Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'swine'

English Word: swine

Key Russian Translations:

• свинья [ˈsvinʲjə] - [Informal, can be derogatory in context]
• сволочь [svɐˈlotɕ] - [Informal, Strongly Derogatory, Used for contemptible people]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday language, especially in rural or metaphorical contexts, but not as frequent as basic vocabulary like "dog" or "cat").

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of basic noun declensions and contextual nuances, as per CEFR standards).

Pronunciation (Russian):

свинья: [ˈsvinʲjə]

сволочь: [svɐˈlotɕ]

Note on свинья: The "й" sound (as in [ʲjə]) is a palatalized 'n' followed by a 'ya' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers; practice with soft consonants. For сволочь, the 'щ' [ɕ] is a voiceless palatal fricative, similar to 'sh' in "she" but more sibilant.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A domestic pig or swine as an animal.

Translation(s) & Context:

• свинья - Used in literal contexts, such as farming or animal descriptions; common in informal or rural settings.

Usage Examples:

• В деревне мы разводим свинью для мяса.

  In the village, we raise a swine for meat.

• Эта свинья съела весь урожай в саду.

  This swine ate the entire harvest in the garden.

• Фермеры заботятся о своих свиньях зимой.

  Farmers take care of their swine in the winter.

• Свинья в зоопарке выглядит счастливой.

  The swine in the zoo looks happy.

• Маленькая свинья бегает по полю.

  The little swine is running in the field.

Meaning 2: A contemptible or despicable person (derogatory, metaphorical use).

Translation(s) & Context:

• свинья - Used informally to insult someone, implying greed or filth; avoid in formal settings.
• сволочь - A stronger derogatory term for a vile person; common in heated arguments or literature.

Usage Examples:

• Он настоящий свинья, украл деньги у друзей.

  He's a real swine, stealing money from his friends.

• Не будь свиньёй и поделись едой.

  Don't be a swine and share the food.

• Эта сволочь обманула всех в компании.

  This swine deceived everyone in the company.

• Свинья вроде него не заслуживает доверия.

  A swine like him doesn't deserve trust.

• В гневе он назвал босса свиньёй.

  In anger, he called the boss a swine.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "свинья" and "сволочь" are nouns, but they follow different patterns. "Свинья" is a feminine noun of the first declension, which means it changes based on case and number. "Сволочь" is also feminine but can be indeclinable in some uses, especially in modern informal speech.

For "свинья" (feminine, first declension):

"Сволочь" is often used in its base form and doesn't change much in informal contexts, but in formal writing, it follows a similar feminine pattern with variations like "сволочи" in genitive plural.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • хрюшка (hrushka) - A playful or diminutive term for a pig, often used affectionately.
  • подлец (podlets) - For the derogatory sense, meaning a scoundrel or villain, with a slightly less intense connotation than сволочь.
• Antonyms:
  • джентльмен (gentleman) - Implies politeness and respect, contrasting the derogatory use.
  • герой (geroy) - Meaning hero, as an opposite to a contemptible person.

Related Phrases:

• Свинья под дубом - A reference to a Russian fable, meaning someone who doesn't appreciate what they have; English explanation: Like the idiom "a pig under an oak tree," symbolizing ingratitude.
• Быть свиньёй - To act like a swine; English explanation: Used to describe selfish behavior in social situations.
• Свинья в апельсиновом саду - An idiomatic expression for something out of place; English explanation: Similar to "a fish out of water," but with a connotation of messiness.

Usage Notes:

"Swine" translates most directly to "свинья" for the animal sense, but in English, it often carries a negative connotation that aligns with "свинья" or "сволочь" in Russian. Be cautious with context: "свинья" can be neutral when discussing animals but highly offensive when applied to people. In formal Russian, opt for more polite equivalents like "подлец" instead of "сволочь." Grammatically, remember that these are feminine nouns, so adjectives and verbs must agree in gender. When choosing between translations, use "свинья" for literal animal references and "сволочь" for strong insults in informal speech.

Common Errors:

• English learners often misuse "свинья" by applying it too broadly without considering context, e.g., saying "Он свинья" (He is swine) when a more specific insult is needed. Correct usage: Use "сволочь" for extreme cases to avoid understatement. Error example: "Он свинья" (incorrectly as a mild insult); Correct: "Он настоящая сволочь" to emphasize severity.
• Another error is forgetting declensions, such as using "свинья" in the wrong case, e.g., "Я видел свинья" instead of "Я видел свинью" (accusative). Explanation: Always check the case based on the sentence structure to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, "свинья" as a metaphor often draws from folklore, like Krylov's fables, where pigs symbolize greed or ignorance. This reflects a broader Eastern European tradition of using animals in proverbs to critique human behavior, similar to Aesop's fables, emphasizing moral lessons in everyday language.

Related Concepts:

• коровa (korova) - Cow, another farm animal with similar cultural connotations.
• скотина (skotina) - Livestock or a derogatory term for a brute.
• подонок (podonok) - Scum, related to derogatory uses of "swine."