# Narrow-minded



## Nate385

Hi!

Here is a tricky question. I've already asked many russians about this word, but none of them were able to give me one straight or widely used translation in the spoken language.

"This person is narrow-minded." (the opposite of open-minded, who cannot see beyond his own set of values and therefore who is not going to accept anything new)

Here is my attempt:

"Он ускомыслящий/усколобый/упрямый." ??

Thanks in advance


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## Maroseika

Nate385 said:


> "Он узко*_*мыслящий/узколобый/упрямый." ??



It is quite natural nobody could give you one straight translation, because exact sense usually depends on the context. 
Упрямый is generally wrong here, although it may work in some specific contexts.
Узколобый is very good, but a bit bookish. 
Узко мыслящий (written in two words) is also good.
Other options: узкий, ограниченный, недалёкий, предвзятый, предубежденный. But exact word depends on the context and style of speech.


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## blind pew

i will add a couple of bookish words:
косный (_routinier_),
ретроград (noun).


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## Vulpio

Also about the person who does not want to accept anything new, we can say, that he's conservative (консерватор), reactionary (реакционер), obscurantist (обскурант), bison (зубр), a man of the old school (человек старой закалки) or neophob (неофоб). You can say narrow-minded reactionary, stubborn conservative, etc to enchance the effect.


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## lectrice

Еще в "копилку" - *Зашоренный*


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## horace.mik

Vulpio said:


> conservative (консерватор), reactionary (реакционер), obscurantist (обскурант)


I don't think Nate385's question about "this person is narrow-minded" was related to political schools of thought.



Nate385 said:


> the opposite of open-minded, *who cannot see beyond his own set of values and therefore who is not going to accept anything new*


Your description seems referring to a "cynical person" (циничный человек), that is not necessarily narrow-minded.
Narrow-minded is synonym of "introverted", that in Russian could be "робкий", "скрытный", "самоуглублённый".


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## Drink

horace.mik said:


> I don't think Nate385's question about "this person is narrow-minded" was related to political schools of thought.
> 
> 
> Your description seems referring to a "cynical person" (циничный человек), that is not necessarily narrow-minded.
> Narrow-minded is synonym of "introverted", that in Russian could be "робкий", "скрытный", "самоуглублённый".



You are right that narrow-minded is used for much more than just politics. You are also right that it does not always refer to a "cynical person", but you are wrong that it is a synonym of "introverted". Introversion has to do with the person's relationship with other people. Narrow-mindedness has to do with the persons willingness to accept new ideas or realize new things.


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## horace.mik

Grasped. Thank you, Drink.


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## Drink

horace.mik said:


> Grasped. Thank you, Drink.



See, you are not narrow-minded!


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## Vulpio

horace.mik said:


> I don't think Nate385's question about "this person is narrow-minded" was related to political schools of thought.



But these words can be used in a different context, so обскурант - враг просвещения  науки, консерватор - человек консервативных убеждений, отстаивающий неизменность чего-л. старого, отжившего, противник преобразований (в общественной жизни, науке, искусстве и др.), противник новшества, сторонник существующего порядка. Реакционер - человек, считающий что развитие общества неправильное и нужно его повернуть вспять, возвращаться в прошлое. Correct me if mistaken.


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## Drink

Vulpio said:


> But these words can be used in a different context, so обскурант - враг просвещения  науки, консерватор - человек консервативных убеждений, отстаивающий неизменность чего-л. старого, отжившего, противник преобразований (в общественной жизни, науке, искусстве и др.), противник новшества, сторонник существующего порядка. Реакционер - человек, считающий что развитие общества неправильное и нужно его повернуть вспять, возвращаться в прошлое. Correct me if mistaken.



None of those are the same thing as "narrow-minded".


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## Vulpio

Thank you, I'll know.


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## horace.mik

I compared "narrow-minded" with the Italian equivalent expression and,  as I could understand, it's a matter of the characteristic of a person  who rejects and denies the others' opinions, suggestions and ideas,  proclaiming his own as absolutely authentic and indisputable as well as  doesn't want to know anything else beyond all that he/she knows. Am I  right with the definition? A literal translation should be something  like "человек узких горизонтов", but I don't know if it can make sense  in Russian.


