Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'trash'

English Word: trash

Key Russian Translations:

• мусор [ˈmusər] - [Informal, Everyday]
• хлам [xlam] - [Informal, Often for junk or worthless items]
• отходы [ɐtˈxodɨ] - [Formal, Technical or environmental contexts]

Frequency: Medium (Common in daily conversations, especially in urban or household settings, but less frequent in formal writing)

Difficulty: A1 (Beginner for basic usage; B1 for nuanced contexts like environmental discussions)

Pronunciation (Russian):

мусор: [ˈmusər]

хлам: [xlam]

отходы: [ɐtˈxodɨ]

Note on мусор: The stress is on the first syllable; be careful with the 'у' sound, which is a short 'u' as in "book". For хлам, the 'х' is a guttural sound like in Scottish "loch".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Waste or rubbish (The primary meaning, referring to discarded materials)

Translation(s) & Context:

• мусор - Used in everyday, informal contexts for household or street waste, such as in casual conversations about cleaning.
• хлам - Applied when referring to old, useless items or junk, often in a more emotional or dismissive tone.
• отходы - Employed in formal, scientific, or environmental contexts, like waste management or recycling programs.

Usage Examples:

• Я вынес мусор из дома. (Ya vynes musor iz doma.)

  I took out the trash from the house. (Shows basic daily routine in an informal setting.)

• Этот хлам занимает слишком много места в гараже. (Etot khlam zanimaet slishkom mnogo mesta v garazhe.)

  This junk is taking up too much space in the garage. (Illustrates use in a possessive or frustrated context.)

• Городские отходы перерабатываются на заводе. (Gorodskiye otkhody pererabatyvayutsya na zavode.)

  Urban waste is recycled at the factory. (Demonstrates formal usage in an environmental or industrial scenario.)

• Не оставляй мусор на улице, это против правил. (Ne ostavlyay musor na ulitse, eto protiv pravil.)

  Don't leave trash on the street; it's against the rules. (Highlights social or regulatory contexts.)

2. Figurative or slang meaning (e.g., something worthless or of poor quality)

Translation(s) & Context:

• хлам - Used metaphorically for low-quality items, like in reviews or opinions.
• мусор - Occasionally in slang to mean "nonsense" or "garbage" in a figurative sense, especially in informal speech.

Usage Examples:

• Эта книга — сплошной хлам, не стоит читать. (Eta kniga — sploshnoy khlam, ne stoit chitat'.)

  This book is complete trash; it's not worth reading. (Example of figurative use in literary criticism.)

• Не слушай этот мусор в интернете. (Ne slushay etot musor v internete.)

  Don't listen to this trash on the internet. (Slang for misinformation or low-quality content.)

• Его идеи — чистый хлам. (Yego idei — chistyy khlam.)

  His ideas are pure trash. (Used in debates or casual dismissals.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Most Russian translations for "trash" are nouns, which inflect based on case, number, and gender. "Мусор" is a masculine noun, while "хлам" is also masculine but often treated as indeclinable in some contexts. "Отходы" is a plural noun and follows standard plural declension.

Note: "Хлам" can be indeclinable in poetic or archaic contexts, meaning it doesn't change form.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • отходы (Similar to мусор but more formal; used interchangeably in environmental contexts)
  • мусорка (A diminutive form, implying a trash heap or bin)
  • барахло (Informal, for junk or second-hand items; carries a connotation of being worn out)
• Antonyms:
  • чистота (Cleanliness; opposite in the context of hygiene)
  • сокровище (Treasure; figurative opposite for something worthless)

Related Phrases:

• Выбросить мусор - Throw out the trash; used for routine waste disposal.
• Сортировать отходы - Sort the waste; common in recycling contexts.
• Хлам на чердаке - Junk in the attic; refers to accumulated worthless items in a household.

Usage Notes:

"Trash" in English often corresponds to "мусор" in Russian for everyday waste, but choose "отходы" for more formal or professional settings like ecology. Be mindful of context: "хлам" implies emotional value or uselessness, making it ideal for figurative speech. Grammatically, these nouns require correct case agreement with prepositions (e.g., "в мусоре" for "in the trash"). When multiple translations exist, select based on register—informal for casual talk, formal for official documents—to ensure natural usage.

Common Errors:

• Confusing "мусор" with "отходы": English learners might use "мусор" in formal contexts, like environmental reports, where "отходы" is more appropriate. Correct: Use "отходы" for technical discussions. Error example: "Мусор перерабатывается" (incorrectly informal); Correct: "Отходы перерабатываются".

• Overlooking inflections: Forgetting to change cases, e.g., saying "Я иду к мусор" instead of "Я иду к мусору". Explanation: Russian nouns must agree in case; always check the preposition's requirements.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, waste management like "мусор" has gained prominence due to environmental initiatives, such as anti-littering campaigns in cities like Moscow. Figuratively, "хлам" can reflect Soviet-era attitudes toward material goods, where hoarding "junk" was common due to scarcity, symbolizing resourcefulness or clutter in modern life.

Related Concepts:

• переработка (Recycling)
• мусорный бак (Trash bin)
• экология (Ecology)