Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'tear'

English Word: tear

Key Russian Translations:

• слеза [ˈslʲezə] - [Noun, Singular, Informal/Formal]
• рвать [ˈrvatʲ] - [Verb, Informal, Used in everyday contexts]
• разрыв [rɐˈzryf] - [Noun, Formal, Plural: разрывы, Used in contexts of breaking or tearing objects]

Frequency: Medium (Common in emotional or physical descriptions, but not as frequent as basic vocabulary like "water")

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate for 'слеза' and 'разрыв'; A2 for 'рвать' due to simple verb conjugation, based on CEFR standards)

Pronunciation (Russian):

слеза: [ˈslʲezə]

рвать: [ˈrvatʲ] (Note the soft 't' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers due to the palatalization; pronounce as "r-vat" with a softened ending)

разрыв: [rɐˈzryf] (Emphasize the stress on the second syllable; common variation in fast speech may soften the 'r')

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Tear (noun: a drop of fluid from the eye, often emotional)

Translation(s) & Context:

• слеза - Used in emotional or physical contexts, such as crying; common in literature and everyday conversation.

Usage Examples:

• У него на глазах слеза скатилась по щеке.

  A tear rolled down his cheek.

• От счастья слеза выступила у неё на глазах.

  A tear welled up in her eyes from happiness.

• Слезы лились ручьями во время фильма.

  Tears were streaming down during the movie.

• Её слеза была свидетельством глубокой грусти.

  Her tear was a sign of profound sadness.

Tear (verb: to pull apart or rip)

Translation(s) & Context:

• рвать - Informal verb for tearing paper, fabric, or metaphorically emotions; used in casual speech.
• разрыв - Noun form for the result of tearing, often in formal or technical contexts like relationships or materials.

Usage Examples:

• Он случайно порвал письмо в ярости.

  He accidentally tore the letter in anger.

• Ребёнок любит рвать страницы из старых книг.

  The child loves tearing pages from old books.

• Разрыв ткани произошёл из-за сильного натяжения.

  The tear in the fabric occurred due to strong tension.

• В их отношениях случился разрыв после ссоры.

  There was a tear (breakup) in their relationship after the argument.

• Она рвала траву, чтобы успокоиться.

  She was tearing grass to calm down.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'слеза' (noun, feminine): This is a first-declension noun with regular inflections. It changes based on case and number.

For 'рвать' (verb, imperfective): This is a first-conjugation verb with irregular aspects. Present tense: рву (I tear), рвёшь (you tear), рвёт (he/she tears). Past tense: рвал (masc.), рвала (fem.).

For 'разрыв' (noun, masculine): Similar to 'слеза', it follows second-declension patterns with regular inflections for cases and plural forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms for слеза: каплетка (for a single drop), влага (moisture, in poetic contexts) - Каплетка is more literal for a tear drop.
• Synonyms for рвать: раздирать (to tear apart violently), рвать в клочья (to shred) - Раздирать implies more force.
• Synonyms for разрыв: трещина (crack), надрыв (rupture) - Трещина is used for physical breaks.
• Antonyms: сшивать (to sew together), склеивать (to glue) - For actions opposite to tearing.

Related Phrases:

• Проливать слёзы - To shed tears; used in emotional contexts to express crying.
• Рвать сердце - To break one's heart; a metaphorical phrase for causing emotional pain.
• Разрыв шаблона - To shatter expectations; an idiomatic expression for something unexpected.

Usage Notes:

The English word 'tear' corresponds closely to 'слеза' for emotional contexts and 'рвать' or 'разрыв' for physical actions, but Russian often requires attention to gender, case, and aspect. For example, 'слеза' is feminine and must agree in case with surrounding words. In formal writing, prefer 'разрыв' over 'рвать' for precision. When choosing between translations, use 'рвать' in informal speech and 'слеза' for literal eye-related meanings to match the context accurately.

Common Errors:

• English learners often confuse 'слеза' with 'слеза' in plural forms, e.g., incorrectly using 'слезы' as nominative singular instead of 'слеза'. Correct usage: "Это слеза" (This is a tear), not "Это слезы".
• For 'рвать', beginners might forget verb aspects; saying "я рву" without specifying if it's ongoing, whereas the perfective 'разорвать' is needed for completed actions, e.g., "Я разорвал бумагу" (I tore the paper).
• A common mistake is literal translation: Using 'tear' as 'рвать' in emotional contexts, like saying "рвать сердце" for a physical tear, when it should be metaphorical.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'слеза' (tear) often symbolizes deep emotion in literature and folk tales, such as in works by Pushkin, where tears represent catharsis or national sorrow. Phrases like 'проливать слёзы' are common in poetry, reflecting a cultural emphasis on expressing grief openly, unlike some Western norms.

Related Concepts:

• плач (crying)
• эмоция (emotion)
• надрыв (rupture or strain)