Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'help'

English Word: help

Key Russian Translations:

• помощь [ˈpomoʂtʲ] - [Formal, Noun]
• помочь [pɐˈmotʲ] - [Verb, Infinitive]
• спасение [spɐˈsʲenʲɪjə] - [Formal, Noun, Often in emergency contexts]

Frequency: High (commonly used in various contexts)

Difficulty: A2 (Beginner-Intermediate for 'помощь' and 'помочь'; B2 for 'спасение')

Pronunciation (Russian):

помощь: [ˈpomoʂtʲ]

Note on помощь: The stress is on the first syllable, and the final 'щ' is pronounced as a soft 'shch' sound.

помочь: [pɐˈmotʲ]

Note on помочь: Stress falls on the second syllable; the 'ч' is a soft 'ch' sound.

спасение: [spɐˈsʲenʲɪjə]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Assistance or Support (General)

Translation(s) & Context:

• помощь - Used for general assistance, both formal and informal contexts.
• помочь - Verb form, often used when offering or asking for help.

Usage Examples:

• Мне нужна ваша помощь с этим заданием.

  I need your help with this task.

• Могу ли я помочь вам с чем-то?

  Can I help you with something?

• Он всегда готов помочь друзьям.

  He is always ready to help friends.

• Спасибо за помощь на прошлой неделе!

  Thank you for your help last week!

• Она помогла мне решить сложную проблему.

  She helped me solve a difficult problem.

2. Rescue or Salvation (Emergency Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• спасение - Used in contexts of rescue or salvation, often formal or dramatic.

Usage Examples:

• Спасение утопающих — дело рук самих утопающих.

  The rescue of the drowning is in the hands of the drowning themselves. (Proverb)

• Его спасение было чудом.

  His rescue was a miracle.

• Мы ждали спасения несколько часов.

  We waited for rescue for several hours.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

помощь (Noun, Feminine):

помочь (Verb, Perfective, Infinitive): Conjugates irregularly as a perfective verb. Commonly used in past and future tenses.

спасение (Noun, Neuter): Declines regularly as a neuter noun.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for помощь:

• поддержка (support)
• содействие (assistance, formal)

Antonyms for помощь:

• помеха (hindrance)
• вред (harm)

Related Phrases:

• прийти на помощь - to come to someone's aid
• просить о помощи - to ask for help
• спасение души - salvation of the soul (religious context)

Usage Notes:

• 'Помощь' is a noun and the most general term for 'help'. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
• 'Помочь' is a verb and implies an action of helping. It is perfective, so it often refers to a completed act of help.
• 'Спасение' is more specific and often used in dramatic or emergency contexts, less common in everyday speech.
• When choosing between these, consider the grammatical role (noun vs. verb) and the context (general assistance vs. rescue).

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'помочь' as a noun. Incorrect: "Мне нужен помочь." Correct: "Мне нужна помощь."
• Error: Misusing 'спасение' for general help. Incorrect: "Спасибо за спасение с заданием." Correct: "Спасибо за помощь с заданием."

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, offering and accepting help is often seen as a sign of closeness and trust, especially among friends and family. Refusing help might sometimes be interpreted as politeness, but insisting on helping is common and appreciated.

Related Concepts:

• поддержка (support)
• забота (care)
• услуга (favor)