Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'unprofitable'

English Word: unprofitable

Key Russian Translations:

• Нерентабельный (/nʲɪrʲɪntɐˈbʲɛlʲnɨj/) - [Formal, Business/Economic context]
• Убыточный (/uˈbɨtɕnɨj/) - [Formal, Financial context, often implying loss]

Frequency: Medium (Common in business, finance, and economic discussions, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of economic vocabulary and adjective inflections in Russian)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Нерентабельный: /nʲɪrʲɪntɐˈbʲɛlʲnɨj/

Убыточный: /uˈbɨtɕnɨj/

Note on Нерентабельный: The stress is on the fourth syllable ("be-"), which can be tricky for learners due to the long word and palatalized consonants; common in formal speech.

Note on Убыточный: Stress falls on the second syllable ("by-"); the "ч" sound is soft, similar to English "ch" in "church".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: Not yielding profit or financial gain, especially in business or economic contexts

Translation(s) & Context:

• Нерентабельный - Used in formal business reports or analyses to describe ventures that do not generate sufficient returns.
• Убыточный - Applied in financial contexts to indicate operations that result in losses, often in accounting or investment discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Этот проект оказался нерентабельным из-за высоких затрат на производство.

  This project turned out to be unprofitable due to high production costs.

• Компания закрыла убыточный филиал, чтобы избежать дальнейших потерь.

  The company closed the unprofitable branch to avoid further losses.

• Инвестиции в этот рынок сейчас нерентабельны из-за экономической нестабильности.

  Investments in this market are currently unprofitable due to economic instability.

• Убыточные предприятия часто нуждаются в государственной поддержке.

  Unprofitable enterprises often require government support.

• Малый бизнес может стать нерентабельным, если не адаптироваться к рыночным изменениям.

  Small businesses can become unprofitable if they fail to adapt to market changes.

Secondary Meaning: Not worthwhile or productive in a broader sense (e.g., metaphorical use)

Translation(s) & Context:

• Нерентабельный - Less common, but used metaphorically for activities that waste resources without benefits.

Usage Examples:

• Продолжать такие нерентабельные дискуссии бессмысленно.

  Continuing such unprofitable discussions is pointless.

• Эта стратегия оказалась нерентабельной в долгосрочной перспективе.

  This strategy proved to be unprofitable in the long term.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "нерентабельный" and "убыточный" are adjectives in Russian, which inflect based on gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives follow standard patterns for first-declension adjectives. Below is a table outlining the key inflections:

These adjectives are regular and follow the standard pattern for hard-stem adjectives. They do not have irregular forms, making them straightforward for learners once the basic rules are understood.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Неэффективный (inefficient; more general, implying lack of productivity)
  • Невыгодный (unprofitable; focuses on lack of advantage)
• Antonyms:
  • Рентабельный (profitable; direct opposite in business contexts)
  • Выгодный (profitable; emphasizing benefit)

Related Phrases:

• Нерентабельное производство - Unprofitable production (Refers to manufacturing processes that do not yield financial returns.)
• Убыточный бизнес - Unprofitable business (Common phrase for enterprises operating at a loss.)
• Сделать нерентабельным - To make unprofitable (Used in strategies to undermine competitors.)

Usage Notes:

• "Нерентабельный" is more precise for economic contexts and directly corresponds to "unprofitable" in business English, while "убыточный" implies actual financial losses, so choose based on whether the situation involves net loss or just no profit.
• These words are typically formal and appear in written reports, news, or professional discussions; avoid in casual conversation.
• Grammatically, always agree with the noun in gender, number, and case, as per Russian adjective rules.
• When translating from English, consider the context: if "unprofitable" means "not worth the effort," "нерентабельный" might be metaphorical, but it's less common than in literal business scenarios.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "нерентабельный" interchangeably with "убыточный" without considering nuances. Correct: "Убыточный" specifically means "loss-making," while "нерентабельный" means "not profitable." Example: Incorrect: "Это убыточный проект" when no losses are involved; Correct: "Это нерентабельный проект."
• Error: Forgetting adjective agreement, e.g., saying "нерентабельный компания" instead of "нерентабельная компания" for feminine nouns. Correct: Always inflect based on the noun's gender and case.
• Error: Mispronouncing the stress in "нерентабельный," which can alter meaning or comprehension. Correct: Emphasize the fourth syllable to maintain clarity.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and business, terms like "нерентабельный" and "убыточный" often reflect the historical emphasis on state-controlled economies during the Soviet era, where unprofitable enterprises were frequently bailed out by the government. Today, they highlight ongoing challenges in Russia's market economy, such as in sectors like manufacturing or agriculture, where efficiency and profitability are key to survival amid global competition.

Related Concepts:

• Рентабельность (profitability)
• Экономическая эффективность (economic efficiency)
• Финансовые потери (financial losses)