Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'scrawny'

English Word: scrawny

Key Russian Translations:

• худой [ˈxudoj] - [Informal, commonly used in everyday conversation]
• тощий [ˈtoʂɨj] - [Formal or emphatic, often in descriptive narratives]

Frequency: Medium - These words are encountered regularly in Russian literature, media, and daily speech, but not as frequently as basic adjectives like "big" or "small".

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) - Learners at this level can grasp the vocabulary with some practice, though understanding nuances requires familiarity with adjective inflections. For "худой", it's B1; for "тощий", it's also B1 due to similar grammatical behavior.

Pronunciation (Russian):

худой: [ˈxudoj] - The "х" sound is a voiceless velar fricative, similar to the "ch" in Scottish "loch". Stress on the first syllable.

Note on худой: Be cautious with the soft "д" which can vary slightly in rapid speech; it's often pronounced more like "d" in "day".

тощий: [ˈtoʂɨj] - The "щ" is a voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative, akin to "sh" in "sheep" but more sibilant. Stress on the first syllable.

Note on тощий: In some dialects, the final "й" may soften, making it sound like [ˈtoʂɨj] with a slight glide.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: Thin and undernourished, often implying a lack of strength or health (e.g., describing someone or something as skinny and weak).

Translation(s) & Context:

• худой - Used in informal contexts to describe people or animals that are thin, e.g., in casual conversations about appearance.
• тощий - Applied in more formal or literary contexts to emphasize extreme thinness, such as in descriptions of malnutrition or frailty.

Usage Examples:

• Он худой, как будто не ел неделю. (He is scrawny, as if he hasn't eaten for a week.)

  Translation: He is thin and undernourished, as if he hasn't eaten for a week. This example shows "худой" in a casual, everyday context describing physical appearance.

• Эта кошка тощая и выглядит слабой. (This cat is scrawny and looks weak.)

  Translation: This cat is extremely thin and appears weak. Here, "тощий" is used to highlight severity, often in observational or veterinary contexts.

• После болезни он стал худым и потерял много веса. (After the illness, he became scrawny and lost a lot of weight.)

  Translation: After the illness, he became thin and lost a lot of weight. This demonstrates "худой" in a narrative about health changes.

• В деревне многие животные были тощими из-за нехватки корма. (In the village, many animals were scrawny due to a lack of feed.)

  Translation: In the village, many animals were extremely thin because of a lack of feed. This example uses "тощий" in a broader, societal or environmental context.

• Девушка была худой, но грациозной в своем танце. (The girl was scrawny but graceful in her dance.)

  Translation: The girl was thin but graceful in her dance. This shows "худой" with a neutral or positive connotation in artistic descriptions.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "худой" and "тощий" are adjectives in Russian, which means they inflect for gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives agree with the nouns they modify and follow standard patterns for first-declension adjectives.

For "худой" (irregular in some forms due to its root):

For "тощий" (more regular):

These adjectives do not change in comparative forms without additional words (e.g., "более худой" for "more scrawny").

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • худощавый - Similar to "scrawny" but implies a more slender, less negative connotation; often used for athletic builds.
  • изможденный - Emphasizes exhaustion and thinness due to hardship; more intense than "худой".
• Antonyms:
  • полный - Meaning "full" or "plump", directly opposite in describing body weight.
  • крепкий - Meaning "sturdy" or "robust", contrasting with the weakness implied by "scrawny".

Related Phrases:

• Худой как щепка - Literally "thin as a splinter"; used to describe extreme thinness, similar to "skin and bones" in English.
• Тощий, как скелет - Meaning "scrawny like a skeleton"; a vivid phrase for severe malnutrition or emaciation.
• Стать худым от голода - "To become scrawny from hunger"; a common expression in contexts of deprivation.

Usage Notes:

"Scrawny" translates most directly to "худой" in informal settings, but "тощий" is preferred for more formal or emphatic descriptions to convey a sense of frailty. In Russian, these adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify, which is a key grammatical difference from English. For example, use "худой" for masculine singular but "худую" for feminine singular. When choosing between translations, opt for "тощий" in literary or medical contexts where severity is emphasized. Avoid overusing these words in positive descriptions, as they often carry a negative connotation in Russian culture.

Common Errors:

• English learners often forget adjective agreement, e.g., saying "худой женщина" instead of the correct "худая женщина" (scrawny woman). Error: "худой женщина" (incorrect agreement). Correct: "худая женщина". Explanation: Russian adjectives must match the noun's gender.

• Confusing "худой" with "хороший" (good), due to similar sounds, leading to misuse in sentences. Error: "Он худой человек" meaning "He is a scrawny person" but intending "good". Correct: Use "хороший" for "good". Explanation: Always double-check phonetics and context.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "худой" and "тощий" can carry connotations of hardship or poverty, often linked to historical contexts like famines or rural life. For instance, during the Soviet era, such descriptions were common in literature to depict struggle, reflecting a cultural emphasis on resilience rather than ideal body types as in Western media.

Related Concepts:

• стройный (slender, graceful)
• изможденный (emaciated)
• полнота (fullness, referring to body weight)