Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Admire'

English Word: admire

Key Russian Translations:

• восхищаться [vəsʂɪˈɕːatʲsə] - [Informal, Used for expressing admiration for someone or something]
• любоваться [lʲʊbəˈvatʲsə] - [Neutral, Often used for admiring beauty or scenery]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday conversations and literature)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for both translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

восхищаться: [vəsʂɪˈɕːatʲsə]

Note on восхищаться: Stress falls on the third syllable. The "щ" sound is a distinct Russian sound, pronounced like a soft "shch."

любоваться: [lʲʊbəˈvatʲsə]

Note on любоваться: Stress on the third syllable. The "л" is palatalized, giving a soft "ly" sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To feel respect and approval for someone or something

Translation(s) & Context:

• восхищаться - Used when expressing deep respect or admiration for a person’s qualities, achievements, or actions.

Usage Examples:

• Я восхищаюсь её талантом.

  I admire her talent.

• Мы все восхищаемся вашим мужеством.

  We all admire your courage.

• Он восхищается своим учителем.

  He admires his teacher.

2. To look at something with pleasure, often related to beauty

Translation(s) & Context:

• любоваться - Commonly used for admiring landscapes, art, or physical beauty.

Usage Examples:

• Мы любовались закатом на море.

  We admired the sunset over the sea.

• Она любуется цветами в саду.

  She admires the flowers in the garden.

• Туристы любовались старинной архитектурой.

  The tourists admired the ancient architecture.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

восхищаться: This is an imperfective verb. It follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -аться (reflexive).

любоваться: This is also an imperfective reflexive verb with regular conjugation patterns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for восхищаться:

• восторгаться (more emotional and enthusiastic)
• превозносить (more formal, often used in writing)

Synonyms for любоваться:

• наслаждаться (implies enjoyment along with admiration)

Antonyms:

• презирать (to despise)
• осуждать (to condemn)

Related Phrases:

• восхищаться от души - to admire wholeheartedly
• любоваться видом - to admire the view
• восхищаться успехами - to admire someone’s achievements

Usage Notes:

• While both "восхищаться" and "любоваться" translate to "admire," the former is more about respect for qualities or achievements, while the latter focuses on aesthetic appreciation.
• "Восхищаться" is often followed by the instrumental case (e.g., восхищаться талантом - admire talent).
• "Любоваться" is typically used with the instrumental case as well but implies a visual or sensory focus (e.g., любоваться природой - admire nature).

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "любоваться" when referring to admiration for a person’s skills or character. Incorrect: Я любуюсь её умом. Correct: Я восхищаюсь её умом. (I admire her intelligence.)
• Error: Forgetting the reflexive particle "-ся" in conjugation. Incorrect: Я восхищаю. Correct: Я восхищаюсь.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressing admiration (especially with "восхищаться") can be quite emotional and sincere, often used in personal or artistic contexts. Compliments about beauty or nature using "любоваться" are common in poetry and everyday speech, reflecting Russians’ deep appreciation for their landscapes and heritage.

Related Concepts:

• уважение (respect)
• красота (beauty)
• восторг (delight)