Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'refractory'

English Word: refractory

Key Russian Translations:

• упрямый [ʊˈpramɨj] - [Informal, often used in everyday contexts]
• непослушный [nʲɪpɐˈsɫuʂnɨj] - [Formal, typically for children or disciplinary situations]
• резистентный [rʲɪzʲɪˈstɛntnɨj] - [Technical, medical or scientific contexts]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in literature, medical texts, and casual speech, but not everyday basics)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of adjective inflections and contextual nuances; varies by translation: 'упрямый' is B1, while 'резистентный' is B2)

Pronunciation (Russian):

упрямый: [ʊˈpramɨj]

Note on упрямый: The stress is on the second syllable; be cautious with the soft 'м' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers.

непослушный: [nʲɪpɐˈsɫuʂnɨj]

Note on непослушный: The 'щ' sound is a palatalized fricative; practice with native audio for accuracy.

резистентный: [rʲɪzʲɪˈstɛntnɨj]

Note on резистентный: Borrowed from English, so pronunciation is relatively straightforward, but ensure the Russian 'р' is rolled.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Stubborn or disobedient (general adjective use)

Translation(s) & Context:

• упрямый - Used in informal settings to describe someone who is willful or hard to persuade, e.g., in personal relationships.
• непослушный - Applied in formal or educational contexts, often for children or rules, implying defiance.

Usage Examples:

• Он упрямый ребенок и никогда не слушает советы. (He is a refractory child and never listens to advice.)

  English: He is a refractory child and never listens to advice.

• Эта упрямая лошадь отказывается идти в нужном направлении. (This refractory horse refuses to go in the desired direction.)

  English: This refractory horse refuses to go in the desired direction.

• Мальчик непослушный, поэтому ему нужно больше дисциплины. (The boy is refractory, so he needs more discipline.)

  English: The boy is refractory, so he needs more discipline.

• Упрямый характер часто приводит к конфликтам в семье. (A refractory nature often leads to conflicts in the family.)

  English: A refractory nature often leads to conflicts in the family.

• Не слушай его, он просто непослушный подросток. (Don't listen to him; he's just a refractory teenager.)

  English: Don't listen to him; he's just a refractory teenager.

Meaning 2: Resistant or non-responsive (e.g., in medical or scientific contexts)

Translation(s) & Context:

• резистентный - Used in technical fields like medicine to indicate resistance to treatment or substances.

Usage Examples:

• Пациент резистентный к антибиотикам, поэтому лечение осложняется. (The patient is refractory to antibiotics, so treatment is complicated.)

  English: The patient is refractory to antibiotics, so treatment is complicated.

• Этот материал резистентный к высоким температурам. (This material is refractory to high temperatures.)

  English: This material is refractory to high temperatures.

• Болезнь резистентная к стандартным методам терапии. (The disease is refractory to standard therapy methods.)

  English: The disease is refractory to standard therapy methods.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations are adjectives, which inflect based on gender, number, and case in Russian. They follow standard adjective patterns, with 'упрямый' and 'непослушный' being first-conjugation adjectives, while 'резистентный' is less inflected due to its borrowed nature.

Note: 'резистентный' may remain unchanged in some technical contexts due to its foreign origin.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • упорный (persistent; similar to 'упрямый' but implies determination rather than stubbornness)
  • непокорный (unsubmissive; often used interchangeably with 'непослушный')
  • стойкий (resilient; for 'резистентный' in non-medical contexts)
• Antonyms:
  • послушный (obedient)
  • гибкий (flexible)
  • уступчивый (compliant)

Related Phrases:

• упрямый как осел - (Stubborn as a mule; used to emphasize extreme stubbornness in informal speech.)
• непослушный ребенок - (Refractory child; common in parenting or educational contexts.)
• резистентный к лечению - (Refractory to treatment; standard medical phrase.)

Usage Notes:

Choose 'упрямый' for everyday, informal descriptions of stubborn behavior, as it aligns closely with the English 'refractory' in personality contexts. 'Непослушный' is more formal and often implies a breach of authority, making it suitable for disciplinary scenarios. 'Резистентный' is reserved for technical fields like medicine, where it directly translates resistance to external factors. Be mindful of gender and case agreements in sentences, as Russian adjectives must inflect accordingly. In spoken Russian, these words can carry a negative connotation, so context is key to avoid offense.

Common Errors:

• Using 'упрямый' without proper inflection: Error - "Она упрямый" (incorrect); Correct - "Она упрямая". Explanation: Adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case.
• Misapplying 'резистентный' in non-technical contexts: Error - "Он резистентный к советам" (awkward); Correct - "Он упрямый к советам". Explanation: 'Резистентный' is loanword-specific; use native synonyms for general stubbornness.
• Confusing with similar words: Error - Using 'устойчивый' (stable) instead of 'резистентный'; Correct - 'Резистентный' for resistance to treatment. Explanation: 'Устойчивый' implies endurance, not medical resistance.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'упрямый' often reflect a valued trait of resilience in folklore and literature, such as in stories of Cossacks or historical figures who defied authority. However, in modern contexts, it can carry a negative undertone, emphasizing the importance of social harmony over individualism.

Related Concepts:

• упорство (perseverance)
• бунт (rebellion)
• стойкость (endurance)