Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'spindly'

English Word: spindly

Key Russian Translations:

• хилый /xʲiˈlɨj/ - [Informal; often used for living things like people or plants to imply thinness and weakness]
• тощий /ˈtoʂɨj/ - [Informal; emphasizes extreme thinness, suitable for objects or figures]
• костлявый /kɐˈstləvɨj/ - [Informal; highlights bony, angular thinness, especially for human or animal forms]

Frequency: Low - This word and its translations are not commonly used in everyday Russian conversation but may appear in descriptive literature or specific contexts like biology or descriptions of physical appearance.

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) - Involves understanding adjective inflections and contextual nuances; learners at this level should grasp basic forms, though full mastery requires practice with Russian grammar rules.

Pronunciation (Russian):

хилый: /xʲiˈlɨj/

тощий: /ˈtoʂɨj/

костлявый: /kɐˈstləvɨj/

Note on хилый: The initial 'х' sound is a voiceless velar fricative, similar to the 'ch' in Scottish "loch"; be careful with the soft 'л' which affects the vowel quality. For тощий, the 'щ' is a voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative, pronounced with a hissing quality.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning: Describing something that is long, thin, and often weak or frail, such as spindly legs or branches.

Translation(s) & Context:

• хилый - Used in informal contexts for living entities, emphasizing fragility in a somewhat derogatory tone, e.g., in literature or casual descriptions.
• тощий - Applied to objects or people in everyday speech, highlighting leanness without always implying weakness, but in this context, it fits "spindly" for inanimate things.
• костлявый - Best for human or animal features, in contexts where angular thinness is prominent, such as in art or medical descriptions.

Usage Examples:

• Дерево имело хилые ветви, которые легко ломались от ветра. (Derevo imelo khilye vetvi, kotorye legko lomális' ot vetra.)

  The tree had spindly branches that broke easily in the wind. (This example shows the adjective in a natural, descriptive context for objects.)

• Его тощие руки напоминали паучьи ноги. (Yego toshchiye ruki napomináli pauchiye nogi.)

  His spindly arms resembled spider legs. (Illustrates use with body parts, emphasizing thinness in a metaphorical way.)

• Костлявый ребенок выглядел хилым на фоне своих сверстников. (Kostlyavyy rebyonok vygládel khilyim na fone svoikh sverstnikov.)

  The spindly child looked frail compared to his peers. (Demonstrates combination with another translation for layered description, in a social context.)

• В старом саду росли тощие растения с хилыми стеблями. (V starom sadu rosli toshchiye rasteniya s khilyimi steblyami.)

  In the old garden, spindly plants grew with thin stems. (Shows usage in plural and with related adjectives for variety.)

• Она нарисовала костлявого персонажа с тощими конечностями. (Ona narisovala kostlyavogo personazha s toshchimi konechnostyami.)

  She drew a spindly character with thin limbs. (Highlights artistic or creative application, varying sentence structure.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations (хилый, тощий, костлявый) are adjectives in Russian, which inflect based on gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives agree with the nouns they modify and follow standard patterns for most short adjectives. These are not irregular but require attention to endings.

Note: These adjectives do not have invariant forms; they must agree with the noun in all aspects. For short forms (used in predicates), they remain as above but can simplify in informal speech.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • худой (khudoy) - Similar but more neutral, often for general thinness; less emphasis on weakness.
  • стройный (stroynyy) - Implies slender grace, which can contrast with the negative connotation of "spindly."
• Antonyms:
  • крепкий (krepkiy) - Strong and sturdy, directly opposite for physical robustness.
  • полный (polnyy) - Full or plump, contrasting with thinness.

Related Phrases:

• хилый рост (khilyy rost) - Spindly growth; refers to weak, underdeveloped plant growth.
• тощие конечности (toschiye konechnosti) - Spindly limbs; used in anatomy or descriptions of frailty.
• костлявый силуэт (kostlyavyy siluet) - Spindly silhouette; common in artistic or shadowy contexts.

Usage Notes:

"Spindly" corresponds most closely to хилый in Russian when describing something thin and weak, but choose тощий or костлявый based on context—e.g., for objects versus people. These adjectives are informal and may carry a slightly negative tone, so avoid in formal writing. Always ensure agreement with the noun's gender, number, and case. For learners, prioritize хилый for direct translations, as it best captures the frail aspect.

Common Errors:

• Confusing хилый with худой: Learners might use худой (meaning simply thin) instead of хилый for "spindly," which implies weakness. Incorrect: "Худый дерево" (should be хилое дерево for a frail tree). Correct: "Хилое дерево" – Explanation: Худой lacks the frailty connotation, so it doesn't fully match.

• Forgetting inflections: English speakers often forget to change endings, e.g., saying "хилый ноги" instead of "хилые ноги" for plural. Correct: "Хилые ноги" – This error disrupts sentence agreement and sounds unnatural.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian literature, such as in works by Chekhov or Tolstoy, words like хилый are used to evoke themes of poverty or rural hardship, symbolizing vulnerability in a harsh environment. This reflects broader cultural attitudes toward physical frailty as a metaphor for social or economic weakness.

Related Concepts:

• слабый (slabyy)
• хрупкий (khrupkiy)
• тощенький (toschenkiy)