Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Abridge'

English Word: abridge

Key Russian Translations:

• сокращать [səkrɐˈʂatʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Imperfective]
• укорачивать [ukərɐˈʂatʲ] - [Informal, Verb, Imperfective]
• сократить [səkrɐˈtʲitʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Perfective]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "сокращать" and "сократить"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "укорачивать"

Pronunciation (Russian):

сокращать: [səkrɐˈʂatʲ]

Note on сокращать: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "щ" sound is a soft hissing sound, unique to Russian.

укорачивать: [ukərɐˈʂatʲ]

Note on укорачивать: Stress on the third syllable. Similar to "сокращать" in pronunciation of "щ".

сократить: [səkrɐˈtʲitʲ]

Note on сократить: Stress on the second syllable. Perfective form, note the sharper "т" sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To shorten (a text, speech, or content) without losing the essence:

Translation(s) & Context:

• сокращать - Commonly used in formal and academic contexts for shortening texts or speeches.
• сократить - Perfective form, used when the action of shortening is completed.

Usage Examples:

• Я должен сократить эту статью до 500 слов.

  I need to abridge this article to 500 words.

• Редактор сокращает текст, чтобы он поместился на странице.

  The editor abridges the text to fit it on the page.

• Мы сократили доклад, чтобы уложиться во время.

  We abridged the presentation to fit within the time limit.

2. To reduce or shorten (time, distance, or scope):

Translation(s) & Context:

• укорачивать - Often used for physical or temporal shortening, less formal.
• сократить - Used for completed actions of reduction, e.g., budgets or distances.

Usage Examples:

彼女

Они укорачивают путь через лес.

They are abridging the path through the forest.

• Компания сократила бюджет на рекламу.

  The company abridged the advertising budget.

• Мы сократили время на обсуждение.

  We abridged the time for discussion.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

сокращать (Imperfective Verb): Regular verb conjugation in present, past, and future tenses.

сократить (Perfective Verb): Used for completed actions, conjugated similarly but only in past and future tenses (no present tense for perfective verbs).

укорачивать (Imperfective Verb): Follows similar conjugation patterns as "сокращать".

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for сокращать/сократить:

• урезать (to cut down, often used for budgets or resources)
• сжимать (to compress, often used metaphorically)

Antonyms for сокращать/сократить:

• расширять (to expand)
• увеличивать (to increase)

Related Phrases:

• сократить расходы - to abridge expenses (reduce costs)
• сократить время - to abridge time (shorten duration)
• укорачивать дистанцию - to abridge the distance (shorten the route)

Usage Notes:

• "сокращать" (imperfective) and "сократить" (perfective) are often interchangeable but differ in aspect. Use "сокращать" for ongoing actions and "сократить" for completed ones.
• "укорачивать" is less formal and often implies a physical or tangible shortening, while "сокращать/сократить" can be abstract (e.g., texts, budgets).
• These verbs typically require a direct object in Russian sentences, unlike in English where "abridge" can sometimes stand alone.

Common Errors:

• Incorrect Aspect Usage: English speakers often confuse "сокращать" and "сократить". For example, saying "Я сокращаю статью вчера" (incorrect, imperfective for past completed action) instead of "Я сократил статью вчера" (correct, perfective for completed past action).
• Missing Object: English speakers might omit the object, e.g., "Я сокращаю" (incorrect, incomplete) instead of "Я сокращаю текст" (correct, with object).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian academic and literary contexts, "сокращать" is frequently used when discussing editing or summarizing works, reflecting a cultural emphasis on precision in written communication. Shortening texts without losing meaning is considered a valuable skill.

Related Concepts:

• редактировать (to edit)
• обобщать (to summarize)
• урезать (to cut down)