поверхностный
The English word superficial is translated into Russian as поверхностный.
The term поверхностный can be used both literally, such as when describing a superficial wound and figuratively, such as when describing a superficial person or superficial knowledge. Common phrases include поверхностный взгляд, meaning a superficial glance.
Meaning: appearing to be true (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word поверхностный is derived from поверхность, meaning surface and the suffix -ный, which is an adjective-forming suffix. Literally, it means pertaining to the surface.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the form must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. Use поверхностная for feminine nouns, such as мысль (thought) and поверхностное for neuter nouns, such as убеждение (conviction). The plural form поверхностные is used when describing multiple things, such as знания (knowledge).
Did you know?
- In Russian, if someone is described as поверхностный, it can specifically imply they lack 'inner culture' or spiritual depth, a nuance stronger than the English 'superficial'.
- In Russian literary criticism, поверхностный is often used to describe a narrator who sees the world but does not understand its hidden mechanisms.
- While English uses 'superficial' for both people and wounds, a Russian speaker might use the adjective неглубокий, meaning 'not deep', to describe a wound instead of поверхностный.
Examples in context
- Что за поверхностный ответ!What a superficial answer!This sentence shows how to use поверхностный to express an exclamation about a superficial answer.Tatoeba #2760715 by marafon, translation #1531130 by erikspen
- Никита – настолько поверхностный человек, что его знания не превышают школьного уровня.Nikita is such a superficial person that his knowledge doesn't exceed the school level.
- Это был поверхностный анализ ситуации.Eto byl poverkhnostnyy analiz situatsii.It was a superficial analysis of the situation.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
