Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'unsatisfactory'

English Word: unsatisfactory

Key Russian Translations:

• неудовлетворительный /nʲɪʊdɐvlʲɪtʲvɐrʲɪtʲɛlʲnɨj/ - [Formal, Adjective]
• неудовлетворительная /nʲɪʊdɐvlʲɪtʲvɐrʲɪtʲɛlʲnɐjɐ/ - [Formal, Feminine form]
• неудовлетворительное /nʲɪʊdɐvlʲɪtʲvɐrʲɪtʲɛlʲnəjə/ - [Formal, Neuter form]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in formal contexts like education, reviews, or official reports, but not in everyday casual speech).

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian adjective inflections and formal vocabulary, though the root word is somewhat familiar to learners at this level).

Pronunciation (Russian):

неудовлетворительный: /nʲɪʊdɐvlʲɪtʲvɐrʲɪtʲɛlʲnɨj/ (The stress is on the fourth syllable; note the soft 'л' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers.)

неудовлетворительная: /nʲɪʊdɐvlʲɪtʲvɐrʲɪtʲɛlʲnɐjɐ/ (Similar to the masculine form but with a feminine ending; pay attention to the vowel shift.)

неудовлетворительное: /nʲɪʊdɐvlʲɪtʲvɐrʲɪtʲɛlʲnəjə/ (Emphasize the neuter ending; the pronunciation varies slightly based on context.)

Note on неудовлетворительный: This word has a complex consonant cluster that may require practice; in fast speech, it can sound more like /nʲɪʊdɐvlʲɪtʲvɐrʲɪtʲatʲɛlʲnɨj/ in informal settings.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: Not good enough or meeting expectations

Translation(s) & Context:

• неудовлетворительный - Used in formal evaluations, such as school reports or product reviews, to indicate something that fails to satisfy standards (e.g., in professional or academic contexts).
• неудовлетворительная - Applied to feminine nouns, emphasizing disappointment in areas like performance or quality.

Usage Examples:

• Русский экзамен был признан неудовлетворительным из-за низких баллов.

  The Russian exam was deemed unsatisfactory due to low scores. (This example shows the word in a formal educational context, highlighting failure to meet criteria.)

• Её выступление на конференции оказалось неудовлетворительным, так как она не подготовилась должным образом.

  Her performance at the conference turned out to be unsatisfactory because she didn't prepare properly. (Demonstrates use with a feminine subject, in a professional setting.)

• Неудовлетворительное качество продукции привело к возврату товаров.

  The unsatisfactory quality of the products led to returns. (Illustrates the neuter form in a business context, focusing on product standards.)

• В отзыве клиента упоминалось, что обслуживание было неудовлетворительным.

  In the customer review, it was mentioned that the service was unsatisfactory. (Shows the word in a service industry scenario, emphasizing customer dissatisfaction.)

• Проект был оценён как неудовлетворительный, поэтому потребовались доработки.

  The project was evaluated as unsatisfactory, so revisions were required. (This example varies the structure, using it in a project management context.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

неудовлетворительный is an adjective in Russian, which inflects based on gender, number, and case. It follows the standard pattern for first-declension adjectives. Below is a table outlining its key inflections:

Note: This adjective does not have irregular forms, making it predictable once the basic patterns are learned.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: плохой (plokhoy) - more general and informal; посредственный (posredstvennyy) - implying mediocrity; некачественный (nekachestvennyy) - focusing on poor quality.
• Antonyms: удовлетворительный (udovletvoritel'nyy) - satisfactory; отличный (otlichnyy) - excellent; хороший (khoroshiy) - good.

Related Phrases:

• неудовлетворительные результаты - Unsatisfactory results (used in contexts like exams or experiments to indicate failure to achieve desired outcomes).
• неудовлетворительное обслуживание - Unsatisfactory service (common in customer feedback, highlighting poor customer care).
• дать неудовлетворительную оценку - To give an unsatisfactory rating (a phrase in formal reviews or appraisals).

Usage Notes:

неудовлетворительный directly corresponds to "unsatisfactory" in English, but it's typically reserved for formal or written contexts in Russian, such as official reports, academic evaluations, or professional critiques. Unlike English, where "unsatisfactory" can be used casually, this word feels more bureaucratic in Russian. When choosing between translations, opt for неудовлетворительный in formal settings and something simpler like плохой in everyday speech to avoid sounding overly stiff. Always inflect the adjective to match the noun's gender, number, and case for grammatical accuracy.

• Be mindful of context: In positive or neutral situations, Russian speakers might prefer euphemisms to soften criticism.
• Grammar tip: As an adjective, it must agree with the noun it modifies, which is a key difference from English adjective usage.

Common Errors:

One common mistake is failing to inflect the adjective correctly, such as using the masculine form with a feminine noun (e.g., incorrectly saying "неудовлетворительный работа" instead of "неудовлетворительная работа"). Correct usage: "неудовлетворительная работа" (unsatisfactory work). Another error is overusing this word in informal speech; learners might say "неудовлетворительный фильм" for a bad movie, but natives would likely say "плохой фильм" to sound more natural. Explanation: Russian adjectives require case agreement, and formal words like this can make speech sound unnatural if misplaced.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, especially in educational and professional environments, terms like неудовлетворительный carry a strong connotation of failure or inadequacy, often linked to the Soviet-era emphasis on strict evaluations. This can evoke a sense of disappointment or urgency for improvement, reflecting a cultural value on precision and accountability in assessments.

Related Concepts:

• оценка (otsenka) - evaluation
• качество (kachestvo) - quality
• результаты (rezultaty) - results