Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Alienate'

English Word: Alienate

Key Russian Translations:

• отчуждать [ɐtˈʂuʐdatʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Imperfective]
• отчудить [ɐtˈʂudʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Perfective]
• отталкивать [ɐtːɐlˈkʲivətʲ] - [Informal, Verb, Imperfective, Figurative]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for "отчуждать" and "отчудить"; B1 (Intermediate) for "отталкивать"

Pronunciation (Russian):

отчуждать: [ɐtˈʂuʐdatʲ]

Note on отчуждать: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "ж" sound is a voiced retroflex fricative, which may be challenging for non-native speakers.

отчудить: [ɐtˈʂudʲɪtʲ]

Note on отчудить: Stress on the second syllable. Perfective form often used in completed actions.

отталкивать: [ɐtːɐlˈkʲivətʲ]

Note on отталкивать: Stress on the third syllable. The double "тт" indicates a geminated consonant, slightly prolonged in speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To cause someone to feel isolated or estranged (emotionally)

Translation(s) & Context:

• отчуждать - Often used in formal or written contexts to describe emotional or social estrangement.
• отталкивать - More colloquial, often implies pushing someone away emotionally or socially.

Usage Examples:

• Его холодное поведение отчуждает друзей.

  His cold behavior alienates his friends.

• Она не хотела отталкивать его своими словами.

  She didn’t want to alienate him with her words.

• Такое отношение может отчуждать даже близких людей.

  Such an attitude can alienate even close people.

2. To transfer ownership or rights (legally)

Translation(s) & Context:

• отчуждать - Used in legal or formal contexts to mean transferring property or rights.
• отчудить - Perfective form, used for a completed act of transferring ownership.

Usage Examples:

• Он решил отчудить свою долю в компании.

  He decided to alienate his share in the company.

• Закон запрещает отчуждать государственное имущество без разрешения.

  The law prohibits alienating state property without permission.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

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

отчудить (Perfective Verb): Used for completed actions. Conjugates regularly in past and future tenses.

отталкивать (Imperfective Verb): Regular conjugation with a focus on figurative or physical pushing away. Follows similar patterns to "отчуждать".

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for отчуждать/отталкивать (emotional sense):

• отвергать
• отстранять

Note: "отвергать" often implies rejection, while "отстранять" can mean distancing physically or emotionally.

Antonyms for отчуждать/отталкивать (emotional sense):

• привлекать
• сближать

Related Phrases:

• отчуждать имущество - To alienate property (legal context).
• отталкивать людей - To push people away (emotional or social context).
• чувствовать себя отчуждённым - To feel alienated (passive form, emotional context).

Usage Notes:

• "отчуждать" is the most formal and versatile term, applicable to both emotional estrangement and legal transfer of rights. It is often used in written or official contexts.
• "отчудить" is the perfective counterpart to "отчуждать" and is used when the action of alienation (especially legal) is completed.
• "отталкивать" is more colloquial and often carries a figurative sense of pushing someone away emotionally or socially, though it can also mean physical pushing.
• When choosing between these translations, consider the context: legal contexts require "отчуждать/отчудить", while interpersonal contexts may favor "отталкивать".

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "отталкивать" in formal or legal contexts.
  Incorrect: Он отталкивает имущество.
  Correct: Он отчуждает имущество.
  Explanation: "отталкивать" is inappropriate for legal contexts as it implies physical or emotional pushing, not a transfer of rights.
• Error: Misusing aspectual pairs (imperfective vs. perfective).
  Incorrect: Я отчуждаю свою долю вчера.
  Correct: Я отчудил свою долю вчера.
  Explanation: Use the perfective "отчудить" for completed past actions, not the imperfective "отчуждать".

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of alienation (especially emotional) can carry significant weight due to historical and social contexts, such as the Soviet era's impact on personal relationships and property rights. The term "отчуждение" (alienation) is often discussed in philosophical and sociological contexts, influenced by Marxist theory.

Related Concepts:

• отчуждение (alienation as a noun)
• изоляция (isolation)
• разобщённость (disunity)