Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'swell'

English Word: swell

Key Russian Translations:

• отличный [ɐtˈlʲit͡ɕnɨj] - [Informal, Slang for "great" or "excellent"]
• вздутие [vzˈduʲtʲije] - [Formal, Medical context for "swelling"]
• набухать [nɐˈbuxatʲ] - [Neutral, Verb form for "to swell up"]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday conversation for informal uses, less frequent in formal writing)

Difficulty: B1 for "отличный" (Intermediate, as it involves basic adjective declension); B2 for "вздутие" and "набухать" (Upper-Intermediate, due to noun/verb inflections)

Pronunciation (Russian):

отличный: [ɐtˈlʲit͡ɕnɨj]

вздутие: [vzˈduʲtʲije] (Note the soft 't' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers due to palatalization)

набухать: [nɐˈbuxatʲ] (Emphasize the stress on the second syllable; common verb variant is [nɐˈbuxaʲtʲ] in imperfective aspect)

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: As an adjective, meaning "excellent" or "great" (informal slang)

Translation(s) & Context:

• "отличный" - Used in casual conversations to express approval, similar to English "swell" in 1920s slang.

Usage Examples:

• Этот фильм был отличный! (This film was swell!)

  English: This film was excellent! (Context: Informal review of a movie.)

• Вчерашняя вечеринка была отличная, все веселились. (Yesterday's party was swell; everyone had fun.)

  English: Yesterday's party was great; everyone had fun. (Context: Describing a social event with friends.)

• Твоя идея отличная, давай попробуем! (Your idea is swell; let's try it!)

  English: Your idea is excellent; let's try it! (Context: Encouraging collaboration in a casual setting.)

• Этот ресторан имеет отличный сервис. (This restaurant has swell service.)

  English: This restaurant has excellent service. (Context: Positive feedback on customer experience.)

Meaning 2: As a noun, meaning "swelling" (e.g., in medical or physical contexts)

Translation(s) & Context:

• "вздутие" - Used in formal or medical discussions, equivalent to "swelling" in English.

Usage Examples:

• У него на ноге появилось вздутие после ушиба. (He has a swell on his leg after the injury.)

  English: He has a swelling on his leg after the injury. (Context: Describing a physical injury.)

• Вздутие может быть признаком аллергии. (Swell can be a sign of an allergy.)

  English: Swelling can be a sign of an allergy. (Context: Medical advice or health discussion.)

• Лечащий врач осмотрел вздутие на руке. (The doctor examined the swell on the arm.)

  English: The doctor examined the swelling on the arm. (Context: Clinical setting.)

Meaning 3: As a verb, meaning "to swell up" or "to expand"

Translation(s) & Context:

• "набухать" - Used for processes of expansion, like in cooking or natural phenomena.

Usage Examples:

• Дерево начало набухать от влаги. (The wood started to swell from the moisture.)

  English: The wood began to swell from the moisture. (Context: Describing physical changes in materials.)

• Его лицо набухло после укуса насекомого. (His face started to swell after the insect bite.)

  English: His face began to swell after the insect bite. (Context: Reaction to an allergic event.)

• Тесто должно набухать в течение часа. (The dough needs to swell for an hour.)

  English: The dough needs to rise for an hour. (Context: Cooking or baking instructions.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For "отличный" (adjective): This is a short-form adjective that follows standard Russian adjectival declension. It changes based on gender, number, and case.

For "вздутие" (noun, neuter): This is a neuter noun in the second declension and does not have irregularities; it changes for case and number as per standard rules.

For "набухать" (verb): This is an imperfective verb. It conjugates irregularly in some tenses. Example: Present tense - я набухаю, ты набухаешь, он набухает.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • крутой [kruˈtoj] (cool, similar to "swell" in slang, but more youthful)
  • замечательный [zɐˈmʲet͡ɕnɨj] (remarkable, for formal contexts)
• Antonyms:
  • плохой [ploxɔj] (bad)
  • слабый [slaˈbɨj] (weak, for physical swelling contexts)

Related Phrases:

• Отличная работа! (Excellent job!) - Used to praise someone's effort in professional or casual settings.
• Вздутие живота (Abdominal swelling) - Common in medical discussions for bloating or edema.
• Набухать как гриб (To swell like a mushroom) - An idiomatic phrase for rapid expansion, often in metaphorical contexts.

Usage Notes:

"Swell" as an adjective is best translated as "отличный" in informal Russian, but avoid using it in formal writing where "замечательный" is more appropriate. For physical meanings, "вздутие" is precise in medical contexts, while "набухать" works for verbs involving expansion. English users should note that Russian adjectives like "отличный" must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify, which is a key grammatical difference.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "отличный" without proper declension, e.g., saying "отличный книга" instead of "отличная книга". Correct: Always match the adjective to the noun's gender (feminine in this case). Explanation: Russian requires agreement, unlike English.
• Error: Confusing "набухать" with "вздуваться"; learners might use them interchangeably. Correct: "Набухать" implies gradual swelling, while "вздуваться" is for sudden inflation. Explanation: Context matters to avoid miscommunication in descriptive scenarios.

Cultural Notes:

The slang use of "swell" in English, akin to "отличный" in Russian, reflects mid-20th-century American optimism, while in Russian culture, such words often carry a layer of irony in modern usage, especially among younger speakers, due to historical influences from Soviet-era language.

Related Concepts:

• хороший (good)
• отек (edema)
• расширяться (to expand)