Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'trite'

English Word: trite

Key Russian Translations:

• банальный [bɐˈnalʲnɨj] - [Informal; Adjective]
• шаблонный [ʂɐˈblonʲnɨj] - [Formal; Adjective, often in literary contexts]
• тривиальный [trʲɪˈvʲalʲnɨj] - [Neutral; Adjective, used in academic or philosophical discussions]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday language, literature, and media, but not as frequent as basic adjectives like "good" or "bad".)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; Requires understanding of nuanced adjectives and their inflections, suitable for learners with a solid grasp of Russian grammar.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

банальный: [bɐˈnalʲnɨj] (Stress on the third syllable; the "лʲ" is a soft L sound, which can be challenging for English speakers.)

шаблонный: [ʂɐˈblonʲnɨj] (The initial "ш" is a voiceless postalveolar fricative; note the soft "нʲ" sound.)

тривиальный: [trʲɪˈvʲalʲnɨj] (Features a soft "рʲ" and "вʲ"; pronunciation varies slightly by dialect.)

Note on банальный: This word often has a slight emphasis on the vowel in the stressed syllable, and the soft consonants may require practice to distinguish from similar sounds in English.

Note on шаблонный: In fast speech, the "ш" can sound sharper; be mindful of regional variations in Russia.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: Lacking originality or freshness; overused and clichéd.

Translation(s) & Context:

• банальный - Used in informal conversations to describe something unoriginal, like a story plot. Context: Everyday speech, critiques, or reviews.
• шаблонный - Applied in formal settings to indicate something formulaic, such as a business plan. Context: Professional or written language.

Usage Examples:

• Эта шутка слишком банальная, все её уже слышали. (This joke is too trite; everyone has heard it already.)

  English Translation: This joke is too trite; everyone has heard it already.

• В его романе шаблонные персонажи делают историю предсказуемой. (In his novel, the trite characters make the story predictable.)

  English Translation: In his novel, the trite characters make the story predictable.

• Тривиальный подход к проблеме не приведёт к инновациям. (A trite approach to the problem won't lead to innovations.)

  English Translation: A trite approach to the problem won't lead to innovations.

• Банальный подарок на день рождения разочаровал её. (The trite birthday gift disappointed her.)

  English Translation: The trite birthday gift disappointed her.

• Шаблонные фразы в речи политика уже никого не впечатляют. (The trite phrases in the politician's speech no longer impress anyone.)

  English Translation: The trite phrases in the politician's speech no longer impress anyone.

Secondary Meaning: Worn out or hackneyed in expression.

Translation(s) & Context:

• тривиальный - Used in intellectual contexts to describe overused ideas in philosophy or science. Context: Academic discussions or essays.

Usage Examples:

• Его аргументы были тривиальными и не добавили ничего нового. (His arguments were trite and added nothing new.)

  English Translation: His arguments were trite and added nothing new.

• В этой поэме тривиальные метафоры устарели. (In this poem, the trite metaphors have become outdated.)

  English Translation: In this poem, the trite metaphors have become outdated.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations (банальный, шаблонный, тривиальный) are adjectives in Russian, which follow standard adjectival inflections based on gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives agree with the nouns they modify and have full declension patterns.

Note: These adjectives are regular and follow the standard first-declension pattern. They do not have irregular forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Обыденный (obydennyj) - Everyday, mundane; less formal than банальный.
  • Стандартный (standartnyj) - Standard; often used in technical contexts.
  • Заезженный (zaezhennyj) - Worn out; implies overuse in colloquial speech.
• Antonyms:
  • Оригинальный (original'nyj)
  • Новаторский (novatorskij)
  • Свежий (svezhij)

Related Phrases:

• Банальная история (banal'naya istoriya) - A trite story; refers to a clichéd narrative in literature or film.
• Шаблонное решение (shtablonnoye resheniye) - A trite solution; used in problem-solving contexts, implying a lack of creativity.
• Тривиальный случай (trivyal'nyj sluchay) - A trite case; common in scientific or legal discussions to describe straightforward examples.

Usage Notes:

"Trite" corresponds most directly to "банальный" in informal settings, but choose "шаблонный" for formal or professional contexts where precision is needed. Be aware of the adjective's agreement with nouns in gender, number, and case, as Russian requires this for grammatical correctness. For example, use "банальная идея" for a feminine noun like "idea." Multiple translations allow nuance: "тривиальный" is best for intellectual topics, while "банальный" suits everyday complaints about clichés.

• Avoid overusing these words in speech, as they can sound judgmental.
• In Russian culture, such terms often appear in critiques of art or media, reflecting a value for originality.

Common Errors:

English learners often misuse the inflections, such as saying "банальный идея" instead of "банальная идея" (correct: the adjective must agree in gender with the feminine noun "идея"). Error example: "Это банальный проблема" (wrong, as "проблема" is feminine). Correct: "Это банальная проблема." Explanation: Always check the noun's gender before inflecting the adjective to maintain agreement.

Another common mistake is confusing "банальный" with "банальный" in meaning, leading to overuse; instead, vary with synonyms like "обыденный" for better expression.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "банальный" often carry a negative connotation tied to Soviet-era literature, where originality was prized against state-imposed clichés. This reflects a broader cultural emphasis on intellectual depth and innovation in art, making such terms common in modern critiques of media.

Related Concepts:

• Клише (klishe)
• Штамп (shtamp)
• Оригинальность (original'nost')