Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'cat'

English Word: cat

Key Russian Translations:

• кот [kɐt] - [Informal, typically used for a male cat or in general contexts]
• кошка [ˈkoʂkə] - [Informal, specifically for a female cat; can be used in everyday speech]

Frequency: High (Common in daily conversations, literature, and media in Russian-speaking regions)

Difficulty: A1 (Beginner level, as it involves basic vocabulary and simple noun forms; for 'кошка', still A1 due to straightforward gender distinctions)

Pronunciation (Russian):

кот: [kɐt] (The 'к' is a hard, unaspirated sound like in 'cat' in English, but the 'о' is more open and centralized.)

кошка: [ˈkoʂkə] (Note on кошка: The 'ш' is a retroflex fricative, similar to 'sh' in 'shoe', but with a rolled quality; stress is on the first syllable, which is common in Russian nouns.)

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: A small domesticated carnivorous mammal

Translation(s) & Context:

• кот - Used in informal or neutral contexts when referring to a male cat or cats in general; common in everyday Russian speech.
• кошка - Applied specifically to a female cat; often used in family or descriptive settings to denote gender.

Usage Examples:

• Русский кот мурлычет на подоконнике. (The Russian cat is purring on the windowsill.)

  This example shows 'кот' in a simple declarative sentence, highlighting its use with verbs in present tense for everyday observations.

• Моя кошка любит играть с клубком ниток. (My cat loves playing with a ball of yarn.)

  Here, 'кошка' is used to specify a female cat in a possessive context, demonstrating gender agreement in Russian nouns.

• В саду живет дикий кот, который охотится на мышей. (A wild cat lives in the garden and hunts mice.)

  This illustrates 'кот' in a narrative context, showing its flexibility in describing animal behavior across different environments.

• Кошка и кот вместе растят котят. (The cat and the tomcat are raising kittens together.)

  This sentence pairs 'кошка' and 'кот' to show contrast in gender, common in family or biological descriptions.

• Маленький кот прячется под кроватью. (The little cat is hiding under the bed.)

  An example of 'кот' in a diminutive or affectionate context, emphasizing its role in child-friendly or storytelling language.

Secondary Meaning: Informal term for a person (e.g., in slang)

Translation(s) & Context:

• кот - In slang, can metaphorically mean a 'cool guy' or 'lad'; used in informal, youthful contexts, but less common for 'cat' in this sense.

Usage Examples:

• Этот парень — настоящий кот, всегда в центре внимания. (This guy is a real cat, always in the spotlight.)

  This slang usage of 'кот' demonstrates its metaphorical extension in informal conversations among friends.

• Не будь котом, помоги мне! (Don't be a cat, help me!)

  Here, 'кот' implies someone evasive or playful, showing idiomatic expression in casual dialogue.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'кот' and 'кошка' are nouns in Russian, which inflect for case, number, and gender. Russian nouns follow declension patterns; 'кот' is a masculine noun (2nd declension), while 'кошка' is feminine (1st declension). They do not change for tense but vary by grammatical case.

Note: These forms are regular for their declensions. For example, 'кот' remains unchanged in nominative singular but adjusts for other cases as shown.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Котёнок (kotenok) - A kitten; more specific for young cats, with a diminutive connotation.
  • Пушистик (pushistik) - A fluffy one; informal, affectionate term for cats.
• Antonyms:
  • Собака (sobaka) - Dog; represents the opposite in the animal pet category.

Related Phrases:

• Домашний кот (domashniy kot) - Domestic cat; refers to a pet cat in a household setting.
• Бродячая кошка (brodyachaya koshka) - Stray cat; used for cats without owners, often in urban contexts.
• Кот в сапогах (kot v sapogakh) - Puss in Boots; a reference to the fairy tale, implying adventure or folklore.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'кот' and 'кошка' directly correspond to the English 'cat' but must agree with gender if specified. Use 'кот' for male or neutral contexts and 'кошка' for female; this is crucial for grammatical accuracy. In formal writing, always consider case inflections as shown. When choosing between translations, opt for 'кот' in general references to avoid gender assumptions. Slang uses like metaphorical 'кот' are informal and region-specific, so they're best in casual conversations.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'кот' for a female cat without context. Incorrect: "Эта кот очень милая." (This cat is very cute – grammatically wrong for a female.) Correct: "Эта кошка очень милая." Explanation: Russian nouns have gender, so mismatched forms confuse native speakers and alter meaning.
• Mistake: Forgetting inflections in sentences. Incorrect: "Я кормлю кот." in genitive context. Correct: "Я кормлю кота." (I feed the cat.) Explanation: Proper case usage is essential for sentence structure in Russian.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, cats like 'кот' or 'кошка' are often seen as symbols of mystery and independence, featured in folklore such as the tales of the "Cheshire Cat" influence or in literature by authors like Pushkin. They are commonly kept as pets in urban apartments, reflecting a deep affection for animals in Slavic traditions.

Related Concepts:

• Собака (sobaka) - Dog
• Птица (ptitsa) - Bird
• Домашнее животное (domashnee zhivotnoe) - Pet animal