Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'troublemaker'

English Word: troublemaker

Key Russian Translations:

• хулиган [xʊˈlʲigən] - [Informal, often used for youthful or street-level troublemakers]
• задира [zɐˈdʲirə] - [Informal, typically for someone who provokes fights or annoys others]
• возмутитель спокойствия [vəzmʊˈtʲitʲɛlʲ spɐˈkɔɪstvʲijə] - [Formal, used in legal or official contexts]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in everyday conversations, media, and literature, but not as frequent as basic vocabulary)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of noun inflections and contextual usage; for 'хулиган', it's straightforward, but 'возмутитель спокойствия' may be more challenging due to its compound nature)

Pronunciation (Russian):

хулиган: [xʊˈlʲigən] (The 'х' is a voiceless velar fricative, similar to the 'ch' in Scottish 'loch')

задира: [zɐˈdʲirə] (Stress on the second syllable; the 'дʲ' is palatalized, which is a common feature in Russian nouns)

возмутитель спокойствия: [vəzmʊˈtʲitʲɛlʲ spɐˈkɔɪstvʲijə] (A longer phrase; focus on the stress in 'спокойствия' for accurate rhythm)

Note on хулиган: Be cautious with the initial 'х' sound, as it's aspirated and may be mispronounced by English speakers as 'h' in 'hat'.

Note on задира: The palatalized 'дʲ' can soften into a sound like 'dy', which is a key feature of Russian phonetics.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: A person who causes trouble or disruption, often deliberately.

Translation(s) & Context:

• хулиган - Used in informal, everyday contexts, such as describing mischievous behavior in schools or public spaces.
• задира - Applied in situations involving provocation, like bullying or teasing.

Usage Examples:

• В школе всегда есть хулиган, который портит уроки для всех. (In school, there's always a troublemaker who ruins lessons for everyone.)

  English Translation: In school, there's always a troublemaker who ruins lessons for everyone.

• Этот задира постоянно провоцирует драки на улице. (This troublemaker keeps provoking fights on the street.)

  English Translation: This troublemaker keeps provoking fights on the street.

• Полиция арестовала возмутителя спокойствия за нарушение общественного порядка. (The police arrested the troublemaker for disturbing public order.)

  English Translation: The police arrested the troublemaker for disturbing public order.

• Мой сосед — настоящий хулиган, он ломает заборы и кричит ночью. (My neighbor is a real troublemaker; he breaks fences and shouts at night.)

  English Translation: My neighbor is a real troublemaker; he breaks fences and shouts at night.

• Задира в компании всегда находит способ испортить настроение. (The troublemaker in the group always finds a way to ruin the mood.)

  English Translation: The troublemaker in the group always finds a way to ruin the mood.

Meaning 2: Someone who stirs up problems in a more organized or ideological sense.

Translation(s) & Context:

• возмутитель спокойствия - Used in formal or legal contexts, such as protests or activism.

Usage Examples:

• В истории России многие возмутители спокойствия становились героями революций. (In Russian history, many troublemakers became heroes of revolutions.)

  English Translation: In Russian history, many troublemakers became heroes of revolutions.

• Этот оратор — типичный возмутитель спокойствия, агитирующий за перемены. (This speaker is a typical troublemaker, agitating for change.)

  English Translation: This speaker is a typical troublemaker, agitating for change.

• В митинге участвовал известный хулиган, но полиция быстро его удалила. (A well-known troublemaker participated in the rally, but the police removed him quickly.)

  English Translation: A well-known troublemaker participated in the rally, but the police removed him quickly.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'хулиган' (a masculine noun), it follows standard first-declension patterns. It is inflected based on case and number. Below is a table for its singular forms:

For 'задира' (also masculine), it has similar inflections:

'Возмутитель спокойствия' is a phrase and does not inflect as a single word; each component inflects separately, making it more complex for learners.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: бандит (bandit; more violent connotation), разбойник (robber; implies criminal activity), хам (boor; focuses on rudeness)
• Antonyms: мирный (peaceful; a direct opposite in behavior), спокойный (calm; lacks disruptive traits)

Related Phrases:

• Мелкий хулиган (Petty troublemaker) - Refers to someone causing minor disturbances, often in a juvenile context.
• Задира на работе (Troublemaker at work) - Describes a colleague who stirs up conflicts in professional settings.
• Возмутитель общественного спокойствия (Disturber of public peace) - A formal phrase used in legal documents for serious disruptions.

Usage Notes:

'Хулиган' is the most direct equivalent to 'troublemaker' in informal English, but it often carries a stronger implication of physical mischief. Use 'задира' for contexts involving provocation without violence. In formal settings, opt for 'возмутитель спокойствия' to match legal or official English terms. Be mindful of gender agreements in Russian sentences, as these nouns are masculine and must agree with adjectives and verbs accordingly.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'хулиган' in a formal context, e.g., saying "Он хулиган в суде" instead of "Он возмутитель спокойствия в суде". Correct: The latter is more appropriate for legal scenarios, as 'хулиган' sounds too casual and may undermine seriousness.
• Error: Forgetting noun inflections, e.g., saying "Я видел хулиган" (incorrect accusative) instead of "Я видел хулигана". Explanation: Russian requires case changes; always adjust based on sentence structure for grammatical accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the term 'хулиган' often evokes memories of Soviet-era youth subcultures or post-Soviet street violence, as popularized in literature and films like those by Vladimir Mayakovsky. It can carry a romanticized or negative connotation depending on context, reflecting historical attitudes toward rebellion and social order.

Related Concepts:

• преступник (criminal)
• бунтарь (rebel)
• агитатор (agitator)