‘Параграф’ и ‘Paragraph’: False Friends in Translation

Although “параграф” in Russian and “paragraph” in English sound very similar, they differ in meaning.

The English word “paragraph” denotes a distinct section of writing typically consisting of several sentences that develop a single idea. The correct Russian translation for this concept is “абзац.” So, when translating “paragraph” from English to Russian, one should use “абзац” to convey the intended meaning accurately.

In Russian, “параграф” refers to a specific section or subdivision of a text, often numbered or marked, similar to a section or clause in legal or academic documents. For instance, “параграф 5” in a contract or a textbook might correspond to “Section 5” in English.

Let’s see some more examples:

• Маша, прочитай вслух второй абзац. = Masha, read the second paragraph out loud.
• Ваше домашнее задание — прочитать параграф №10 в учебнике и ответить на вопросы. = Your homework is to read the section No. 10 in the textbook and answer the questions.