Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'submissive'

English Word: submissive

Key Russian Translations:

• послушный (poslushnyy) - [Adjective, Informal]
• подчиняющийся (podchinyayushchiysya) - [Adjective, Formal]
• смиренный (smirennyy) - [Adjective, Often used in literary or religious contexts]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations appear in contexts like psychology, relationships, and literature, but not in everyday casual conversation.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian adjectives and their inflections, based on CEFR standards.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

послушный: pəˈsluʃnɨj

подчиняющийся: pədʲtʃʲɪˈnajuʂʲɪjsə

смиренный: smʲɪˈrʲenɨj

Note on послушный: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the soft 'л' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers.

Note on подчиняющийся: This is a present active participle form; pronunciation may vary slightly in fast speech, emphasizing the 'я' sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Willing to yield to the authority or control of another (e.g., in personal relationships or social dynamics)

Translation(s) & Context:

• послушный - Used in informal settings to describe someone who complies easily, such as in family or everyday interactions.
• подчиняющийся - Applied in more formal or professional contexts, like workplace hierarchies or legal discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Его послушная натура часто приводила к конфликтам в отношениях. (Yego poslushnaya natura chasto privodila k konfliktam v otnosheniyakh.)

  His submissive nature often led to conflicts in relationships. (This example shows the adjective in a psychological context, highlighting personality traits.)

• В этой компании сотрудники должны быть подчиняющимися правилам. (V etoy kompanii sotrudniki dolzhny byt' podchinyayushchimisya pravilam.)

  In this company, employees must be submissive to the rules. (Demonstrates formal usage in a corporate environment.)

• Она всегда была смиренной в спорах, избегая конфронтации. (Ona vsegda byla smirennoj v sporakh, izbegaya konfrontatsii.)

  She was always submissive in arguments, avoiding confrontation. (Illustrates a more literary or emotional context.)

• Послушный ребенок быстро выполняет указания родителей. (Poslushnyy rebenok bystro vypolnyaet ukazaniya roditeley.)

  The submissive child quickly follows the parents' instructions. (Shows usage with nouns in a familial setting.)

Meaning 2: Showing a tendency to submit or surrender (e.g., in power dynamics or animal behavior)

Translation(s) & Context:

• смиренный - Often used metaphorically in historical or cultural contexts, such as describing characters in literature.
• послушный - Common in everyday language for animals or children.

Usage Examples:

• Собака была послушной и всегда подчинялась командам хозяина. (Sobaka byla poslushnoj i vsegda podchinyalas' komandam khozyaina.)

  The dog was submissive and always obeyed the owner's commands. (This example applies to animal behavior, varying the grammatical structure.)

• В исторических текстах смиренные герои часто символизируют стойкость. (V istoricheskikh tekstakh smirennyye geroyi chasto simvoliziruyut stoystkost'.)

  In historical texts, submissive heroes often symbolize resilience. (Highlights cultural or narrative usage.)

• Подчиняющаяся позиция в переговорах может привести к уступкам. (Podchinyayushchayasya pozitsiya v peregovorakh mozhet privesti k ustupkam.)

  A submissive position in negotiations can lead to concessions. (Demonstrates usage in professional or strategic contexts.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations (послушный, подчиняющийся, смиренный) are adjectives, which inflect based on gender, number, and case in Russian. Russian adjectives agree with the nouns they modify and follow standard adjectival declension patterns.

For подчиняющийся and смиренный, the inflections follow the same pattern as above. These are regular adjectives, so no irregularities, but remember that participles like подчиняющийся may have aspectual variations in verbs.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • уступчивый (ustupchivyy) - More about being yielding, often in negotiations.
  • докладный (dokladnyy) - Less common, implies detailed submission in reports or contexts.
• Antonyms:
  • упрямый (upryamyy) - Stubborn or resistant.
  • независимый (nezavisimyy) - Independent or self-reliant.

Related Phrases:

• Быть послушным, как lamb (Byt' poslushnym, kak lamb) - To be as submissive as a lamb; implies complete obedience in a metaphorical sense.
• Подчиняться авторитету (Podchinyat'sya avtoritetu) - To submit to authority; common in discussions of power dynamics.
• Смиренно принять решение (Smirenno prinimat' resheniye) - To submissively accept a decision; often used in conflict resolution.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, translations like послушный are direct equivalents to "submissive" but carry a neutral to positive connotation in contexts like parenting or training, unlike English where it can imply weakness. Choose подчиняющийся for formal or official scenarios to match the English word's intensity. Be mindful of gender agreement in sentences, as Russian adjectives must inflect accordingly. For multiple translations, select based on context: use смиренный for emotional or spiritual undertones.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using послушный in formal contexts without inflection, e.g., saying "он послушный" when it should be inflected for case, like "он послушный в работе" (correct), but mistakenly saying "он послушный работа" (incorrect).

  Correct: Он послушный сотрудник (On poslushnyy sotrudnik). Explanation: Adjectives must agree with nouns in case, number, and gender; this mistake often stems from direct word-for-word translation from English.

• Error: Confusing with verbs, e.g., using подчиняться (to submit) as an adjective instead of подчиняющийся. Incorrect: "Он подчиняется человек" (wrong form).

  Correct: Он подчиняющийся тип (On podchinyayushchiysya tip). Explanation: English learners might mix parts of speech; always ensure the form matches the sentence structure.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like смиренный often evoke themes from Orthodox Christianity or literature (e.g., in Dostoevsky's works), where submission can symbolize humility and moral strength rather than weakness. This contrasts with Western views, helping English speakers understand the positive cultural nuance in contexts like Russian folklore.

Related Concepts:

• авторитет (avtoritet) - Authority
• послушание (poslushaniye) - Obedience
• уступка (ustupka) - Concession