Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'skew'

English Word: skew

Key Russian Translations:

• искажать [i.skɐˈʐatʲ] - [Verb, Formal, Used in contexts involving distortion or bias]
• косой [kɐˈsoj] - [Adjective, Informal, Used to describe something not straight or tilted]
• перекос [pʲɪrʲɪˈkos] - [Noun, Neutral, Plural form: перекосы, Used in technical or physical contexts]

Frequency: Medium (Common in academic, technical, and everyday discussions, but not as frequent as basic vocabulary)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of verb conjugations and adjective agreements; for 'косой', it might be A2 for beginners due to simpler usage)

Pronunciation (Russian):

искажать: [i.skɐˈʐatʲ]

Note on искажать: The 'ж' sound (as in [ʐ]) is a voiced palatal fricative, similar to 'zh' in English 'measure'. Stress falls on the second syllable, which can be tricky for learners.

косой: [kɐˈsoj]

Note on косой: The final 'ой' ending is pronounced as a diphthong, like 'oy' in English 'boy'. It's a common adjective with no major pronunciation variants.

перекос: [pʲɪrʲɪˈkos]

Note on перекос: The initial 'п' is unaspirated; pay attention to the soft sign 'ь' which palatalizes the preceding consonant.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To distort or alter unfairly (e.g., in statistics, opinions, or data)

Translation(s) & Context:

• искажать - Used in formal or professional contexts, such as media analysis or scientific reporting, to indicate bias or misrepresentation.

Usage Examples:

• Средства массовой информации часто искажают факты для привлечения внимания.

  The media often skews facts to attract attention.

• Эта опросная выборка искажает результаты исследования.

  This sample skews the results of the study.

• Политики иногда искажают историю, чтобы оправдать свои действия.

  Politicians sometimes skew history to justify their actions.

• В графике данные были искажены для демонстрации ложного тренда.

  The data in the graph was skewed to show a false trend.

Meaning 2: Not straight or tilted (e.g., describing physical objects or lines)

Translation(s) & Context:

• косой - Used in everyday informal contexts, such as describing architecture, clothing, or geometry.
• перекос - Used in technical contexts, like engineering or construction, to refer to a deviation or misalignment.

Usage Examples:

• Крыша дома слегка косая из-за старости.

  The roof of the house is slightly skewed due to age.

• В этой картине линии намеренно сделаны косыми для создания эффекта.

  In this painting, the lines are intentionally skewed for effect.

• Машина имеет перекос в подвеске, что делает вождение небезопасным.

  The car has a skew in its suspension, making driving unsafe.

• Перекос в данных указывает на ошибку в измерениях.

  The skew in the data points to an error in measurements.

• Его улыбка была косой, придавая лицу загадочный вид.

  His smile was skewed, giving his face a mysterious look.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'искажать' (a verb, first conjugation), it follows regular patterns with some irregularities in perfective aspects. The base form is imperfective; its perfective counterpart is 'исказить'.

For 'косой' (an adjective), it declines like most first-declension adjectives:

For 'перекос' (a masculine noun, third declension), it has standard noun inflections and is invariable in gender but changes by case and number.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • искажать:歪曲 (krivitsya) - More literary, implies twisting.
  • косой:наклонный (naklonnyj) - Neutral term for slanted.
  • перекос:отклонение (otklonenie) - Used in scientific contexts, with a slight connotation of deviation.
• Antonyms:
  • Для искажать: точно отражать (tochno otrazhat') - Means to reflect accurately.
  • Для косой: прямой (pryamoj) - Means straight or direct.
  • Для перекос: баланс (balans) - Implies balance or equilibrium.

Related Phrases:

• Искажать реальность - To skew reality; a phrase used in psychology or media to describe distortion of facts.
• Косой взгляд - A skewed glance; implies a suspicious or sidelong look in everyday conversations.
• Перекос в балансе - Skew in balance; common in economics or physics to indicate imbalance.

Usage Notes:

'Искажать' is the most direct translation for the verb form of 'skew' and should be used when emphasizing bias, as in English. It's formal and often appears in written contexts; choose it over 'косой' for abstract concepts. 'Косой' is better for physical descriptions and is more informal. Be mindful of Russian adjective agreement with nouns in gender, number, and case. When multiple translations exist, select based on context: use 'перекос' for tangible deviations.

• In statistical contexts, 'искажать' pairs well with data-related nouns.
• Avoid direct word-for-word translation; adapt to Russian sentence structure for natural flow.

Common Errors:

English learners often misuse 'искажать' by confusing it with 'изменять' (to change), thinking they mean the same. Error: "Я изменяю данные" (I change data) instead of "Я искажаю данные" (I skew data). Correct: Use 'искажать' for biased alteration. Another error is incorrect adjective agreement, e.g., saying "косой дом" for a feminine noun when it should be "косая дом" if the noun is feminine—wait, error example: "Эта косой линия" (incorrect, as 'линия' is feminine); Correct: "Эта косая линия". This stems from not learning gender rules.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'искажать' often appear in discussions of propaganda or historical revisionism, reflecting Russia's complex media landscape. For instance, 'косой' might evoke imagery from folklore, like a crooked path in fairy tales, symbolizing deception or irregularity in narratives.

Related Concepts:

• Кривой (crooked or bent)
• Отклонение (deviation)
• Баланс (balance)