Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'scalding'

English Word: scalding

Key Russian Translations:

• обжигающий (/ɐbʐɨˈɡajʊʂʲɪj/) - [Formal; used for describing something extremely hot that can cause burns]
• кипящий (/ˈkʲipʲaʂʲɪj/) - [Informal; specifically for boiling liquids]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in contexts involving heat, cooking, or safety, but not in everyday casual conversation)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian adjectives and inflections, with some learners finding the stress patterns challenging)

Pronunciation (Russian):

обжигающий: /ɐbʐɨˈɡajʊʂʲɪj/ (Note the emphasis on the third syllable; the 'ж' sound is a voiced palatal fricative, which may be difficult for English speakers)

кипящий: /ˈkʲipʲaʂʲɪj/ (The initial 'к' is palatalized; practice with soft consonants for accuracy)

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Extremely hot, capable of causing burns (as an adjective)

Translation(s) & Context:

• обжигающий - Used in formal or descriptive contexts, such as describing water or steam that could injure someone.
• кипящий - Applied in informal settings, like kitchen scenarios, to emphasize boiling heat.

Usage Examples:

• Обжигающая вода обожгла мне руку, и я сразу почувствовал боль.

  The scalding water burned my hand, and I felt pain immediately.

• В ванной была обжигающая ванна, поэтому я добавил холодной воды.

  The bath was scalding, so I added cold water.

• Кипящий чайник на плите мог вызвать обжигающий пар.

  The boiling kettle on the stove could produce scalding steam.

• Обжигающий воздух в пустыне сделал путешествие невыносимым.

  The scalding air in the desert made the journey unbearable.

• Кипящий суп был обжигающим, так что мы подождали, прежде чем есть.

  The boiling soup was scalding, so we waited before eating.

Meaning 2: The act of burning with hot liquid (as a verb form, e.g., to scald)

Translation(s) & Context:

• обжечь - Used in contexts involving accidental burns, often in medical or everyday safety discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Я accidentally обжег палец обжигающим кофе.

  I accidentally scalded my finger with the scalding coffee.

• Чтобы обжечь овощи, используйте кипящую воду.

  To scald the vegetables, use boiling water.

• Обжигающий дождь обжег кожу животных в лесу.

  The scalding rain scalded the animals' skin in the forest.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For adjectives like "обжигающий", Russian adjectives inflect based on gender, number, and case. It follows the standard first-declension pattern for hard-stem adjectives.

For verbs like "обжечь" (perfective), it is irregular and conjugates based on tense and aspect. It does not change in base form but has past tense variations (e.g., обжёг for masculine past).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: кипящий (specifically for boiling), раскаленный (for extremely heated objects; implies glowing heat)
• Antonyms: холодный (cold), прохладный (cool; used in milder contexts)

Related Phrases:

• Обжигающая вода - Refers to water hot enough to cause burns, often in safety warnings.
• Кипящий чай - A common phrase for boiling tea, used in everyday contexts like preparing drinks.
• Обжигающий пар - Describes steam that is dangerously hot, such as from a kettle or sauna.

Usage Notes:

"Обжигающий" directly corresponds to the English "scalding" in contexts involving extreme heat that can injure, but it's more commonly used in formal or descriptive writing. Choose "кипящий" for literal boiling scenarios. Be mindful of adjective agreement in Russian sentences, ensuring it matches the noun's gender, number, and case. For example, use "обжигающая" with feminine nouns. English learners should note that Russian often pairs these words with verbs like "обжечь" to emphasize the action of burning.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "обжигающий" without proper inflection, e.g., saying "обжигающий вода" instead of "обжигающая вода".
  Correct: обжигающая вода. Explanation: Adjectives must agree with the noun's gender (here, feminine).
• Error: Confusing "обжигающий" with "горячий" (hot), which is milder and doesn't imply burning potential.
  Correct: Use обжигающий for scalding contexts to convey danger. Explanation: "Горячий" is safer for general heat, avoiding exaggeration.
• Error: Mispronouncing the stress in "обжигающий", placing it on the wrong syllable.
  Correct: Stress on /ˈɡajʊʂʲɪj/. Explanation: Incorrect stress can make the word hard to understand, as Russian relies heavily on prosody.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "обжигающий" often relate to traditional practices such as using samovars for tea, where scalding water is common. This highlights a cultural emphasis on hospitality and caution with hot beverages, stemming from historical rural life where burns from stoves or kettles were frequent risks.

Related Concepts:

• ожог (burn)
• горячий (hot)
• пар (steam)