Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'spatter'

English Word: spatter

Key Russian Translations:

• брызгать /brɨzˈɡatʲ/ - [Informal, Verb]
• брызги /ˈbrɨzɡʲi/ - [Noun, Plural, Informal]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday contexts like describing liquid splashes, but not as frequent as basic verbs).

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugation and noun declensions, suitable for learners with basic Russian grammar knowledge).

Pronunciation (Russian):

брызгать: /brɨzˈɡatʲ/ (The 'ы' sound is a high central vowel, similar to the 'i' in "bit," but more centralized. Stress on the second syllable.)

Note on брызгать: This word has a soft 'г' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers; it's pronounced with the tongue touching the palate. Variations in fast speech may soften the ending.

брызги: /ˈbrɨzɡʲi/ (Stress on the first syllable; the plural form ends with a palatalized 'и'.)

Note on брызги: In casual speech, the final 'и' might be reduced in unstressed positions.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To cause small drops or particles to fly or scatter (Verb form)

Translation(s) & Context:

• брызгать - Used in informal contexts to describe splashing liquids, such as water or paint, in everyday situations like cooking or accidents.

Usage Examples:

• Вода брызгает из крана, когда я мою посуду. (Voda bрызgaet iz krana, kogda ya moyu posudu.)

  Water spatters from the faucet when I wash the dishes. (This example shows the verb in a domestic context with present tense.)

• Дети брызгают краской на стены во время игры. (Deti bрызgayut krasjkoy na steny vo vremya igry.)

  The children spatter paint on the walls while playing. (Illustrates the verb with plural subjects and an action-oriented scenario.)

• Когда он разбил стакан, вино брызгало по столу. (Kogda on razbil stakan, vino bрызgalo po stolu.)

  When he broke the glass, wine spattered across the table. (Demonstrates the verb in a past tense narrative, emphasizing sudden action.)

• В дождь брызгает грязь с дороги на машины. (V dozhd' bрызgaet gryaz' s dorogi na mashiny.)

  In the rain, mud spatters from the road onto cars. (Shows the verb in a weather-related context with inanimate subjects.)

Meaning 2: Small drops or particles that have been scattered (Noun form)

Translation(s) & Context:

• брызги - Used to refer to the result of splashing, often in plural form, in contexts like accidents, art, or nature.

Usage Examples:

• На картине видны брызги краски от кисти художника. (Na kartine vidny bрызgi kraski ot kisti khudozhnika.)

  On the painting, spatters of paint from the artist's brush are visible. (This highlights the noun in an artistic context.)

• После дождя на окне остались брызги воды. (Posle dozhdya na okne ostalis' bрызgi vody.)

  After the rain, spatters of water remained on the window. (Shows the noun in a natural, post-event description.)

• Брызги кофе на рубашке пришлось отстирывать. (Bрызgi kofe na rubashke prishlos' otstiryvat'.)

  The spatters of coffee on the shirt had to be washed out. (Illustrates the noun in an everyday mishap scenario.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For брызгать (verb, imperfective aspect), it follows the first conjugation pattern with regular endings. It is an imperfective verb, often used for ongoing actions.

For брызги (noun, feminine, plural form), it is a first-declension noun with standard plural endings. It remains unchanged in nominative plural but varies in other cases:

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • разбрызгивать (razbryznivat') - Similar but implies a more forceful or deliberate action; often used in formal contexts.
  • капать (kapat') - For dripping, which is a milder form of spattering.
• Antonyms:
  • собирать (sobirat') - To gather or collect, opposite in the sense of containing rather than scattering.

Related Phrases:

• Брызги дождя (Bрызgi dozhdya) - Rain spatters; used to describe light rain or splashes from precipitation.
• Брызгать водой (Bрызgat' vodoy) - To spatter with water; a common phrase in cleaning or playful contexts.
• Разбросать брызги краски (Raskidat' bрызgi kraski) - To scatter paint spatters; refers to artistic or accidental dispersion.

Usage Notes:

брызгать directly corresponds to the English "spatter" as a verb, emphasizing an ongoing or repeated action, while брызги aligns with the noun form for the result. Use брызгать in informal spoken Russian for vivid descriptions, but opt for more formal synonyms in written or professional contexts. Be mindful of aspect: брызгать is imperfective, so pair it with perfective counterparts like "разбрызгать" for completed actions. When choosing between translations, select based on context—verb for actions, noun for results.

Common Errors:

• English learners often confuse the verb брызгать with its perfective form, using брызгать for completed actions. Incorrect: "Я брызгал картину" (meaning "I spattered the painting" as a finished act). Correct: Use разбрызгал for a one-time event. Explanation: Russian verbs require aspect agreement; imperfective like брызгать is for processes, not endpoints.
• Another error is improper declension of брызги, such as using it in the wrong case. Incorrect: "На брызги" (wrong genitive). Correct: "На брызгах" for "on the spatters." Explanation: Pay attention to Russian case endings to avoid grammatical errors in sentences.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like брызги often appear in folk tales or descriptions of nature, evoking imagery of rain or splashes in rural settings. For instance, in literature by authors like Chekhov, spattering elements symbolize the unpredictability of life, reflecting Russia's variable weather and its influence on daily life and art.

Related Concepts:

• капли (kapli) - Drops
• разброс (razbros) - Scatter
• дождь (dohd') - Rain