Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'quirk'

English Word: quirk

Key Russian Translations:

• причуда [prʲɪˈt͡ɕudə] - [Informal, Singular]
• странность [ˈstrannəsʲtʲ] - [Formal, can be Plural]
• особенность [ɐsəˈbʲennəsʲtʲ] - [Neutral, often in contexts of personality traits]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday conversations and literature, but not as frequent as basic vocabulary)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of noun declensions and common idiomatic expressions)

Pronunciation (Russian):

причуда: [prʲɪˈt͡ɕudə]

странность: [ˈstrannəsʲtʲ]

особенность: [ɐsəˈbʲennəsʲtʲ]

Note on причуда: The 'ч' sound is a palatalized affricate, similar to 'ch' in 'church', and can be challenging for English speakers due to its softness.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A peculiar or unexpected behavior, habit, or feature.

Translation(s) & Context:

• причуда - Used in informal settings to describe a personal oddity or whim, often with a light-hearted connotation.
• странность - Applied in more formal or analytical contexts, such as psychology or descriptions of eccentricities.
• особенность - Neutral term for a unique characteristic, suitable in professional or descriptive writing.

Usage Examples:

• Его причуда — всегда носить разноцветные носки, даже на важных встречах.

  His quirk is to always wear mismatched socks, even at important meetings.

• Эта странность в её характере делает её уникальной среди друзей.

  This quirk in her character makes her unique among friends.

• Одна из особенностей старого дома — скрипучая дверь, которая пугает гостей.

  One quirk of the old house is the creaky door that startles guests.

• Причуда ребёнка — собирать необычные камни во время прогулок в парке.

  The child's quirk is collecting unusual stones during walks in the park.

• Её странность проявляется в привычке говорить с животными, как с людьми.

  Her quirk shows in her habit of talking to animals as if they were people.

Meaning 2: An unexpected turn or twist in a situation.

Translation(s) & Context:

• причуда судьбы - Used idiomatically for a twist of fate, in narrative or storytelling contexts.
• странность обстоятельств - For more formal descriptions of odd circumstances.

Usage Examples:

• Причуда судьбы свела их вместе после многих лет разлуки.

  A quirk of fate brought them together after many years of separation.

• Эта странность обстоятельств изменила весь исход проекта.

  This quirk of circumstances changed the entire outcome of the project.

• Причуда погоды испортила наш пикник в последний момент.

  A weather quirk ruined our picnic at the last minute.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'причуда' (feminine noun, 1st declension):

For 'странность' (feminine noun, similar declension): Follows standard patterns with no irregularities.

For 'особенность' (feminine noun): Also follows 1st declension rules without changes.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • каприз (whim, with a connotation of impulsiveness)
  • фантазия (fantasy, when referring to imaginative quirks)
• Antonyms:
  • норма (norm, standard behavior)
  • обыденность (ordinariness, lack of peculiarity)

Related Phrases:

• странная причуда - A strange quirk; used to describe something unexpectedly odd in behavior or events.
• причуда характера - A personality quirk; common in psychological or character descriptions.
• причуда судьбы - A twist of fate; an idiomatic expression for unexpected life events.

Usage Notes:

'Причуда' is the most direct translation for 'quirk' in informal contexts, emphasizing playfulness, while 'странность' suits more serious or analytical situations. English speakers should note that Russian nouns like these decline based on case, so always adjust for grammar (e.g., use genitive after prepositions like 'of'). When choosing between translations, opt for 'особенность' in neutral or positive descriptions to avoid negative connotations.

• In formal writing, 'странность' might be preferred for its precision.
• Be mindful of context: 'Причуда' can imply endearment, similar to how English uses 'quirk' affectionately.

Common Errors:

English learners often misuse cases, such as saying 'о причуда' instead of the correct genitive 'о причуде'. Error: 'Я думаю о причуда.' (Incorrect) Correct: 'Я думаю о причуде.' (I am thinking about the quirk.) This happens because English doesn't have cases, so remember to decline nouns properly to avoid grammatical errors.

Another common mistake is confusing 'причуда' with 'каприз', using them interchangeably; 'каприз' implies a selfish whim, while 'причуда' is more neutral.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'причуда' often appear in literature (e.g., in works by Chekhov) to highlight human eccentricities, reflecting a cultural appreciation for individuality amidst societal norms. This can stem from historical contexts where personal quirks were celebrated in art as a form of resistance against conformity.

Related Concepts:

• каприз
• фантазия
• эксцентричность