Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'scratch'

English Word: scratch

Key Russian Translations:

• царапать [tsɐˈrapətʲ] - [Verb, Informal, Used for physical scratching or scraping]
• царапина [tsɐrɐˈpʲinə] - [Noun, Feminine, Singular, Used for a mark or wound]
• с нуля [s ˈnulʲə] - [Phrase, Informal, Used when meaning 'from scratch' in the sense of starting over]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday conversations and texts, but not as frequent as basic verbs like 'to go').

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations for 'царапать' and noun declensions for 'царапина'). For 'с нуля', it's A2 (Beginner) as a fixed phrase.

Pronunciation (Russian):

царапать: [tsɐˈrapətʲ]

Note on царапать: The stress falls on the second syllable ('ra'), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the soft 'tʲ' sound. Pronounce it with a quick, guttural 'ts' at the start.

царапина: [tsɐrɐˈpʲinə]

Note on царапина: Stress on the third syllable ('pi'), and the 'pʲ' is a palatalized 'p' sound, common in Russian nouns.

с нуля: [s ˈnulʲə]

Note on с нуля: The 's' is soft and unvoiced, with stress on 'нуля'. It's a straightforward phrase but pay attention to the vowel reduction in casual speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To scratch (as a verb, implying action like scraping with nails or claws)

Translation(s) & Context:

• царапать - Used in informal, everyday contexts, such as describing an animal's action or accidental injury.

Usage Examples:

• Кот царапает мебель. (Kot tsarapayet mebel'.)

  The cat is scratching the furniture. (Shows the verb in a simple present tense, common in daily life scenarios.)

• Она случайно царапала руку. (Ona sluchayno tsarapala ruku.)

  She accidentally scratched her hand. (Illustrates past tense use in narrative contexts.)

• Дети царапают дерево во дворе. (Deti tsarapayut derevo vo dvore.)

  The children are scratching the tree in the yard. (Demonstrates plural subject and ongoing action.)

• Не царапай стену, это дорого! (Ne tsarapay stenu, eto dorogo!)

  Don't scratch the wall, it's expensive! (Used in imperative form for warnings or commands.)

Meaning 2: A scratch (as a noun, referring to a mark or superficial injury)

Translation(s) & Context:

• царапина - Applied in contexts involving physical damage, like on skin or objects, often in singular form for minor issues.

Usage Examples:

• На машине есть царапина от ключа. (Na mashine est' tsarapina ot klyucha.)

  There's a scratch on the car from the key. (Highlights noun in a possessive context.)

• Эта царапина на руке болит. (Eta tsarapina na ruke bolit.)

  This scratch on my hand hurts. (Shows noun with adjectives for description.)

• Много царапин на столе от игры. (Mnogo tsarapin na stole ot igry.)

  There are many scratches on the table from playing. (Plural form in a causal sentence.)

• Царапина зажила за неделю. (Tsarapina zazhila za nedelyu.)

  The scratch healed in a week. (Verb-noun combination in a recovery context.)

Meaning 3: From scratch (as in starting from the beginning)

Translation(s) & Context:

• с нуля - Used in educational, professional, or creative contexts to mean building something entirely from the ground up.

Usage Examples:

• Я учу программирование с нуля. (Ya uchu programmivovaniye s nulya.)

  I'm learning programming from scratch. (Phrase in a learning context.)

• Они построили дом с нуля. (Oni postroili dom s nulya.)

  They built the house from scratch. (Applied to construction or creation.)

• Начать бизнес с нуля сложно. (Nachat' biznes s nulya slozhno.)

  Starting a business from scratch is difficult. (In a motivational or advisory sentence.)

• Книга учит готовить с нуля. (Kniga uchit gotovit' s nulya.)

  The book teaches cooking from scratch. (Phrase with verbs of instruction.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'царапать' (verb, imperfective), it follows first conjugation patterns with irregularities in some forms. It is an imperfective verb, often paired with perfective 'поцарапать'.

Person/Number	Present Tense	Past Tense
Я (I)	царапаю	царапал
Ты (You, informal)	царапаешь	царапал
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	царапает	царапал/а/о
Мы (We)	царапаем	царапали
Вы (You, formal/plural)	царапаете	царапали
Они (They)	царапают	царапали

For 'царапина' (noun, feminine, first declension), it declines regularly by case and number:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	царапина	царапины
Genitive	царапины	царапин
Dative	царапине	царапинам

'с нуля' is a fixed phrase and does not inflect; it remains invariant in most contexts.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: драть (drat' - more forceful, for tearing); скрести (skresti - for scraping with tools). Note: 'Драть' implies greater violence than 'царапать'.
• Antonyms: гладить (gladit' - to stroke or smooth); ласкать (laskat' - to caress, in affectionate contexts).

Related Phrases:

• царапина на коже - A scratch on the skin (Refers to minor injuries in medical or daily contexts).
• с нуля до профессионала - From scratch to professional (Used in self-improvement or career development scenarios).
• поцарапать машину - To scratch the car (A perfective verb form in action phrases).

Usage Notes:

'Scratch' translates variably in Russian based on context: use 'царапать' for actions involving nails or claws, 'царапина' for nouns describing marks, and 'с нуля' for idiomatic 'from scratch'. Be mindful of formality—'царапать' is casual and may not suit professional writing. When choosing between translations, consider the aspect: Russian verbs often require perfective/imperfective pairs. For example, pair 'царапать' with 'поцарапать' for completed actions.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'царапать' interchangeably with 'царапина', e.g., saying 'Я имею царапать' instead of 'У меня царапина'. Correct: 'У меня царапина на руке' (I have a scratch on my hand). Explanation: 'Царапать' is a verb, not a noun, so mix-ups lead to grammatical errors.
• Mistake: Omitting aspect in verbs, e.g., using 'царапать' for a completed action. Correct: Use 'поцарапать' for finished events, like 'Я поцарапал стол' instead of 'Я царапал стол'. Explanation: Russian requires aspect to convey whether an action is ongoing or completed.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, phrases like 'с нуля' often appear in stories of perseverance, such as in literature or motivational speeches, reflecting the historical value of self-reliance in Russia. For example, it echoes themes in Soviet-era narratives where individuals build success from nothing, emphasizing resilience.

Related Concepts:

• Драка (fight or brawl, related to physical scratching in conflicts)
• Новая жизнь (new life, conceptually linked to starting from scratch)
• Повреждение (damage, as an extension of scratches on objects)