Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'abut'

English Word: abut

Key Russian Translations:

• примыкать [prɪˈmɨkətʲ] - [Formal, used in geographical or technical contexts]
• соседствовать [sɐˈsʲedstvəvətʲ] - [Informal, everyday language for proximity]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in contexts like geography, real estate, or descriptions of spaces, but not in casual conversation)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and prepositional phrases, per CEFR standards)

Pronunciation (Russian):

примыкать: [prɪˈmɨkətʲ]

соседствовать: [sɐˈsʲedstvəvətʲ]

Note on примыкать: The stress falls on the second syllable; be mindful of the soft sign (ь) which affects the pronunciation, making it softer and more palatalized.

Audio: []

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To be adjacent to or border on something (e.g., in geographical or physical contexts).

Translation(s) & Context:

• примыкать - Used in formal or technical descriptions, such as land borders or building alignments.
• соседствовать - Applied in more everyday or informal situations, like describing neighboring properties.

Usage Examples:

• Этот участок земли примыкает к национальному парку.

  This plot of land abuts the national park. (Demonstrates formal use in a geographical context.)

• Наш дом соседствует с озером, что делает его очень привлекательным.

  Our house abuts the lake, which makes it very appealing. (Shows informal use in real estate descriptions.)

• Город примыкает к реке, образуя естественный барьер.

  The city abuts the river, forming a natural barrier. (Illustrates use in urban planning or environmental contexts.)

• Два здания соседствуют друг с другом, но не имеют общей стены.

  The two buildings abut each other but do not share a wall. (Highlights subtle differences in proximity.)

• Поле примыкает к шоссе, что вызывает проблемы с шумом.

  The field abuts the highway, causing noise issues. (Examples variation in grammatical structure with prepositional phrases.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs and follow Russian conjugation patterns. "Примыкать" and "соседствовать" are imperfective verbs, meaning they describe ongoing or habitual actions. They conjugate based on tense, aspect, person, and number. Below is a table for key conjugations in the present tense; note that Russian verbs often have irregularities.

Note: These verbs do not have significant irregularities but must agree with the subject in person and number. For past tense, they use the standard imperfective past forms (e.g., примыкал for masculine singular of примыкать).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • прилегать [prʲɪlʲɪˈɡatʲ] - Often used interchangeably but implies a looser connection.
  • граничит [ɡrəˈnʲitʂɪt] - Specifically for borders, with a more precise connotation.
• Antonyms:
  • отделяться [ɐtˈdʲelʲət͡sə]
  • удаляться [ʊˈdalʲət͡sə] - Implies moving away or separating.

Related Phrases:

• примыкать к границе - Abuts the border (used in geopolitical contexts to describe territorial adjacency).
• соседствовать с домом - Abuts the house (common in real estate for describing property layouts).
• примыкающий участок - Abutting plot (a phrase for land that is directly adjacent, often in legal documents).

Usage Notes:

"Примыкать" is the more precise translation for "abut" in formal or technical English contexts, as it emphasizes direct physical contact. Use "соседствовать" for everyday scenarios where proximity is implied but not always literal. Be cautious with prepositions in Russian; for example, "примыкать к" requires the dative case (e.g., к реке). If the English word implies a boundary, opt for "примыкать" over "соседствовать" to maintain accuracy. Additionally, these verbs are often used in the imperfective aspect to describe ongoing states.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Confusing conjugation with similar verbs, e.g., saying "примыкаетс" instead of "примыкает" for third person singular.
  Correct: "Дом примыкает к реке." (The house abuts the river.)
  Explanation: Russian verbs must end with the correct suffix based on person; omitting the final consonant here makes it grammatically incorrect.
• Mistake: Using the wrong preposition, such as "примыкать на" instead of "примыкать к".
  Correct: "Земля примыкает к дороге." (The land abuts the road.)
  Explanation: "К" is required for dative case objects, which is standard for locations in Russian.
• Mistake: Overusing "соседствовать" in formal contexts where "примыкать" is more appropriate.
  Correct: In official documents, use "примыкает" for precision.
  Explanation: This can lead to a less professional tone; choose based on context to avoid sounding too casual.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and language, words like "примыкать" often appear in discussions of geography and history, such as in references to Russia's vast borders with neighboring countries. This reflects the cultural emphasis on territorial integrity and spatial relationships, stemming from Russia's historical expansions and defenses.

Related Concepts:

• граница [ɡrəˈnʲit͡sə] (border)
• территория [tʲɪrʲɪˈtorʲɪjə] (territory)
• смежность [smʲɪˈʐnəstʲ] (adjacency)