Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'statute'

English Word: statute

Key Russian Translations:

• Закон [ˈza.kən] - [Formal, Legal contexts]
• Статут [sta.'tut] - [Formal, Organizational or regulatory contexts]

Frequency: Medium (Common in legal, governmental, and academic discussions, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, per CEFR; Requires basic understanding of Russian nouns and cases; For 'Статут', slightly B2 due to less frequent usage)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Закон: [ˈza.kən]

Note on Закон: The stress is on the first syllable; the 'o' is pronounced as a schwa [ə] in unstressed positions, which can be tricky for English speakers.

Статут: [sta.'tut]

Note on Статут: Stress on the second syllable; the 'у' is a short [u] sound, similar to the 'oo' in "foot".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary meaning: A written law or regulation enacted by a legislative body.

Translation(s) & Context:

• Закон - Used in formal legal settings, such as national laws or statutes in government contexts.
• Статут - Applied to organizational charters, like those of companies or institutions, emphasizing rules and bylaws.

Usage Examples:

• Этот закон был принят парламентом в прошлом году.

  This statute was adopted by the parliament last year.

• Согласно уставу компании, все решения должны приниматься большинством голосов.

  According to the company's statute, all decisions must be made by majority vote.

• Новый закон о защите данных вступит в силу с января.

  The new statute on data protection will come into effect in January.

• Статут университета определяет правила для студентов и преподавателей.

  The university's statute outlines the rules for students and faculty.

• Закон требует обязательной регистрации для всех импортных товаров.

  The statute requires mandatory registration for all imported goods.

Secondary meaning: A rule or principle established by an organization (e.g., corporate statute).

Translation(s) & Context:

• Статут - Common in business or institutional contexts, where it refers to foundational documents.
• Закон - Less common here, but used if the rule has legal backing.

Usage Examples:

• Статут организации запрещает дискриминацию по признаку пола.

  The organization's statute prohibits discrimination based on gender.

• Этот статут был разработан для регулирования внутренних процедур.

  This statute was created to regulate internal procedures.

• Закон о статутах некоммерческих организаций был недавно обновлен.

  The statute governing nonprofit organizations was recently updated.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'Закон' and 'Статут' are masculine nouns in Russian, which means they follow standard masculine declension patterns. Russian nouns inflect for case, number, and gender. 'Закон' is a third-declension noun with some irregularities, while 'Статут' is more regular.

Note: 'Закон' has a soft stem in some forms, leading to vowel changes (e.g., in genitive singular). 'Статут' is invariant in most contexts and does not have irregular forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Положение (polozheniye) - More general term for a regulation or provision; often used interchangeably in bureaucratic contexts.
  • Регламент (reglament) - Specifically for rules in procedural or organizational settings; implies detailed guidelines.
• Antonyms:
  • Нарушение (narusheniye) - Violation or breach, contrasting with adherence to a statute.
  • Исключение (isklyucheniye) - Exception, as it opposes the general rule of a statute.

Related Phrases:

• Законодательный акт (Zakonodatel'nyy akt) - Legislative act; Refers to the process or document of enacting a statute.
• Статут организации (Statut organizatsii) - Organizational statute; A common phrase for company bylaws or charters.
• Нарушить закон (Narushit' zakon) - To break the law; A fixed expression indicating violation of a statute.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'Закон' is the most direct equivalent to 'statute' in legal contexts, but it can be broader, encompassing any law. Use 'Статут' when referring to internal rules of an organization, as it carries a more specific connotation. Be mindful of context: in formal writing or official documents, these terms are neutral and widely applicable, but in everyday speech, they might sound overly bureaucratic. When translating, choose based on whether the 'statute' is governmental ('Закон') or institutional ('Статут'). Grammatically, always consider case agreement, as Russian requires nouns to inflect with prepositions and verbs.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'Закон' interchangeably with 'Статут' without context. For example, English learners might say "Статут" for a national law, which is incorrect.
  Correct: Use 'Закон' for national or federal statutes. Example: Incorrect - "Этот статут governs the country." Correct - "Этот закон governs the country."
• Mistake: Forgetting case inflections, e.g., saying "по закон" instead of "по закону" (in the genitive case after prepositions like 'по').
  Explanation: This leads to grammatical errors. Always check the required case for the sentence structure.
• Mistake: Overgeneralizing 'Закон' to mean any rule, potentially confusing it with 'правила' (rules).
  Correct: Reserve 'Закон' for formal, legislative contexts to avoid dilution of meaning.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and legal systems, statutes like 'Закон' often reflect historical influences from Soviet-era legislation, emphasizing state control and detailed regulations. For instance, many modern Russian laws build on the 1917 revolutionary statutes, which prioritized collective rights over individual ones. Understanding this can help English speakers grasp why Russian legal language feels more prescriptive and less flexible compared to common law systems.

Related Concepts:

• Конституция (Konstitutsiya)
• Право (Pravo)
• Регламентация (Reglamentatsiya)