Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Alight'

English Word: alight

Key Russian Translations:

• выходить [ˈvɨxədʲitʲ] - [Neutral, Used for getting off a vehicle]
• сходить [sxəˈdʲitʲ] - [Neutral, Often used for descending or getting off transport]
• загореться [zəɡɐˈrʲetʲsə] - [Neutral, Used for catching fire or becoming illuminated]

Frequency: Medium (varies by context; "выходить" and "сходить" are more common in everyday speech, while "загореться" is context-specific)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "выходить" and "сходить"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "загореться" due to metaphorical usage

Pronunciation (Russian):

выходить: [ˈvɨxədʲitʲ]

Note on выходить: Stress falls on the first syllable. The "х" sound is a guttural fricative, unfamiliar to many English speakers.

сходить: [sxəˈdʲitʲ]

Note on сходить: Stress on the second syllable. The "сх" combination can be tricky; pronounce it as a blend of "s" and "kh."

загореться: [zəɡɐˈrʲetʲsə]

Note on загореться: Stress on the third syllable. The soft "р" and final "тся" (reflexive particle) may require practice.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To get off or descend from a vehicle (e.g., bus, train)

Translation(s) & Context:

• выходить - Used generally for exiting or getting out of a place or vehicle.
• сходить - Often implies descending or stepping down, more specific to transport.

Usage Examples:

• Я выхожу на следующей остановке.

  I’m getting off at the next stop.

• Мы сошли с поезда в Москве.

  We got off the train in Moscow.

• Пассажиры выходят из автобуса.

  The passengers are getting off the bus.

2. To catch fire or become illuminated (literal or figurative)

Translation(s) & Context:

• загореться - Used for something catching fire or lighting up, often metaphorically for enthusiasm.

Usage Examples:

• Свеча загорелась ярким пламенем.

  The candle alighted with a bright flame.

• Его глаза загорелись от радости.

  His eyes alighted with joy.

• Старый дом загорелся ночью.

  The old house caught fire at night.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

выходить (verb, imperfective): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -ить. It pairs with the perfective form "выйти."

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (Masculine/Feminine/Neuter)
Я (I)	выхожу	выходил / выходила / выходило
Ты (You, singular)	выходишь	выходил / выходила / выходило
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	выходит	выходил / выходила / выходило

сходить (verb, imperfective): Similar to "выходить," pairs with perfective "сойти." Conjugation follows regular patterns.

загореться (verb, perfective): Reflexive verb with the particle -ся. It does not have an imperfective pair in this exact meaning.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for "выходить" (to get off):

• покидать (to leave)
• уходить (to depart)

Note: "покидать" is more formal, while "уходить" often implies leaving a place entirely.

Synonyms for "загореться" (to catch fire):

• воспламениться (to ignite, formal)
• вспыхнуть (to flare up)

Antonyms for "загореться":

• потухнуть (to go out, extinguish)

Related Phrases:

• выходить из себя - to lose one’s temper (lit. to get out of oneself)
• сходить с ума - to go crazy (lit. to descend from mind)
• загореться идеей - to be fired up by an idea (lit. to catch fire with an idea)

Usage Notes:

• "выходить" and "сходить" are often interchangeable when referring to getting off transport, but "сходить" implies a downward motion and is more specific to vehicles like trains or buses.
• "загореться" is used both literally (catching fire) and figuratively (lighting up with emotion). Context is crucial to avoid misunderstanding.
• Be mindful of verb aspects in Russian. "выходить" (imperfective) refers to a repeated or ongoing action, while "выйти" (perfective) indicates a one-time completed action.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "загореться" for getting off a vehicle. Incorrect: "Я загорелся с автобуса." Correct: "Я вышел из автобуса." (Explanation: "загореться" means to catch fire, not to disembark.)
• Error: Ignoring verb aspect, e.g., using "выходить" for a completed action. Incorrect: "Я выходил вчера из поезда." Correct: "Я вышел вчера из поезда." (Explanation: Use perfective "выйти" for a one-time past event.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the verb "загореться" is often used metaphorically to describe sudden enthusiasm or passion, a nuance that may not be as common with "alight" in English. This reflects a cultural tendency to use vivid imagery for emotions.

Related Concepts:

• выйти (perfective form of выходить)
• сойти (perfective form of сходить)
• вспыхнуть (to flare up, related to загореться)