Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'six'

English Word: six

Key Russian Translations:

• шесть [ʃesʲtʲ] - [Basic, Singular, Used for counting and everyday references]

Frequency: High (This word is commonly used in daily conversations, mathematics, and general descriptions.)

Difficulty: A1 (Beginner level; straightforward for English speakers learning basic Russian numbers.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

шесть: [ʃesʲtʲ]

Note on шесть: The 'ш' sound is a voiceless postalveolar fricative, similar to 'sh' in 'shoe'. Be mindful of the soft sign 'ь' which palatalizes the preceding consonant, making it sound lighter.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The number six in cardinal form.

Translation(s) & Context:

• шесть - Used in basic counting, quantities, or descriptions in informal and formal settings, such as shopping or telling time.

Usage Examples:

• У меня шесть яблок. (U menya shest' yablok.)

  I have six apples. (This example shows the word in a simple possessive context, demonstrating basic noun agreement.)

• Шесть человек пришли на вечеринку. (Shest' chelovek prishli na vecherinku.)

  Six people came to the party. (Here, 'шесть' is used with a plural noun, illustrating its role in describing groups.)

• Эта книга стоит шесть долларов. (Eta kniga stoit shest' dollarov.)

  This book costs six dollars. (This demonstrates usage in commercial or pricing contexts, with numeral agreement.)

• Шесть раз в неделю я хожу в спортзал. (Shest' raz v nedelyu ya khozhu v sportzal.)

  I go to the gym six times a week. (This example highlights 'шесть' in frequency expressions, common in routines.)

• В доме шесть комнат. (V dome shest' komnat.)

  There are six rooms in the house. (This shows 'шесть' in descriptive sentences about quantities in locations.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

The word 'шесть' is a cardinal number and does not inflect for case, gender, or number in its basic form, as Russian numerals often remain invariant in many contexts. However, it can appear in derived forms such as ordinal numbers.

Note: For numbers like 'шесть', which is even, it governs the genitive plural in nouns (e.g., шесть книг = six books).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: None directly, as 'шесть' is a specific numeral. However, in broader contexts, it may relate to 'полдюжины' (poldyuzhinы) meaning 'half a dozen' with a slight informal nuance for six items.
• Antonyms: семь (sem') - Meaning 'seven', used as the next number in sequences.

Related Phrases:

• Шесть раз (Shest' raz) - Six times; used in repetitive actions, e.g., in exercise routines.
• Шестое чувство (Shestoe chuvstvo) - Sixth sense; a common phrase referring to intuition, with a metaphorical extension.
• Шесть на шесть (Shest' na shest') - Six by six; used in measurements, like in grids or matrices.

Usage Notes:

'Шесть' directly corresponds to the English 'six' as a cardinal number and is used similarly in sentences. It is neutral in terms of formality and can appear in both spoken and written Russian. When used with nouns, remember that in Russian, numbers from five onwards typically require the genitive plural form of the noun (e.g., 'шесть книг' instead of 'шесть книга'). For ordinal forms like 'шестой', it functions as an adjective and must agree in gender, number, and case. English learners should practice numeral agreement to avoid errors in complex sentences.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'шест' without the final 'ь' or confusing it with 'пять' (five). Correct: 'шесть яблок' instead of 'шест яблок'. Explanation: The soft sign 'ь' is essential for pronunciation and spelling; omitting it changes the word's identity.

• Error: Incorrectly inflecting in ordinal forms, e.g., saying 'шестый' when 'шестой' is needed for masculine nominative. Correct: 'шестой этаж'. Explanation: Ordinal numbers follow adjective declension rules, so always check gender and case agreement.

• Error: Forgetting noun case agreement, e.g., 'шесть книга' instead of 'шесть книг'. Correct: 'шесть книг'. Explanation: In Russian, the noun after 'шесть' must be in the genitive plural, which is a common pitfall for English speakers used to invariant numerals.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the number six doesn't carry significant mystical or historical connotations like some other numbers (e.g., seven or thirteen). However, it appears in everyday contexts such as folk tales or proverbs, like in references to 'шесть дней творения' (six days of creation), drawing from biblical influences, which helps in understanding broader cultural narratives.

Related Concepts:

• пять (pyat') - Five
• семь (sem') - Seven
• десять (desyat') - Ten