Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'ruffle'

English Word: ruffle

Key Russian Translations:

• взъерошить [vzʲɪrɐˈʂɨtʲ] - [Informal, often used for physical disturbance like hair or fabric]
• возмутить [vəzmʊˈtʲitʲ] - [Formal, used in emotional or metaphorical contexts like agitating emotions]
• раздражить [rɐzdrɐˈʐɨtʲ] - [Neutral, common for annoying or irritating someone]

Frequency: Medium (The word 'ruffle' and its translations are encountered in everyday conversation but not as common as basic verbs.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate level; requires understanding of verb conjugations and context, with 'взъерошить' being slightly easier and 'возмутить' more challenging due to formal nuances.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

взъерошить: [vzʲɪrɐˈʂɨtʲ]

Note on взъерошить: This word features a soft 'щ' sound, similar to the English 'sh' but more palatalized; be careful with the initial 'вз' cluster, which is pronounced quickly.

Audio: Play Audio for взъерошить [Audio player placeholder]

возмутить: [vəzmʊˈtʲitʲ]

Note on возмутить: The stress is on the third syllable; the 'у' is a short vowel, and this word often varies in speed based on emotional delivery.

Audio: Play Audio for возмутить [Audio player placeholder]

раздражить: [rɐzdrɐˈʐɨtʲ]

Note on раздражить: The 'ж' sound is a voiced fricative, like a softer 'zh' in 'measure'; common in spoken Russian.

Audio: Play Audio for раздражить [Audio player placeholder]

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To disturb the smoothness or order of something physical (e.g., hair, fabric).

Translation(s) & Context:

• взъерошить - Used in informal, everyday contexts, such as describing wind or playful actions; suitable for literal physical ruffling.

Usage Examples:

• Ветер взъерошил листья на деревьях.

  The wind ruffled the leaves on the trees.

• Дети взъерошили одежду во время игры.

  The children ruffled their clothes while playing.

• Она взъерошила волосы перед зеркалом.

  She ruffled her hair in front of the mirror.

• Взъерошенный вид указывал на спешку.

  The ruffled appearance indicated haste.

Meaning 2: To annoy or agitate someone emotionally.

Translation(s) & Context:

• возмутить - Used in formal or literary contexts, implying deeper emotional disturbance; often in discussions or writing.
• раздражить - Neutral and common in casual speech, for minor irritations in daily life.

Usage Examples:

• Его слова возмутили всю аудиторию.

  His words ruffled the entire audience.

• Шум соседей разозлил меня, но не возмутил.

  The neighbors' noise irritated me but didn't deeply ruffle me.

• Это событие раздражило общественность.

  This event ruffled public opinion.

• Возмутить кого-то легко, но успокоить труднее.

  It's easy to ruffle someone but harder to calm them down.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations are verbs, which follow standard Russian conjugation patterns. They are imperfective verbs and can be inflected based on tense, person, and number. Below is a table for 'взъерошить' as an example; similar patterns apply to the others with slight variations.

For 'возмутить' and 'раздражить', the inflections are regular but may vary in perfective forms (e.g., взъерошить → perfective). These verbs do not have irregular changes but follow the first conjugation group.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • взбудоражить (similar to взъерошить but implies more chaos; used for stirring up)
  • потревожить (gentler synonym for возмутить, meaning to disturb lightly)
  • досадить (close to раздражить, but with a nuance of causing minor annoyance)
• Antonyms:
  • успокоить (to calm)
  • выровнять (to smooth out, opposite of physical ruffling)
  • умиротворить (to pacify, opposite of emotional agitation)

Related Phrases:

• Взъерошенный вид - A ruffled appearance; used to describe someone looking unkempt.
• Возмутить общественное мнение - To ruffle public opinion; common in media or political contexts.
• Раздражить нервы - To ruffle one's nerves; implies causing stress in everyday situations.

Usage Notes:

'Ruffle' in English often has both literal and metaphorical meanings, which align closely with Russian translations. Choose 'взъерошить' for physical contexts to sound natural and informal, while 'возмутить' is better for formal writing or emotional depth. Be mindful of verb aspect in Russian: use imperfective forms like these for ongoing actions. In spoken language, 'раздражить' is versatile but avoid it in polite conversations where it might seem too direct.

• When translating, consider the context: physical vs. emotional.
• Grammar note: These verbs require agreement with the subject in person and number.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse 'взъерошить' with 'возмутить' by using them interchangeably, but 'взъерошить' is for physical ruffling (e.g., saying "Ветер возмутил волосы" instead of "Ветер взъерошил волосы"). Correct usage: The former implies emotional agitation, which is incorrect here. Another error is improper conjugation, like using 'взъерошивать' in past tense without gender agreement (e.g., "Она взъерошила" vs. wrongly saying "Она взъерошивал"). Always match the verb ending to the subject's gender and number for accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'взъерошить' can evoke imagery from literature, such as in works by Pushkin, where ruffled appearances symbolize chaos or passion. 'Возмутить' might carry historical connotations in revolutionary contexts, reflecting Russia's turbulent past, so it's often used in discussions of social upheaval to add emotional weight.

Related Concepts:

• буря (storm)
• нервы (nerves)
• взволновать (to excite)