parenting to refer to disciplinary actions.
• штраф - Applied in everyday situations involving fines, such as traffic violations or administrative penalties.

Usage Examples:

• Суд вынес суровое наказание за преступление.

  The court imposed a severe punishment for the crime.

• Родители применили наказание, чтобы научить ребенка ответственности.

  The parents applied punishment to teach the child responsibility.

• Он заплатил штраф за превышение скорости.

  He paid a fine for speeding.

• В школе ввели систему наказаний для нарушителей дисциплины.

  The school introduced a system of punishments for discipline violators.

• Исторические тексты часто описывают наказ как акт божественной справедливости.

  Historical texts often describe punishment as an act of divine justice.

A penalty or consequence inflicted for an offense.

Translation(s) & Context:

• наказание - In broader contexts like moral or ethical discussions, emphasizing long-term consequences.
• наказ - More poetic or outdated, in literary works discussing retribution.

Usage Examples:

• Наказание за воровство может включать тюремное заключение.

  Punishment for theft may include imprisonment.

• В повседневной жизни штраф часто используется как финансовое наказание.

  In everyday life, a fine is often used as a financial punishment.

• Наказ в старых сказках символизирует карму и возмездие.

  Punishment in old folktales symbolizes karma and retribution.

• Общество видит в наказании способ восстановить справедливость.

  Society sees punishment as a way to restore justice.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

'Наказание' is a neuter noun in the second declension. It follows standard Russian noun inflection patterns, which are regular but require attention to case endings. Below is a table of its declensions:

'Штраф' is a masculine noun and also follows regular declension patterns:

'Наказ' is invariant in most forms but can vary slightly in poetic usage; it generally does not inflect as a noun in modern Russian.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • кара (kara) - More archaic or literary, implying divine or moral retribution.
  • возмездие (vozmezdiye) - Emphasizes justice and retaliation, often in legal contexts.
• Antonyms:
  • поощрение (pooshchreniye) - Encouragement or reward, opposite in disciplinary scenarios.
  • прощение (proshcheniye) - Forgiveness, contrasting with punitive measures.

Related Phrases:

• уголовное наказание - Refers to criminal punishment in legal systems; used in court contexts.
• административный штраф - Administrative fine; common in bureaucratic or traffic-related situations.
• наказание по заслугам - Punishment fitting the crime; implies proportional justice.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'наказание' directly corresponds to the general English concept of punishment but is more formal and often implies a structured or institutional process. Choose 'штраф' for financial penalties to avoid overgeneralization. Be mindful of context: in everyday speech, Russians might use these words in moral discussions, but they are less common in casual conversations. Grammatically, always adjust for case based on sentence structure, as Russian is highly inflected.

Common Errors:

• Confusing 'наказание' with 'наказ' - Learners might use 'наказ' in modern contexts where 'наказание' is more appropriate, e.g., saying "Я получил наказ" instead of "Я получил наказание" for "I received punishment." Correct: Use 'наказание' for contemporary usage.
• Overusing 'штраф' for non-financial punishments - English speakers might translate "punishment" as 'штраф' in all cases, but it's incorrect for non-monetary contexts. Error: "Это наказание за ошибку" as "Это штраф за ошибку." Correct: "Это наказание за ошибку." Explanation: 'Штраф' specifically means a fine.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, concepts of punishment like 'наказание' often carry historical connotations from Soviet-era justice systems, emphasizing collective responsibility and state authority. This can add a layer of moral weight in discussions, differing from Western individualistic views.

Related Concepts:

• закон (zakon)
• справедливость (spravedlivost')
• дисциплина (distsiplina)