Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Accelerate'

English Word: Accelerate

Key Russian Translations:

• ускорять [ʊsˈkorʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, General Use]
• ускоряться [ʊsˈkorʲɪtʲsə] - [Formal, Reflexive, Often Used for Self-Acceleration]
• разгонять [rəzɡəˈnʲætʲ] - [Informal, Often Used for Vehicles or Crowds]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "ускорять" and "ускоряться"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "разгонять"

Pronunciation (Russian):

ускорять: [ʊsˈkorʲɪtʲ]

Note on ускорять: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "я" is pronounced as a soft "ya" sound.

ускоряться: [ʊsˈkorʲɪtʲsə]

Note on ускоряться: Similar to "ускорять" but with a reflexive ending "-ся", indicating self-action.

разгонять: [rəzɡəˈnʲætʲ]

Note on разгонять: Stress on the third syllable. The prefix "раз-" adds a sense of distribution or intensity.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To increase speed (e.g., a vehicle or process)

Translation(s) & Context:

• ускорять - Used for processes or abstract acceleration (e.g., work, development).
• ускоряться - Reflexive, often used when something accelerates on its own.
• разгонять - Commonly used for vehicles or physical objects gaining speed.

Usage Examples:

• Мы должны ускорить процесс разработки.

  We need to accelerate the development process.

• Машина начала ускоряться на трассе.

  The car started to accelerate on the highway.

• Водитель разогнал машину до максимальной скорости.

  The driver accelerated the car to maximum speed.

• Сердцебиение ускорилось от волнения.

  The heartbeat accelerated due to excitement.

• Нам нужно ускорить выполнение задачи.

  We need to speed up the task completion.

2. To hasten or expedite (figurative)

Translation(s) & Context:

• ускорять - Used in formal or abstract contexts (e.g., events, decisions).

Usage Examples:

• Правительство решило ускорить реформы.

  The government decided to accelerate reforms.

• Необходимо ускорить принятие решения.

  It is necessary to accelerate the decision-making process.

• Эти меры ускорят экономический рост.

  These measures will accelerate economic growth.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

ускорять (Imperfective Verb): Regular conjugation in present, past, and future tenses. Indicates an ongoing or repeated action.

Person	Present	Past (M/F/N)	Future
1st Singular	ускоряю	ускорял / ускоряла / ускоряло	буду ускорять
3rd Plural	ускоряют	ускоряли	будут ускорять

ускоряться (Imperfective Reflexive Verb): Follows similar conjugation patterns but with reflexive "-ся" ending.

разгонять (Imperfective Verb): Regular with prefix "раз-", often paired with perfective "разогнать".

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• подгонять (to hurry up, informal)
• форсировать (to force or speed up, formal)

Note: "подгонять" is more colloquial, while "форсировать" is used in technical or military contexts.

Antonyms:

• замедлять (to slow down)
• тормозить (to brake or hinder)

Related Phrases:

• ускорить темп - to speed up the pace
• разогнать машину - to accelerate a car
• ускоренный курс - accelerated course (e.g., learning)

Usage Notes:

• "ускорять" is the most neutral and widely used term for abstract or general acceleration (e.g., processes, events).
• "ускоряться" is reflexive and implies self-acceleration, often used for natural or automatic processes (e.g., a car or heartbeat).
• "разгонять" carries a more physical or intense connotation, often used for vehicles or dispersing crowds. It can also mean "to drive away" in other contexts, so context is key.
• Pay attention to aspect: "ускорять" (imperfective) refers to ongoing action, while its perfective form "ускорить" implies completion.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "разгонять" for abstract concepts like "accelerating a process".
  Incorrect: Разгонять процесс.
  Correct: Ускорить процесс.
  Explanation: "разгонять" is primarily physical; use "ускорять" for abstract ideas.
• Error: Forgetting the reflexive "-ся" in "ускоряться" when describing self-acceleration.
  Incorrect: Машина ускоряет.
  Correct: Машина ускоряется.
  Explanation: Reflexive verbs are needed for self-action in Russian.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the concept of "acceleration" often carries a sense of urgency or modernization, especially in historical contexts like Soviet industrialization campaigns (e.g., "ускорение" as a policy term under Gorbachev). Using "ускорять" in formal discussions may evoke such connotations.

Related Concepts:

• скорость (speed)
• темп (pace)
• движение (movement)