Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'antiquate'

English Word: antiquate

Key Russian Translations:

• устаревать /uˈstarʲivətʲ/ - [Verb, Intransitive, Informal/Formal]
• сделать устаревшим /sʲdʲɪˈlʲatʲ uˈstarʲɪvɨm/ - [Verb Phrase, Transitive, Formal, Used in technical or academic contexts]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations are encountered in discussions about technology, history, and innovation, but not in everyday casual conversation.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for устаревать; C1 (Advanced) for сделать устаревшим, as it involves understanding verb aspects and transitive/intransitive usage in Russian.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

устаревать: /uˈstarʲivətʲ/ (Stress on the second syllable; the 'р' is rolled, and the 'в' is soft.)

сделать устаревшим: /sʲdʲɪˈlʲatʲ uˈstarʲɪvɨm/ (The phrase has a compound pronunciation; note the soft consonants in 'сделать'.)

Note on устаревать: This is an imperfective verb, and pronunciation can vary slightly in fast speech, where the final 'тʲ' may soften further. Pay attention to the vowel shifts in different forms.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To make something obsolete or outdated, often implying a process of becoming irrelevant due to new developments.

Translation(s) & Context:

• устаревать - Used in contexts describing natural obsolescence, such as technology or ideas losing relevance over time (e.g., in everyday or professional discussions).
• сделать устаревшим - Applied when an action actively causes something to become outdated, common in formal writing, tech reviews, or historical analyses.

Usage Examples:

• Эта технология устаревает с каждым годом.

  This technology is becoming outdated with each year. (Shows intransitive use in a progressive context.)

• Новые изобретения могут устаревать другие методы работы.

  New inventions can make other work methods outdated. (Illustrates the verb in a broader societal context.)

• Он решил сделать устаревшим старое оборудование, купив современное.

  He decided to make the old equipment outdated by buying modern alternatives. (Demonstrates transitive phrase in a decision-making scenario.)

• В быстро меняющемся мире книги устаревают быстрее, чем раньше.

  In a rapidly changing world, books become outdated faster than before. (Highlights use in metaphorical or cultural discussions.)

• Правительство пытается сделать устаревшим устаревшее законодательство.

  The government is trying to make outdated legislation obsolete. (Shows formal application in policy or legal contexts.)

Secondary Meaning: To cause something to appear antiquated or old-fashioned in comparison.

Translation(s) & Context:

• устаревать - In comparative contexts, emphasizing relative age or irrelevance.

Usage Examples:

• Современные смартфоны устаревают классические телефоны мгновенно.

  Modern smartphones make classic phones outdated instantly. (Compares old and new technology.)

• Интернет устаревает традиционные способы общения.

  The internet is making traditional ways of communication outdated. (Focuses on social change.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs, with устаревать being an imperfective intransitive verb and сделать устаревшим a perfective verb phrase. Russian verbs follow patterns of conjugation based on aspect, tense, and person. устаревать is irregular in some forms due to its root.

Note: устаревать does not change in gender or number in its base form but conjugates fully by tense and person. The phrase сделать устаревшим is more fixed and less inflected as a whole.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • стареть (to age; implies gradual decline, often used for physical objects)
  • уходить в прошлое (to fade into the past; more metaphorical, for ideas or customs)
• Antonyms:
  • модернизировать (to modernize; directly opposes the idea of becoming outdated)
  • актуализировать (to make relevant; used in professional contexts)

Related Phrases:

• устаревшая технология - Outdated technology (Refers to obsolete gadgets or methods in tech discussions.)
• сделать что-то устаревшим - To render something obsolete (A common phrase in innovation or policy contexts.)
• уходить в устаревание - To go into obsolescence (An idiomatic expression for processes becoming irrelevant over time.)

Usage Notes:

"Antiquate" corresponds closely to устаревать in its intransitive sense, but in Russian, you must choose the appropriate aspect: imperfective for ongoing processes and perfective for completed actions. Use устаревать for natural progression (e.g., in historical contexts) and сделать устаревшим for deliberate actions. Be mindful of formal vs. informal settings; устаревать is neutral, while the phrase is more common in written or academic Russian. When translating, ensure the subject and object align with Russian's case system.

• Avoid direct word-for-word translation; instead, adapt to Russian grammar for natural flow.
• In spoken Russian, pair with adverbs like "быстро" (quickly) to add nuance.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse устаревать with устареть (the past form), using it incorrectly in present contexts. For example:

• Incorrect: "Эта технология устареть." (This implies a completed action without context.)
• Correct: "Эта технология устаревает." (Use the present tense for ongoing processes.)
• Another error is omitting the perfective aspect: Incorrect: "Я устаревать книгу." (This doesn't make sense as устаревать is intransitive.) Correct: "Я сделал книгу устаревшей." (Add the transitive element for accuracy.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like устаревать often reflect the rapid pace of technological change in modern Russia, influenced by historical events like the Soviet era's emphasis on innovation. This can evoke nostalgia for "old ways" in literature or media, highlighting a cultural tension between tradition and progress.

Related Concepts:

• модерн
• технологии
• инновации