Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'tardy'

English Word: tardy

Key Russian Translations:

• опаздывающий [ɐpɐzˈdɨvəjʊʂʲɪj] - [Informal, commonly used in everyday contexts for habitual lateness]
• задерживающийся [zədʲɪrˈʐɨvəjʊʂʲɪj] - [Formal, often in professional or official settings]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations are encountered regularly in daily conversations but not as common as basic vocabulary like "late").

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of adjective forms and basic verb aspects, with опаздывающий being slightly easier than задерживающийся for learners).

Pronunciation (Russian):

опаздывающий: [ɐpɐzˈdɨvəjʊʂʲɪj] (Stress on the third syllable; the 'щ' sound is a soft, hissing 'sh'.)

задерживающийся: [zədʲɪrˈʐɨvəjʊʂʲɪj] (Stress on the third syllable; note the palatalized 'ж' which can be challenging for non-native speakers.)

Note on опаздывающий: This word involves a soft consonant cluster; practice the 'з' and 'д' together for smoother pronunciation.

Note on задерживающийся: Variations in regional accents may soften the 'ж' sound; listen carefully to native speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Late or delayed in time, often implying habitual unpunctuality

Translation(s) & Context:

• опаздывающий - Used in informal settings, such as describing someone who is chronically late for appointments or work.
• задерживающийся - Applied in more formal contexts, like business or official reports, to indicate delays without negative connotation.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда опаздывающий на уроки в школе.

  He is always tardy for his classes at school.

• Из-за пробок, поезд задерживающийся на станции.

  Due to traffic, the train is tardy at the station.

• Мой коллега опаздывающий, но он очень талантливый.

  My colleague is tardy, but he is very talented.

• В официальном отчете указано, что проект задерживающийся из-за внешних факторов.

  The report states that the project is tardy due to external factors.

• Дети часто опаздывающий утром, потому что не высыпаются.

  Children are often tardy in the morning because they don't get enough sleep.

Meaning 2: Slow or overdue in progress (less common usage)

Translation(s) & Context:

• опаздывающий - In casual speech, to describe something that is behind schedule, like a delivery.
• задерживающийся - In formal writing, for processes or events that are delayed.

Usage Examples:

• Этот процесс опаздывающий из-за технических проблем.

  This process is tardy due to technical issues.

• Почтовая отправка задерживающийся, пожалуйста, подождите.

  The mail delivery is tardy; please wait.

• Весенние работы опаздывающий из-за плохой погоды.

  The spring work is tardy because of bad weather.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both translations are present participles/adjectives derived from verbs, so they follow Russian adjective declension patterns. Russian adjectives change based on gender, number, and case. For example, опаздывающий is based on the verb опаздывать (to be late), and it inflects regularly.

These words are regular in their inflections, following standard patterns for present participles. If used as verbs, the base forms (опаздывать, задерживать) have their own conjugations, but as adjectives, they remain unchanged in predicative use.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • поздний (pozdniy) - More general for "late," but less emphatic on habitual delay.
  • задержанный (zaderzhannyy) - Specifically for something that has been held back.
• Antonyms:
  • своевременный (svoevremennyy) - Meaning "punctual" or "on time," often used in formal contexts.
  • точный (tochnyy) - Implies precision and timeliness, especially in schedules.

Related Phrases:

• опаздывать на встречу - "To be tardy for a meeting" (Common phrase for arriving late to scheduled events).
• задержка в расписании - "Delay in the schedule" (Used for formal delays, like in transportation).
• всегда опаздывающий человек - "Always tardy person" (Describes habitual lateness in everyday language).

Usage Notes:

опаздывающий is a more casual equivalent to "tardy" and is often used in spoken Russian to express mild annoyance about someone's unpunctuality, similar to English slang. In contrast, задерживающийся carries a neutral or formal tone and is better for professional contexts. When choosing between translations, consider the context: use опаздывающий for personal habits and задерживающийся for external delays. Be aware that Russian adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify, which is a key grammatical difference from English.

• Always pair with appropriate verb aspects; for example, use imperfective verbs like опаздывать for ongoing actions.
• In formal writing, задерживающийся might be preferred to avoid sounding judgmental.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse опаздывающий with просто поздний, thinking they are identical, but опаздывающий implies a process or habit, while поздний is more static. For example:

• Error: Saying "Он поздний" to mean "He is tardy" (imprecise, as it just means "He is late" without the habitual connotation).
• Correct: "Он опаздывающий" – This better captures the ongoing nature of being tardy.
• Another common mistake is forgetting adjective agreement: Using "опаздывающий дом" instead of "опаздывающий поезд" in the wrong context, leading to nonsensical sentences.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, punctuality is valued but not always strictly enforced, especially in social settings. Being "tardy" (опаздывающий) might be overlooked among friends, reflecting a more flexible approach to time compared to some Western cultures. However, in professional environments, chronic lateness can be seen as disrespectful, similar to English-speaking norms.

Related Concepts:

• пунктуальный (punctualnyy)
• задержка (zaderzhka - delay)
• своевременность (svoevremennost' - timeliness)