Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Admonish'

English Word: Admonish

Key Russian Translations:

• предостерегать [prʲɪdəstʲɪrʲɪˈɡatʲ] - [Formal, Often used in written or serious contexts]
• упрекать [ʊprʲɪˈkatʲ] - [Neutral, Can be used in both formal and informal contexts]
• жучить [ˈʐutʲɪtʲ] - [Informal, Colloquial, Often with a slight tone of irritation]

Frequency: Medium (These terms are moderately common in specific contexts like formal warnings or personal reproaches)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate - предостерегать and упрекать); B2-C1 (Intermediate to Advanced - жучить due to colloquial nuance)

Pronunciation (Russian):

предостерегать: [prʲɪdəstʲɪrʲɪˈɡatʲ]

Note on предостерегать: Stress falls on the fourth syllable. The "е" is pronounced as [ɪ] in unstressed positions.

упрекать: [ʊprʲɪˈkatʲ]

Note on упрекать: Stress on the second syllable. The soft "р" sound may be challenging for non-native speakers.

жучить: [ˈʐutʲɪtʲ]

Note on жучить: Stress on the first syllable. The "ж" sound is a voiced retroflex fricative, unique to Russian.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To warn or caution someone against something

Translation(s) & Context:

• предостерегать - Often used in formal or serious contexts to warn someone about potential danger or consequences.

Usage Examples:

• Я должен предостеречь тебя от этого решения.

  I must admonish you against this decision.

• Учитель предостерёг учеников перед экзаменом.

  The teacher admonished the students before the exam.

• Он предостерёг нас от поездки в плохую погоду.

  He admonished us against traveling in bad weather.

2. To reprimand or scold someone mildly

Translation(s) & Context:

• упрекать - Used to express mild reproach or criticism, often in personal or emotional contexts.
• жучить - A more informal and colloquial way to scold, often with a tone of irritation.

Usage Examples:

• Она упрекала его за опоздание.

  She admonished him for being late.

• Не упрекай меня за то, что я не успел.

  Don’t admonish me for not making it on time.

• Мама жучила меня за беспорядок в комнате.

  Mom admonished me for the mess in my room.

• Он жучит всех, кто нарушает правила.

  He admonishes everyone who breaks the rules.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

предостерегать (Verb, Imperfective): Regular conjugation in the first conjugation group. Below is the present tense conjugation:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	предостерегаю	предостерегаем
2nd	предостерегаешь	предостерегаете
3rd	предостерегает	предостерегают

упрекать (Verb, Imperfective): Also follows regular first conjugation patterns. Similar structure to above.

жучить (Verb, Imperfective): Regular conjugation, but colloquial usage may vary regionally.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for предостерегать:

• предупреждать
• остерегать

Note: "предупреждать" is more neutral and common, while "остерегать" may sound slightly more archaic or literary.

Synonyms for упрекать:

• винить
• укорять

Antonyms:

• хвалить (to praise)
• поощрять (to encourage)

Related Phrases:

• предостеречь от ошибки - To admonish against a mistake.
• упрекать в лени - To admonish for laziness.
• жучить за промахи - To admonish for blunders (colloquial).

Usage Notes:

• "предостерегать" is primarily used for warnings or cautions and is more formal. It often appears in written instructions or serious conversations.
• "упрекать" conveys a sense of reproach or mild criticism and can fit both formal and informal settings, though it often carries an emotional tone.
• "жучить" is very informal and should be used cautiously as it may sound harsh or overly critical in certain contexts.
• Be mindful of the aspectual pair for each verb (e.g., "предостеречь" as the perfective form of "предостерегать") when expressing completed actions.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "жучить" in formal contexts. Incorrect: "Я жучу вас за ошибку" in a formal letter. Correct: Use "упрекаю" or "предостерегаю" instead, e.g., "Я упрекаю вас за ошибку".
• Error: Confusing "предостерегать" (to warn) with "упрекать" (to reproach). Incorrect: "Я предостерегаю тебя за опоздание". Correct: "Я упрекаю тебя за опоздание".

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, admonishing someone, especially in a personal context, can be seen as a sign of care or concern, particularly when using "предостерегать". However, overly frequent or harsh criticism (e.g., via "жучить") may be perceived as intrusive or rude, depending on the relationship and tone.

Related Concepts:

• предупреждение (warning)
• упрёк (reproach)
• критика (criticism)