Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'validity'

English Word: validity

Key Russian Translations:

• действительность [dʲɪjstvʲɪtʲnəsʲtʲ] - [Formal, commonly used in legal and everyday contexts]
• валидность [vəlʲɪdnəsʲtʲ] - [Formal, often in technical, scientific, or logical contexts]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in formal writing, legal documents, and academic discussions, but not in casual conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian noun declensions and contextual usage, with валидность being slightly more advanced due to its technical nature)

Pronunciation (Russian):

действительность: [dʲɪjstvʲɪtʲnəsʲtʲ]

Note on действительность: The stress falls on the second syllable ("dʲɪjstvʲ"), and the "тʲ" sound can be challenging for English speakers as it involves a palatalized 't'. Pronunciation may vary slightly in rapid speech.

Audio: []

валидность: [vəlʲɪdnəsʲtʲ]

Note on валидность: The initial "vəlʲ" has a soft 'l' sound, which is common in borrowed words; stress is on the first syllable.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The quality of being logically, legally, or factually sound.

Translation(s) & Context:

• действительность - Used in legal or administrative contexts, such as the validity of a contract or document, emphasizing real-world applicability.
• валидность - Applied in scientific, philosophical, or technical fields, like the validity of an experiment or argument, often in more abstract settings.

Usage Examples:

• Русский пример: Договор имеет юридическую действительность до истечения срока. (The contract retains its legal validity until the expiration date.)

  English translation: The contract retains its legal validity until the expiration date.

• Русский пример: Валидность этого научного метода была подтверждена экспериментами. (The validity of this scientific method was confirmed by experiments.)

  English translation: The validity of this scientific method was confirmed by experiments.

• Русский пример: Без подписи, документ loses свою действительность. (Without a signature, the document loses its validity.)

  English translation: Without a signature, the document loses its validity.

• Русский пример: В психологии, валидность теста измеряется через его точность. (In psychology, the validity of a test is measured through its accuracy.)

  English translation: In psychology, the validity of a test is measured through its accuracy.

• Русский пример: Государство проверяет действительность паспортов на границе. (The state checks the validity of passports at the border.)

  English translation: The state checks the validity of passports at the border.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "действительность" and "валидность" are feminine nouns in Russian, which means they follow the standard feminine declension patterns. They are abstract nouns and do not change in most informal uses, but they inflect based on case, number, and gender agreement.

Note: These nouns do not have plural forms in most contexts as they are uncountable abstracts. The inflections follow regular patterns, with no irregularities.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • легитимность (legitimacy; similar to действительность but with a stronger legal connotation)
  • обоснованность (justifiability; more about logical grounding, closer to валидность)
• Antonyms:
  • недействительность (invalidity; direct opposite of действительность)
  • невалидность (invalidity; technical opposite of валидность)

Related Phrases:

• проверка действительности - Checking the validity (e.g., of documents; used in administrative contexts).
• утрата валидности - Loss of validity (common in scientific reports, meaning something becomes invalid over time).
• юридическая действительность - Legal validity (a fixed phrase in law, emphasizing official recognition).

Usage Notes:

Choose "действительность" for everyday legal or practical contexts, as it aligns closely with the English "validity" in terms of real-world application, such as contracts or IDs. "Валидность" is better for abstract or technical scenarios, like in psychology or logic, where precision is key. Be mindful of Russian's case system; for example, use the genitive form (действительности) after prepositions like "о" (about). In formal writing, these words often appear in official documents, so they carry a neutral to formal tone. English learners should note that Russian equivalents may not always be one-to-one, so context guides the best choice.

Common Errors:

• Confusing "действительность" with "действие" (action): Learners might misuse "действие" thinking it means validity, but it actually refers to an act or process. Correct usage: Say "Договор имеет действительность" instead of "Договор имеет действие" for "The contract has validity".

• Overlooking case endings: Forgetting to change to genitive, e.g., saying "о действительность" instead of "о действительности". This is incorrect because prepositions require the appropriate case; always check the noun's role in the sentence.

• Using "валидность" in non-technical contexts: This can sound overly formal or out of place, e.g., saying "Валидность паспорта" when "Действительность паспорта" is more natural for everyday talk.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and legal systems, concepts like "действительность" are heavily influenced by historical contexts, such as Soviet-era bureaucracy, where document validity was (and still is) crucial for daily life. This emphasizes reliability and state control, differing from more flexible Western approaches, helping users understand why Russians often prioritize official validations in interactions.

Related Concepts:

• законность (legality)
• обоснованность (justifiability)
• легитимность (legitimacy)