Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'thousand'

English Word: thousand

Key Russian Translations:

• тысяча /tɨˈsʲa.t͡ɕə/ - [Formal, Singular]

Frequency: High (This word is commonly used in everyday counting, financial discussions, and general contexts in Russian.)

Difficulty: A1 (Beginner level, as basic numbers are introduced early in language learning.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

тысяча: /tɨˈsʲa.t͡ɕə/

Note on тысяча: The stress is on the second syllable. The 'ы' sound is a distinctive Russian vowel, similar to a short 'i' in English, and the final 'а' softens the preceding consonant. Be cautious with the palatalized 'т' and 'ч' sounds.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The number 1000.

Translation(s) & Context:

• тысяча - Used in numerical contexts for quantities, counts, or measurements, especially in formal and informal speech. It can denote exact or approximate amounts.

Usage Examples:

• У меня тысяча долларов в банке.

  I have a thousand dollars in the bank. (This example shows the word in a possessive context with a noun.)

• Эта книга стоит тысячу рублей.

  This book costs a thousand rubles. (Illustrates use in pricing or value statements.)

• В городе проживает более тысячи человек.

  More than a thousand people live in the city. (Demonstrates use with comparatives and in demographic descriptions.)

• Я пробежал тысячу метров за рекордное время.

  I ran a thousand meters in record time. (Shows application in sports or measurement contexts.)

• Тысяча лет назад здесь был древний город.

  A thousand years ago, there was an ancient city here. (Used in historical or temporal references.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

тысяча is a feminine noun in Russian and follows the standard first declension pattern for feminine nouns ending in -a. It has regular inflections for case and number. Below is a table of its declensions in the singular form:

In the plural form, it becomes irregular in some contexts, often used as "тысячи" for most cases, but can vary based on the governing preposition. For example: тысячи людей (thousands of people). This noun does not change for gender but is always feminine.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • тыс. (abbreviation for тысяча, used in informal or written contexts like lists)
• Antonyms:
  • ноль (zero)
  • миллион (million, as a larger unit, though not a direct antonym)

Note: Synonyms are limited for numbers; the abbreviation provides a shorthand variant.

Related Phrases:

• Тысяча и одна ночь - Meaning: One Thousand and One Nights (Refers to the famous collection of Middle Eastern folk tales, often used in literary contexts.)
• Тысячи километров - Meaning: Thousands of kilometers (Used for expressing vast distances, e.g., in travel or geography.)
• В тысячу раз - Meaning: A thousand times (Indicates multiplication or emphasis in comparisons.)

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "тысяча" directly corresponds to the English "thousand" as a cardinal number. It is used in both formal and informal settings, but always pay attention to case agreement with surrounding words. For example, in genitive constructions like "тысячи долларов," it shows possession. When dealing with larger numbers, Russian uses spaces or commas differently (e.g., 1 000 instead of 1,000). Choose this word for exact counts; for approximations, phrases like "около тысячи" (about a thousand) are more appropriate.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using the nominative form "тысяча" in all cases, e.g., saying "Я купил тысяча apples" instead of the correct genitive "тысячу apples" (though apples should be in genitive too: яблок).

  Correct: Я купил тысячу яблок. (Explanation: Learners often forget case changes, leading to grammatical errors. Always match the case based on the sentence structure.)

• Error: Confusing with ordinal forms, e.g., using "тысяча" for "thousandth" instead of "тысячный".

  Correct: Пятая тысяча (The fifth thousand) vs. Тысячный (Thousandth). (Ordinal numbers require different forms, so specify if needed.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, numbers like "тысяча" appear in folklore and literature, such as in the tale "Thousand and One Nights," which has been adapted into Russian versions. This reflects Russia's rich tradition of storytelling and its connections to global narratives, emphasizing endurance and wisdom through repetitive motifs.

Related Concepts:

• миллион (million)
• миллиард (billion)
• десяток (ten, for smaller quantities)