Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Accustom'

English Word: Accustom

Key Russian Translations:

• привыкать [prʲɪvɨˈkatʲ] - [Informal, Imperfective Verb]
• привыкнуть [prʲɪˈvɨknʊtʲ] - [Informal, Perfective Verb]
• приучать [prʲɪʊˈtɕatʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Imperfective Verb, Often Used for Teaching or Training]
• приучить [prʲɪʊˈtɕitʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Perfective Verb, Often Used for Teaching or Training]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday and formal contexts)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies slightly by aspect and usage)

Pronunciation (Russian):

привыкать: [prʲɪvɨˈkatʲ]

Note on привыкать: Stress falls on the second syllable; the soft 'в' sound is a common challenge for non-native speakers.

привыкнуть: [prʲɪˈvɨknʊtʲ]

Note on привыкнуть: Stress on the first syllable; note the consonant cluster 'кн' which may be tricky.

приучать: [prʲɪʊˈtɕatʲ]

приучить: [prʲɪʊˈtɕitʲ]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To become used to something (personal habituation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• привыкать/привыкнуть - Used when someone gradually gets used to a situation, environment, or habit (intransitive).

Usage Examples:

• Я привыкаю к новому расписанию.

  I am getting used to the new schedule.

• Он привык к холодной погоде.

  He has gotten used to cold weather.

• Нужно время, чтобы привыкнуть к жизни в другой стране.

  It takes time to get accustomed to life in another country.

2. To make someone used to something (teaching or training)

Translation(s) & Context:

• приучать/приучить - Used when someone teaches or trains another person or animal to adapt to something (transitive).

Usage Examples:

• Мама приучает ребёнка к порядку.

  Mom is teaching the child to be tidy.

• Мы приучили собаку к командам.

  We have trained the dog to follow commands.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

привыкать/привыкнуть (Imperfective/Perfective pair): These are verbs of the first conjugation. They are intransitive and often used with the preposition 'к' + dative case.

приучать/приучить (Imperfective/Perfective pair): These are transitive verbs, also first conjugation, often used with a direct object (accusative) and 'к' + dative case for the target of habituation.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for привыкать/привыкнуть:

• осваиваться (to adapt, often to a new environment)
• свыкаться (to get accustomed, often with a negative or difficult context)

Antonyms for привыкать/привыкнуть:

• отвыкать (to lose the habit, to become unaccustomed)
• отвыкнуть (to have lost the habit)

Related Phrases:

• привыкнуть к мысли - to get used to the idea (accepting a concept or reality)
• приучать к дисциплине - to instill discipline (training someone to follow rules)
• привыкать с трудом - to get used to something with difficulty (struggling to adapt)

Usage Notes:

• The choice between 'привыкать/привыкнуть' and 'приучать/приучить' depends on whether the action is personal adaptation (intransitive) or teaching someone else (transitive).
• Russian verbs of aspect (imperfective vs. perfective) are critical here: use 'привыкать/приучать' for ongoing processes and 'привыкнуть/приучить' for completed actions.
• These verbs often pair with the preposition 'к' followed by the dative case to indicate what one is getting accustomed to.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing 'привыкать' (intransitive) with 'приучать' (transitive). Example: *Я приучаю к новому городу* (incorrect) instead of *Я привыкаю к новому городу* (correct: I am getting used to the new city).
• Error: Forgetting the preposition 'к' with dative case. Example: *Я привыкаю новый город* (incorrect) instead of *Я привыкаю к новому городу* (correct).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of 'привыкать' often carries a sense of resilience and adaptability, reflecting the historical and social emphasis on adjusting to challenging environments or circumstances. Phrases like 'привыкнуть к трудностям' (to get used to difficulties) are common in everyday speech.

Related Concepts:

• адаптация (adaptation)
• приспособление (adjustment)
• обучение (training)