Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Acquiesce'

English Word: Acquiesce

Key Russian Translations:

• соглашаться [səɡlɐˈʂatʲsə] - [Formal, Often used in discussions or agreements]
• смириться [smʲɪˈrʲitʲsə] - [Neutral, Often used in contexts of reluctant acceptance]

Frequency: Medium (Used in formal or written contexts more often than casual speech)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for "соглашаться"; B1 (Lower Intermediate) for "смириться"

Pronunciation (Russian):

соглашаться: [səɡlɐˈʂatʲsə]

Note on соглашаться: Stress falls on the third syllable. The "г" is pronounced as a voiced velar stop.

смириться: [smʲɪˈrʲitʲsə]

Note on смириться: Stress on the second syllable. The "р" is rolled slightly, typical of Russian phonetics.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To agree or consent passively (without enthusiasm)

Translation(s) & Context:

• соглашаться - Often used when agreeing to something reluctantly in formal or professional settings.
• смириться - Used when accepting something inevitable or undesirable, often with a sense of resignation.

Usage Examples:

• Он согласился на условия, хотя был недоволен. (On soglasilsya na usloviya, khotya byl nedovolen.)

  He acquiesced to the terms, though he was unhappy about it.

• Она смирилась с тем, что не могла изменить ситуацию. (Ona smirilas' s tem, chto ne mogla izmenit' situatsiyu.)

  She acquiesced to the fact that she couldn’t change the situation.

• Мы согласились с их предложением после долгих споров. (My soglasilis' s ikh predlozheniem posle dolgikh sporov.)

  We acquiesced to their proposal after long debates.

• Он смирился с потерей и начал двигаться дальше. (On smirilsya s poteroy i nachal dvigat'sya dal'she.)

  He acquiesced to the loss and started moving forward.

• Совет согласился на компромисс ради мира. (Sovet soglasilsya na kompromiss radi mira.)

  The council acquiesced to a compromise for the sake of peace.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

соглашаться (Verb, Imperfective Aspect):

This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for first-conjugation verbs in Russian. It is often used with the preposition "с" (with) or "на" (to) depending on context.

смириться (Verb, Perfective Aspect):

This verb indicates a completed action (one-time acceptance). It often pairs with "с" (with) to indicate what is being accepted.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for соглашаться:

• договориться (dogovorit'sya) - More emphasis on reaching an agreement.
• принять (prinyat') - Focus on accepting a decision or condition.

Synonyms for смириться:

• примириться (primirit'sya) - Closer to reconciling with a situation.

Antonyms:

• отказаться (otkazat'sya) - To refuse.
• возражать (vozrazhat') - To object.

Related Phrases:

• соглашаться на компромисс (soglashat'sya na kompromiss) - To acquiesce to a compromise.
• смириться с судьбой (smirit'sya s sud'boy) - To acquiesce to fate, often with a sense of resignation.
• соглашаться под давлением (soglashat'sya pod davleniem) - To acquiesce under pressure.

Usage Notes:

• "соглашаться" is more formal and often used in contexts of agreement or consent in discussions, while "смириться" conveys a stronger sense of resignation or reluctant acceptance.
• Be mindful of aspect: "соглашаться" (imperfective) implies an ongoing or repeated action, whereas "смириться" (perfective) indicates a completed, one-time acceptance.
• Both verbs often require prepositions like "с" (with) or "на" (to), which are critical for grammatical correctness.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "соглашаться" without the appropriate preposition, e.g., *Я соглашаюсь это* (incorrect) instead of Я соглашаюсь с этим (I acquiesce to this). Explanation: "соглашаться" requires "с" when agreeing with something or someone.
• Error: Confusing "смириться" with "соглашаться" in contexts of resignation, e.g., using "соглашаться" when the intended meaning is to accept something inevitable. Explanation: Use "смириться" for resignation (e.g., смириться с потерей - to acquiesce to a loss).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of "смириться" often carries a philosophical or even fatalistic connotation, reflecting a historical tendency to accept hardships or uncontrollable circumstances as part of life. This is less common with "соглашаться," which is more pragmatic and tied to active agreement.

Related Concepts:

• терпение (terpenie) - Patience or endurance.
• уступка (ustupka) - Concession.
• компромисс (kompromiss) - Compromise.