Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'swill'

English Word: swill

Key Russian Translations:

• помои [pɐˈmoɪ] - [Informal, Plural; Used in contexts related to animal husbandry or waste]
• бурда [ˈburdə] - [Informal; Often refers to low-quality liquid, like swill in beverages]

Frequency: Low (This word and its translations are not commonly used in everyday conversation, more specific to rural or culinary contexts)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; Requires understanding of basic noun inflections and contextual vocabulary in Russian, per CEFR standards)

Pronunciation (Russian):

помои: [pɐˈmoɪ] (Stress on the second syllable; the 'о' is pronounced as a short 'o' sound)

бурда: [ˈburdə] (Stress on the first syllable; the 'у' is a back vowel similar to 'oo' in "book")

Note on помои: Be cautious with the soft sign 'и' at the end, which affects the preceding vowel's pronunciation, making it softer and more palatalized.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. As a noun meaning waste food or liquid fed to animals (e.g., pig slop).

Translation(s) & Context:

• помои - Used in informal or rural settings when referring to leftover food scraps for animals.
• бурда - Applied in contexts of poor-quality mixtures, like diluted drinks or feed.

Usage Examples:

• Фермеры часто используют помои для кормления скота, чтобы не тратить деньги на дорогие корма.

  Farmers often use swill to feed livestock to avoid spending money on expensive feed.

• В старом доме мы нашли бочки с бурдой, которая, вероятно, предназначалась для свиней.

  In the old house, we found barrels of swill that were probably meant for pigs.

• Помои из кухни иногда смешивают с овощными отходами, чтобы сделать корм более питательным.

  Swill from the kitchen is sometimes mixed with vegetable waste to make the feed more nutritious.

• Если бурда слишком жидкая, её лучше процедить перед тем, как давать животным.

  If the swill is too watery, it's better to strain it before giving it to the animals.

• В деревне дети иногда играют с помоями, но это негигиенично и опасно.

  In the village, children sometimes play with swill, but it's unhygienic and dangerous.

2. As a verb meaning to drink or consume greedily (less common for 'swill' in English, but related).

Translation(s) & Context:

• захлебнуться - Used in informal contexts for drinking hastily or excessively.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда захлебывается водой после тренировки, как будто это помои.

  He always swills water after a workout, as if it's just slop.

• Не захлебывайся этим напитком; он может быть бурдой, а не настоящим вином.

  Don't swill that drink; it might be swill, not real wine.

• Дети захлебываются соком, не замечая, что это просто разбавленная бурда.

  The children swill the juice without realizing it's just diluted swill.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'помои', a plural noun in Russian (feminine, second declension), it follows standard noun inflections. It is typically used in plural form and does not have a singular counterpart in common usage.

For 'бурда', a feminine noun (first declension), it is invariable in most forms but follows regular patterns:

• Nominative: бурда
• Genitive: бурды
• It does not have significant irregularities.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: отходы (waste), отбросы (scraps), пойло (slop for animals)

Note: 'пойло' is more vulgar and specific to animal feed, while 'отходы' is broader.

• Antonyms: пища (food), еда (meal), чистая вода (clean water)

Related Phrases:

• Помои из кухни - Kitchen swill (Refers to waste from cooking, often used in waste management contexts)
• Бурда для скота - Swill for livestock (A phrase for low-quality feed mixtures)
• Залить бурдой - To fill with swill (Informal, meaning to dilute or spoil something with poor quality)

Usage Notes:

'Swill' in English corresponds most directly to 'помои' in Russian for animal-related contexts, but 'бурда' is better for liquid forms. Use 'помои' in informal, everyday speech about waste, and avoid it in formal writing. When translating verbs like 'to swill', opt for 'захлебнуться' to capture the greedy consumption aspect. Be mindful of regional variations; in rural Russia, these words are more common.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'помои' in singular form, e.g., saying "помой" instead of "помои".
  Correct: "Помои" is always plural; say "Я видел помои" (I saw swill) instead of inventing a singular.
  Explanation: Russian nouns like this don't have a standard singular, leading to confusion for English speakers used to singular/plural flexibility.
• Error: Confusing 'бурда' with 'буря' (storm).
  Correct: Use 'бурда' for swill; e.g., "Это бурда, а не еда" (This is swill, not food).
  Explanation: The similarity in spelling can cause mix-ups, but context helps—'бурда' relates to liquids or waste, not weather.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'помои' evoke images of traditional rural life, where reusing kitchen waste for animal feed was common, reflecting frugality and resourcefulness. However, in modern urban settings, these terms can carry negative connotations of poverty or uncleanliness, so they are often used humorously or critically in literature and media.

Related Concepts:

• отходы
• корм
• пищевые отходы