Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Amaze'

English Word: Amaze

Key Russian Translations:

• удивлять [ʊdʲɪˈvlʲætʲ] - [Formal, Informal]
• поражать [pərɐˈʐatʲ] - [Formal, Strong Emotion]
• изумлять [ɪzʊˈmlʲætʲ] - [Formal, Literary]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "удивлять"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "поражать" and "изумлять"

Pronunciation (Russian):

удивлять: [ʊdʲɪˈvlʲætʲ]

Note on удивлять: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "у" is pronounced as a short "oo" sound.

поражать: [pərɐˈʐatʲ]

Note on поражать: The "ж" sound is a voiced retroflex fricative, unique to Russian, similar to "zh" in "measure".

изумлять: [ɪzʊˈmlʲætʲ]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To cause someone to be surprised or astonished (general sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• удивлять - Commonly used in everyday speech for general surprise or amazement.

Usage Examples:

• Его успехи всегда удивляют меня.

  His successes always amaze me.

• Этот фокус удивляет всех зрителей.

  This trick amazes all the spectators.

• Как ты можешь удивлять людей такими историями?

  How can you amaze people with such stories?

2. To strike with awe or deep impression (strong emotional impact)

Translation(s) & Context:

• поражать - Used when the amazement is intense or tied to admiration or shock.
• изумлять - More literary, often used in written texts or formal contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Её красота поражает всех, кто её видит.

  Her beauty amazes everyone who sees her.

• Этот пейзаж просто поражает воображение.

  This landscape simply amazes the imagination.

• Его слова изумляли слушателей своей глубиной.

  His words amazed the listeners with their depth.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations ("удивлять", "поражать", "изумлять") are verbs of the first conjugation, imperfective aspect. They follow regular conjugation patterns in Russian. Below is the conjugation table for "удивлять" as an example:

Note: "поражать" and "изумлять" follow similar patterns but may have slight stem variations in certain forms. Perfective forms (e.g., "удивить", "поразить", "изумить") exist for completed actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for удивлять:

• поразить (perfective, stronger)
• ошеломить (to stun, stronger emotional impact)

Note: "поразить" implies a completed action and stronger emotion, while "ошеломить" often carries a sense of being overwhelmed.

Antonyms for удивлять:

• разочаровывать (to disappoint)
• ожидать (to expect)

Related Phrases:

• удивлять своей смелостью - to amaze with one's boldness
• поразить в самое сердце - to strike straight to the heart (emotionally amaze or affect deeply)
• изумляться красоте - to be amazed by beauty (literary)

Usage Notes:

• "удивлять" is the most versatile and commonly used translation for "amaze" in everyday speech. It works in both formal and informal contexts.
• "поражать" carries a stronger emotional connotation, often implying awe or deep admiration, and is better suited for intense situations.
• "изумлять" is more formal and often found in literature or elevated speech. It may sound outdated in casual conversation.
• Aspect is crucial in Russian: use imperfective forms ("удивлять", "поражать") for ongoing or repeated actions, and perfective forms ("удивить", "поразить") for one-time, completed actions.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "изумлять" in casual conversation. Wrong: "Ты меня изумляешь!" (sounds overly formal). Correct: "Ты меня удивляешь!" (natural and conversational).
• Error: Ignoring verbal aspect. Wrong: "Я удивляю его вчера." (incorrect aspect for past). Correct: "Я удивил его вчера." (perfective for a completed past action).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressions of amazement or surprise are often accompanied by gestures or interjections like "Ого!" (Wow!) or "Ничего себе!" (No way!). Using "поражать" may also evoke a sense of deep respect or admiration, often tied to cultural values of appreciating beauty or talent.

Related Concepts:

• восхищение (admiration)
• удивление (surprise)
• шок (shock)