Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'unearned'

English Word: unearned

Key Russian Translations:

• незаслуженный [nʲɪzəˈsluʐənɨj] - [Formal, used in ethical or moral contexts]
• незаработанный [nʲɛzərɐˈbotənnɨj] - [Informal, particularly in financial or economic contexts]

Frequency: Medium (Common in discussions of ethics, finance, and rewards, but not everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian adjectives and their inflections; for 'незаслуженный', it's straightforward for learners familiar with prefixes)

Pronunciation (Russian):

незаслуженный: [nʲɪzəˈsluʐənɨj]

Note on незаслуженный: The stress falls on the third syllable ("slu"), which is common in Russian adjectives with prefixes. Pay attention to the palatalized 'n' sound at the beginning.

незаработанный: [nʲɛzərɐˈbotənnɨj]

Note on незаработанный: The 'r' is rolled, and the word has a softer ending due to the adjective form; variations may occur in rapid speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Not deserved or earned through effort, often implying moral or ethical implications (e.g., rewards, praise).

Translation(s) & Context:

• незаслуженный - Used in formal contexts like literature, ethics, or awards to emphasize something not merited by actions.
• незаработанный - Applied in practical contexts such as finance, where it refers to income or benefits not gained through work.

Usage Examples:

• Он получил незаслуженную награду за проект, который не был его идеей.

  He received an unearned award for a project that wasn't his idea.

• В её биографии упоминается незаслуженная критика, которая повлияла на карьеру.

  In her biography, there's mention of unearned criticism that affected her career.

• Эта премия была незаслуженной, так как другие участники проявили больше усилий.

  This prize was unearned, as other participants showed more effort.

• Незаработанный доход часто облагается особым налогом в России.

  Unearned income is often subject to special taxation in Russia.

• Многие инвесторы полагаются на незаработанные прибыли от акций.

  Many investors rely on unearned profits from stocks.

Meaning 2: Not obtained through personal labor, such as in financial or passive contexts.

Translation(s) & Context:

• незаработанный - Common in economic discussions, contrasting with actively earned money.

Usage Examples:

• Незаработанный капитал может быть унаследован или получен в подарок.

  Unearned capital can be inherited or received as a gift.

• В экономике различают заработанный и незаработанный доход для целей налогообложения.

  In economics, earned and unearned income are distinguished for taxation purposes.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'незаслуженный' and 'незаработанный' are Russian adjectives, which inflect based on gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives follow a regular pattern for most cases, but they must agree with the nouns they modify.

These adjectives are regular and follow standard hard-stem patterns. They do not have irregular inflections, making them relatively straightforward for learners.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: неоправданный (unjustified, with a nuance of lacking reason); незаслуженный (exact match for moral contexts); незаработанный (for financial contexts, similar to неактивный)
• Antonyms: заслуженный (deserved); заработанный (earned through effort)

Related Phrases:

• незаслуженная слава - Undeserved fame (Used to describe recognition not based on merit, often in literary or biographical contexts.)
• незаработанный доход - Unearned income (A common phrase in financial discussions, referring to passive earnings like investments.)
• незаслуженное наказание - Undeserved punishment (Implies injustice in disciplinary actions.)

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'незаслуженный' is the preferred translation for 'unearned' in ethical or moral scenarios, emphasizing a lack of desert rather than just financial non-earning. 'Незаработанный' is more specific to economic contexts and aligns closely with English terms like 'unearned income'. Be mindful of the adjective agreement with nouns; for example, use feminine forms like 'незаслуженная' when modifying a feminine noun. When choosing between translations, opt for 'незаслуженный' in formal writing and 'незаработанный' in business discussions. This word pair highlights Russian's precision in distinguishing abstract (moral) from concrete (financial) undeserved states.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'заслуженный' instead of 'незаслуженный' due to confusion with prefixes. Incorrect: "Он получил заслуженную награду" (which means "He received a deserved award"). Correct: "Он получил незаслуженную награду". Explanation: English learners often overlook the negative prefix 'не-', leading to opposite meanings; always double-check prefixes for negation.

• Error: Forgetting adjective inflections, e.g., using 'незаслуженный' with a feminine noun without changing to 'незаслуженная'. Incorrect: "незаслуженный книга" (grammatically wrong). Correct: "незаслуженная книга". Explanation: Russian requires gender, number, and case agreement, which can trip up speakers of less inflected languages like English.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and literature, the concept of 'unearned' (e.g., незаслуженный) often appears in themes of justice and fairness, as seen in works by authors like Tolstoy or Dostoevsky. It reflects a deep cultural value on meritocracy, where undeserved rewards or punishments can symbolize societal flaws, such as in critiques of the tsarist era or modern corruption narratives.

Related Concepts:

• заслуженный
• неоправданный
• заработок