Significado
Suffering a major defeat.
Contexto cultural
Journalists love this phrase for its dramatic effect. It's often used in headlines to grab attention, especially when discussing Western sanctions or failed government initiatives. In Russian universities, 'фиаско' is used to describe a theory or a research paper that has been thoroughly debunked. It sounds more intellectual than 'ошибка'. Russian theater culture is very prestigious. A 'фиаско' at the Bolshoi or the Moscow Art Theater is considered a national tragedy for the performers. Russians often use high-register words ironically to mock their own small failures. This shows a high level of linguistic playfulness.
Use with 'Полное'
To sound like a native, almost always add the adjective 'полное' (complete) for emphasis. 'Это было полное фиаско' sounds much more natural than just 'Это было фиаско'.
Don't Decline!
Never try to change the ending of 'фиаско'. It's a foreign loanword that stays the same in all cases. 'Много фиаско', not 'много фиасок'.
Significado
Suffering a major defeat.
Use with 'Полное'
To sound like a native, almost always add the adjective 'полное' (complete) for emphasis. 'Это было полное фиаско' sounds much more natural than just 'Это было фиаско'.
Don't Decline!
Never try to change the ending of 'фиаско'. It's a foreign loanword that stays the same in all cases. 'Много фиаско', not 'много фиасок'.
Journalistic Flair
If you are writing an essay for a Russian exam (like TRKI), using this phrase instead of 'неудача' will earn you extra points for vocabulary range.
Ponte a prueba
Choose the correct form of the verb to complete the sentence.
Вчерашняя премьера фильма в кинотеатре ________ фиаско.
The subject 'премьера' is feminine, so the verb must be feminine ('потерпела'). We use the perfective because it's a specific past event.
Fill in the missing word (hint: it's an adjective meaning 'complete').
Их план по захвату рынка потерпел ________ фиаско.
The noun 'фиаско' is neuter, so the adjective 'полный' becomes 'полное'.
Match the phrase to the most appropriate situation.
Where would you most likely hear 'терпеть фиаско'?
'Терпеть фиаско' is a formal phrase for significant, high-stakes failures.
Complete the dialogue with the correct phrase.
— Как прошли переговоры? — Ужасно. Мы ________.
In Russian, we 'suffer' (потерпеть) a fiasco, and since the negotiations are over, we use the past tense.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosВчерашняя премьера фильма в кинотеатре ________ фиаско.
The subject 'премьера' is feminine, so the verb must be feminine ('потерпела'). We use the perfective because it's a specific past event.
Их план по захвату рынка потерпел ________ фиаско.
The noun 'фиаско' is neuter, so the adjective 'полный' becomes 'полное'.
Where would you most likely hear 'терпеть фиаско'?
'Терпеть фиаско' is a formal phrase for significant, high-stakes failures.
— Как прошли переговоры? — Ужасно. Мы ________.
In Russian, we 'suffer' (потерпеть) a fiasco, and since the negotiations are over, we use the past tense.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
5 preguntasNo, it is a formal, literary word. However, it can be used ironically in casual speech.
Yes, but it sounds very dramatic. It's better to say 'я провалил экзамен'.
It is neuter (средний род). Example: 'громкое фиаско'.
Technically yes, but it looks exactly the same as the singular: 'два фиаско'.
Yes, as a noun. For example: 'Это было настоящее фиаско'.
Frases relacionadas
потерпеть неудачу
synonymTo suffer a failure
крах надежд
similarThe collapse of hopes
одержать победу
contrastTo win a victory
полный провал
synonymA total failure/flop
