Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'tetchy'

English Word: tetchy

Key Russian Translations:

• раздражительный [rəzdrɐʐɨˈtʲeɫʲnɨj] - [Informal, commonly used in everyday contexts]
• нервный [ˈnʲɛrfnɨj] - [Formal, often in professional or medical descriptions]
• капризный [kɐˈprʲiznɨj] - [Informal, with a connotation of whimsy or childishness]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations appear regularly in conversational Russian but are not as common as basic adjectives like "голодный" (hungry)).

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) - Involves understanding emotional nuances and adjective inflections; varies slightly by translation, with "раздражительный" being B1 and "нервный" potentially B2 due to medical contexts.

Pronunciation (Russian):

раздражительный: [rəzdrɐʐɨˈtʲeɫʲnɨj]

Note on раздражительный: The stress falls on the fourth syllable ("те́льный"), which can be tricky for learners; ensure to emphasize it to avoid confusion with similar words.

нервный: [ˈnʲɛrfnɨj]

Note on нервный: The initial "н" is palatalized, making it sound softer; common in fast speech.

капризный: [kɐˈprʲiznɨj]

Note on капризный: The "р" is rolled, and the word often has a lighter, playful tone in pronunciation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Irritable or easily annoyed (the primary meaning of "tetchy")

Translation(s) & Context:

• раздражительный - Used in casual conversations to describe someone who gets annoyed quickly, such as in family or work settings.
• нервный - Applied in more formal contexts, like psychology or health discussions, to indicate nervousness or irritability.
• капризный - Often used for children or in humorous contexts, implying fussy or unpredictable behavior.

Usage Examples:

• Он был раздражительным после долгого рабочего дня и не терпел никаких замечаний.

  He was tetchy after a long workday and couldn't tolerate any remarks.

• Её нервный характер проявлялся в малейших стрессах, делая её раздражительной в разговорах.

  Her nervous nature made her tetchy during conversations, even with minor stresses.

• Дети часто капризны и раздражительны, когда им не хватает сна.

  Children are often tetchy and capricious when they lack sleep.

• В жару люди становятся более раздражительными, как мой босс, который нервно реагирует на ошибки.

  In the heat, people become more tetchy, like my boss who nervously reacts to mistakes.

• Капризный клиент был раздражительным из-за задержки, но мы смогли его успокоить.

  The capricious client was tetchy due to the delay, but we managed to calm him down.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are adjectives, so they follow standard Russian adjective declension patterns, which vary by gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives agree with the nouns they modify and can be regular or irregular.

Note: These are regular adjectives, so they follow the standard pattern without irregularities. Always ensure agreement with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • импульсивный (impul'sivnyy) - More about sudden reactions, often interchangeable in emotional contexts.
  • вспыльчивый (vspyhl'chivyy) - Emphasizes quick temper, suitable for intense situations.
• Antonyms:
  • спокойный (spokoynyy) - Calm and composed, contrasting with irritability.
  • уравновешенный (uravnoveshennыy) - Balanced and even-tempered, often used in formal descriptions.

Related Phrases:

• Быть в раздражительном настроении - To be in a tetchy mood; used to describe temporary irritability.
• Нервный срыв - A nervous breakdown; relates to extreme tetchiness or stress.
• Капризный ребенок - A capricious child; implies a tetchy, unpredictable nature in young ones.

Usage Notes:

"Tetchy" corresponds most closely to "раздражительный" in informal settings, but choose "нервный" for contexts involving health or formality to avoid sounding too casual. Be mindful of gender agreement in Russian sentences, as adjectives must match the subject. For example, use "раздражительная" for feminine nouns. In spoken Russian, these words often appear in emotional dialogues, so practice with native speakers to grasp nuances.

• Multiple translations: Opt for "капризный" when implying playfulness, but it's less direct for "tetchy" than "раздражительный".
• Grammar tip: Always decline the adjective based on the noun's case, e.g., in accusative case, it becomes "раздражительного человека".

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse "раздражительный" with "раздражающий" (annoying, something that causes irritation). For instance, a common mistake is saying "Этот человек раздражающий" when meaning "tetchy person," but it actually means "This person is annoying (to others)." Correct usage: "Этот человек раздражительный" (This person is tetchy). Another error is forgetting adjective agreement, e.g., saying "раздражительный женщина" instead of "раздражительная женщина." Always check for gender and case to avoid grammatical errors.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "раздражительный" or "нервный" often reflect the high value placed on emotional restraint. Expressing tetchiness openly might be seen as a sign of weakness or poor upbringing, especially in professional settings, where maintaining "уравновешенность" (balance) is idealized. This stems from historical influences like Soviet-era stoicism, helping learners understand why such traits are sometimes downplayed in social interactions.

Related Concepts:

• Гнев (gnev) - Anger
• Стресс (stress) - Stress
• Эмоциональный (emotsional'nyy) - Emotional