Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'unsociable'

English Word: unsociable

Key Russian Translations:

• необщительный [nʲɪɐbˈʂʲitʲɪlʲnɨj] - [Informal, Adjective]
• замкнутый [zɐmˈknutɨj] - [Formal, often implies being withdrawn or isolated]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday conversations about personality, but not as frequent as basic adjectives like "good" or "bad")

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian adjectives and their inflections, but not overly complex for learners at this level)

Pronunciation (Russian):

необщительный: [nʲɪɐbˈʂʲitʲɪlʲnɨj]

замкнутый: [zɐmˈknutɨj]

Note on необщительный: The stress falls on the third syllable ("te"), and the "щ" sound is a soft, palatalized fricative, which can be challenging for English speakers—similar to the "sh" in "she" but softer.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Not enjoying the company of others or avoiding social interactions.

Translation(s) & Context:

• необщительный - Used in informal settings to describe someone's personality, such as in personal conversations or literature.
• замкнутый - Applied in more formal or psychological contexts, like describing introverted behavior in professional or therapeutic discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда был необщительным в компании, предпочитая читать книги вместо разговоров.

  He was always unsociable in company, preferring to read books instead of talking.

• Её замкнутый характер делает её трудным собеседником на вечеринках.

  Her unsociable nature makes her a difficult conversation partner at parties.

• В детстве он был необщительным, но со временем научился заводить друзей.

  As a child, he was unsociable, but over time, he learned to make friends.

• Замкнутый образ жизни может привести к чувству одиночества.

  An unsociable lifestyle can lead to feelings of loneliness.

• Необщительный коллега редко участвует в командных мероприятиях.

  The unsociable colleague rarely participates in team events.

Meaning 2: Reluctant to engage in social activities due to shyness or preference for solitude.

Translation(s) & Context:

• необщительный - Common in casual descriptions of everyday behavior, especially in family or friend contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Из-за своего необщительного характера она избегает больших собраний.

  Due to her unsociable nature, she avoids large gatherings.

• Необщительный тип, как он, часто предпочитает одиночество прогулкам с друзьями.

  An unsociable type like him often prefers solitude to walks with friends.

• В школе он был необщительным, но учителя помогли ему открыться.

  At school, he was unsociable, but teachers helped him open up.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "необщительный" and "замкнутый" are adjectives in Russian, which inflect based on gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives agree with the nouns they modify and follow standard adjectival patterns.

Note: These adjectives follow the regular first-declension pattern. If the noun changes case, the adjective must agree accordingly.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • замкнутый (similar to "withdrawn", often used interchangeably but implies more isolation)
  • отшельнический (hermit-like, with a connotation of extreme seclusion)
  • интровертный (introverted, modern term borrowed from English contexts)
• Antonyms:
  • общительный (sociable, directly opposite in meaning)
  • дружелюбный (friendly, emphasizing warmth in social interactions)

Related Phrases:

• Быть необщительным - To be unsociable; used to describe a general personality trait.
• Замкнутый в себе - Withdrawn into oneself; implies internal focus and avoidance of others.
• Вести замкнутый образ жизни - To lead an unsociable lifestyle; often in the context of daily habits.

Usage Notes:

"Необщительный" is the most direct translation for "unsociable" in informal contexts, while "замкнутый" is better for situations implying emotional withdrawal. In Russian, these adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe, which is a key grammatical difference from English. Choose "необщительный" for everyday personality descriptions and "замкнутый" in more formal or psychological settings. Be cautious with cultural nuances: Russians may view unsociability as a sign of depth or introspection rather than negativity.

• Always ensure adjective agreement to avoid grammatical errors.
• In spoken Russian, these words are common in self-reflection or character analysis.

Common Errors:

English learners often misuse these adjectives by not inflecting them correctly. For example:

• Error: Using "необщительный" in the wrong case, e.g., saying "Я видел необщительный человек" (incorrect; should be "необщительного человека" in genitive case).
• Correct: "Я видел необщительного человека" - Explanation: The adjective must match the noun's case to maintain grammatical agreement.
• Error: Confusing with similar words like "невозмутимый" (unperturbed), which doesn't convey unsociability.
• Correct: Use "необщительный" for social avoidance; Explanation: "Невозмутимый" refers to calmness, not social behavior.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, being "unsociable" (необщительный) is sometimes romanticized as a trait of intellectuals or artists, drawing from literary figures like those in Dostoevsky's works. It can be seen as a form of introspection rather than a flaw, contrasting with Western views that often emphasize extroversion.

Related Concepts:

• интроверт
• отшельник
• самоизоляция