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## Drink

horace.mik said:


> I comprared "narrow-minded" with the Italian equivalent expression and,  as I could understand, it's a matter of the characteristic of a person  who rejects and denies the others' opinions, suggestions and ideas,  proclaiming his own as absolutely authentic and indisputable as well as  doesn't want to know anything else beyond all that he/she knows. Am I  right with the definition? A literal translation should be something  like "человек узких горизонтов", but I don't know if it can make sense  in Russian.



Yes, that is pretty much it. But it doesn't have to be that arrogant. It could also be unintentional.


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## Maroseika

horace.mik said:


> A literal translation should be something  like "человек узких горизонтов", but I don't know if it can make sense  in Russian.


Not exactly. Stable saying is "<...> с широким горизонтом". As for "<...> с узким горизонтом", it  is also used, much rarer.


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## Nate385

I see. Actually, even here there are so many different ways to define one word.

I'm looking for a translation that would suit the everyday conversation, in other words the colloquial speech. I don't want it to be formal whatsoever. What do you, Russians, say when you run into a person who is not open-minded at all (by trying to explain him that there are different opinions, point of views, outlooks on life, ways of thinking, etc. and that person keeps on saying that he disagrees and that only his opinion is valuable and the right one). What would you say about this person to your friends in a colloquial way? (but not slang)

In English and in French as well I would say: "He is narrow-minded/stubborn" or "Il est étroit d'esprit/borné".

Would in this very case "узко мыслящий", "зашоренный" и "человек с уским горизонтов" be fitting?


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## Maroseika

Nate385 said:


> What would you say about this person to your friends in a colloquial way? (but not slang)
> Would in this very case "узко мыслящий", "зашоренный" и "человек с узким горизонтом" be fitting?



From these three only зашоренный sounds colloquial, other two are rather bookish. 

By the way, I'm not sure to what extent the English "narrow-minded" can be called colloquial.
Anyway, from already proposed words I would rate as colloquial (or not merely bookish) the following words (basing on your definition of this notion from the post #1): 
узколобый;
зашоренный;
ограниченный;
недалекий;
косный;
ретроград. 



> Actually, even here there are so many different ways to define one word.


I'm afraid it is hardly possible to find one universal word. Russian language is very sensitive to the style and context, so each synonym introduces some new color.
But the word ограниченный seems to me most neutral and suitable in the majority of contexts.


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## Nate385

Thanks!!-------


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## punctuate

I could also add that an adjective is unnecessary here. I think I am more likely to express this with a verb, like "он опасается новых идей" or "до него новое не доходит". Both are colloquial in the sense they are fine when talking to a friend, they don't sound too solemn for such occasion, just like "narrow-minded" is and does not. Both (especially the first) are not colloquial in the sense they are not stylistically marked as words of intentionally lower register, just like "narrow-minded" is not. Both mean something different than what was asked, but they are what I would use if I was on my own. Regards.


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## Nate385

Thanks for adding these 2 options! I especially like the first one. However, I have trouble understanding the second one. Could you translate it litteraly into English please?

I mean, you might say either "он опасается новых идей" or "до него новое не доходит" and both would mean exactly the same?


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## punctuate

No, they would not, and they are just examples. In some situation, I can quite believe myself to say one of them to mean someone is narrow-minded (and so it's worthless 2) to explain something to him, or 1) to invite him to take a new approach in some activity, 3) something else for which I didn't say a phrase). By 1 and 2 I marked the two phrases I gave. "До меня что-то доходит" means "I understand something", so "до него новое не доходит" means "he cannot understand anything new"; it is colloquial in the sense it's only used when you're talking with friends, although I don't feel it as stylistically colored while in such conversation, feels like just a phrase like any other. So, probably the second is the best of the two for your intentions (especially since you used the same word, "new", in your explanation). Just remember, the translation may always turn up to be something different in any new situation. ;-)


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