Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'spouse'

English Word: spouse

Key Russian Translations:

• супруг [ˈsuprʊɡ] - [Formal, Masculine, Used in legal or official contexts]
• супруга [ˈsupruɡə] - [Formal, Feminine, Used in legal or official contexts]
• партнер [ˈpartnʲer] - [Informal, Neutral, Used for modern or non-traditional relationships]

Frequency: Medium (Common in formal, legal, and familial discussions, but less frequent in everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; involves understanding gender agreement in Russian nouns, which can be challenging for learners beyond beginner level)

Pronunciation (Russian):

супруг: [ˈsuprʊɡ]

Note on супруг: The stress falls on the first syllable; be careful with the rolled 'r' sound, which is a common difficulty for English speakers.

супруга: [ˈsupruɡə]

Note on супруга: Similar to супруг, but with a feminine ending; the final 'a' sound is soft and unstressed.

партнер: [ˈpartnʲer]

Note on партнер: The 'н' is palatalized, making it sound like 'nyer'; this reflects loanwords from English.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

A married partner or spouse in a committed relationship

Translation(s) & Context:

• супруг - Used primarily for a husband in formal contexts, such as legal documents or official introductions.
• супруга - Used primarily for a wife in formal contexts, emphasizing marital status.
• партнер - Applied in informal or modern settings, such as describing a life partner in non-married relationships.

Usage Examples:

• Мой супруг — инженер, и мы вместе уже десять лет.

  My spouse is an engineer, and we've been together for ten years. (This example shows супруг in a straightforward familial context.)

• Её супруга поддерживает её во всех начинаниях.

  Her spouse supports her in all her endeavors. (Here, супруга is used to denote a wife, highlighting emotional support.)

• В современном обществе многие выбирают партнера, не регистрируя брак.

  In modern society, many choose a partner without registering a marriage. (This illustrates партнер in an informal, contemporary context.)

• Супруг и супруга должны уважать друг друга в семье.

  A spouse and spouse must respect each other in the family. (This sentence demonstrates both forms in a general advisory context.)

• Если вы ищете партнера для совместной жизни, подумайте о совместимости.

  If you're looking for a spouse for shared life, consider compatibility. (This uses партнер to discuss relationship dynamics informally.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These words are nouns and follow standard Russian declension patterns. Супруг and супруга are second-declension nouns with gender-specific forms, while партнер is a third-declension noun often used in its base form due to its loanword status.

Note: Партнер is relatively invariable in informal use and does not change as irregularly as traditional Russian nouns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • муж (muzh) - Specifically for husband; more everyday than супруг.
  • жена (zhena) - Specifically for wife; commonly used in casual contexts.
  • сожитель (sozhitel') - Informal for a live-in partner, with a connotation of cohabitation without marriage.
• Antonyms:
  • одиночка (odinochka) - Single person, implying no partner.
  • разведенный (razvedyonnyy) - Divorced individual, as an opposite state to being married.

Related Phrases:

• Супружеская пара [supružeskaja para] - A married couple; used to refer to both spouses together in formal contexts.
• Жизненный партнер [zhiznennyy partner] - Life partner; implies a long-term commitment without specifying marriage.
• Семейный союз [semeynyy soyuz] - Family union; a phrase for marital or partnership bonds in legal or cultural discussions.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, translations for "spouse" like супруг and супруга are highly gender-specific, unlike the neutral English term. Always consider the gender of the person when selecting the word—use супруг for males and супруга for females in formal settings. Партнер is more flexible and gender-neutral, making it suitable for modern or LGBTQ+ contexts. Be mindful of grammatical agreement: these nouns must align with adjectives and verbs in gender, number, and case. For example, in sentences involving possession, use the genitive case as shown in the inflections table.

Common Errors:

• Using супруг for a female spouse: Incorrect: "Её супруг" (meaning "her husband" but implying the wrong gender). Correct: "Её супруга". Explanation: Russian requires gender agreement, so this error stems from direct translation without considering noun endings.
• Mixing up formal and informal terms: Incorrect: Using партнер in a legal document. Correct: Use супруг/супруга for official contexts. Explanation: Партнер may sound too casual or borrowed, leading to misunderstandings in professional settings.
• Overlooking case changes: Incorrect: "Я люблю супруг" (grammatically wrong in accusative). Correct: "Я люблю супруга". Explanation: English speakers often forget Russian's complex case system, which affects how the word integrates into sentences.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, terms like супруг and супруга carry a strong emphasis on traditional family structures, often tied to historical and legal norms from the Soviet era. Marriage is highly valued, and these words may evoke ideas of stability and commitment. However, with modern influences, neutral terms like партнер are gaining popularity, reflecting changing attitudes toward relationships and gender roles in contemporary Russian society.

Related Concepts:

• семья (sem'ya) - Family
• брак (brak) - Marriage
• родственники (rodstvenniki) - Relatives