Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'strand'

English Word: strand

Key Russian Translations:

• нить [ˈnʲitʲ] - [Common, used for a single thread or fiber]
• прядь [ˈprʲaɲ] - [Informal, specifically for a strand of hair or wool]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday contexts like descriptions of materials or hair)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, as it involves basic noun declensions; for 'прядь', it may be B2 due to irregular feminine forms)

Pronunciation (Russian):

нить: [ˈnʲitʲ]

прядь: [ˈprʲaɲ]

Note on нить: The soft 'н' sound ([nʲ]) can be challenging for English speakers; it's similar to the 'n' in 'onion' but softer. Variations in fast speech may soften the final 'tʲ'.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A single thread, fiber, or thin piece (e.g., a strand of hair or wire)

Translation(s) & Context:

• нить - Used in formal or technical contexts, such as describing materials in science or crafts.
• прядь - Applied in informal, everyday situations, like personal grooming or descriptions of textiles.

Usage Examples:

• В волосах запуталась тонкая нить. (V volosakh zaputalas' tonkaya nit'.)

  A thin strand got tangled in the hair.

• Эта нить очень прочная и используется в шитье. (Eta nit' ochen' prochnaya i ispol'zuetsya v shit'e.)

  This strand is very strong and is used in sewing.

• Ветер развеял пряди её волос. (Veter razveyal pryadi yeyo volos.)

  The wind scattered strands of her hair.

• Прядь шерсти была окрашена в яркий цвет. (Pryad' shersti byla okrashaena v yarkiy cvet.)

  The strand of wool was dyed in a bright color.

• Из этой нити можно сплести крепкую верёвку. (Iz etoy niti mozhno splesti krepkuyu verëvku.)

  From this strand, you can weave a strong rope.

Meaning 2: To leave stranded or marooned (e.g., to strand a ship)

Translation(s) & Context:

• застрять - Used in informal contexts for being stuck or immobilized, often metaphorically.
• оставить в беде - More literal for abandoning someone, in narrative or dramatic scenarios.

Usage Examples:

• Корабль застрял на мели во время шторма. (Korabl' zastryal na meli vo vremya shtorma.)

  The ship was stranded on a sandbank during the storm.

• Его оставили в беде посреди пустыни. (Yego ostavili v bede posredi pustyni.)

  He was stranded in the middle of the desert.

• Из-за поломки мы застряли на дороге. (Iz-za polomki my zastryali na doroge.)

  Due to the breakdown, we were stranded on the road.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'нить' and 'прядь' are feminine nouns, which inflect according to Russian grammatical cases. 'Нить' follows a standard first-declension pattern, while 'прядь' has some irregularities in plural forms.

For verbs like 'застрять', it is an intransitive verb with perfective aspect; it conjugates irregularly: e.g., я застрял (I got stuck), мы застряли (we got stuck).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • волокно (volokno) - Similar to 'fiber', but more general for plant-based materials.
  • нитька (nitka) - A diminutive form, used for very thin strands in informal contexts.
• Antonyms:
  • сплошной (sploshnoy) - Meaning 'solid' or 'continuous', contrasting with a single strand.
  • масса (massa) - Implies a large mass or bulk, opposite to a thin strand.

Related Phrases:

• Золотая нить (Zolotaya nit') - Meaning: A golden thread; used metaphorically for a key element in a story or design.
• Запутанная прядь (Zaputannaya pryad') - Meaning: A tangled strand; refers to complications in personal or narrative contexts.
• Застрять в пробке (Zastryat' v probke) - Meaning: To be stranded in traffic; common for urban commuting scenarios.

Usage Notes:

'Нить' directly corresponds to the English 'strand' in contexts involving threads or fibers, but it's more versatile in Russian for abstract uses, like in idioms. Choose 'прядь' for hair-related descriptions to sound more natural. Be mindful of gender agreement in sentences, as both are feminine nouns (e.g., эта нить is correct). In formal writing, prefer 'нить' over 'прядь' for technical accuracy. Synonyms like 'волокно' can be used interchangeably in scientific contexts but may imply a coarser texture.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'нить' without proper declension, e.g., saying "в нить" instead of "в нити" for genitive case. Correct: В нити (in the strand). Explanation: Russian nouns must agree in case, which English speakers often overlook, leading to grammatical errors.

• Error: Confusing 'прядь' with 'нить' in hair contexts, e.g., using 'нить волос' instead of 'прядь волос'. Correct: Прядь волос. Explanation: 'Прядь' is more precise for hair, while 'нить' sounds unnatural; this can make speech seem overly literal or incorrect.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, phrases like 'золотая нить' (golden thread) often appear in literature and folklore, symbolizing fate or continuity, as seen in fairy tales by authors like Pushkin. This reflects a broader Slavic tradition of weaving metaphors, where a single strand represents personal destiny or historical threads in narratives.

Related Concepts:

• волокно
• шерсть
• прядение