Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'appal'

English Word: appal

Key Russian Translations:

• Шокировать [ʂɐˈkʲirəvətʲ] - [Formal, often used in media or serious discussions]
• Ужасать [ʊˈʐasətʲ] - [Informal, emotional contexts]

Frequency: Medium (These verbs are commonly encountered in literature, news, and everyday conversation but not as frequent as basic vocabulary like "to be" or "to go").

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate, per CEFR; requires understanding of verb conjugations and emotional nuances. For 'Шокировать', it's B2; for 'Ужасать', it's also B2 due to similar structures.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Шокировать: [ʂɐˈkʲirəvətʲ]

Note on Шокировать: The initial 'ш' sound is a voiceless postalveolar fricative, similar to 'sh' in English 'shoe', but ensure the stress on the second syllable. Common mispronunciation involves softening the 'к' sound.

Ужасать: [ʊˈʐasətʲ]

Note on Ужасать: The 'ж' is a voiced postalveolar fricative, like 's' in 'measure'. Stress is on the second syllable; be mindful of the soft 'т' at the end.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To greatly shock or horrify (the primary meaning of 'appal')

Translation(s) & Context:

• Шокировать - Used in formal contexts, such as news reports or academic discussions, to describe something that causes profound surprise or dismay.
• Ужасать - Applied in informal or emotional settings, like personal stories, to convey horror or fear, often with a stronger affective connotation.

Usage Examples:

• Эта новость шокирует всю страну. (Eta novost' shokiruet vsyu stranu.)

  This news appals the entire country. (Context: Formal media report on a scandal.)

• Фильм ужасает своей реалистичностью. (Film uzhasaet svoey realizmost'yu.)

  The film appals with its realism. (Context: Informal review of a horror movie, showing emotional impact.)

• Его поведение шокирует друзей. (Yego povedeniye shokiruet druzey.)

  His behavior appals his friends. (Context: Everyday conversation about shocking personal actions.)

• Эта история ужасает меня каждый раз. (Eta istoriya uzhasaet menya kazhdyy raz.)

  This story appals me every time. (Context: Reflective narrative, emphasizing repeated emotional distress.)

• Шокирующие детали ужасают публику. (Shokiruyushchiye detali uzhasayut publiku.)

  The appalling details horrify the public. (Context: Combining both verbs in a sentence for nuanced usage in journalism.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'Шокировать' and 'Ужасать' are imperfective verbs in Russian, meaning they describe ongoing or repeated actions. Russian verbs follow patterns of conjugation based on person, number, tense, and aspect. These are first-conjugation verbs with irregularities in some forms.

Note: These verbs do not change based on gender in the infinitive form but do in the past tense. They are aspectually imperfective; for perfective aspects, use 'шокировать' with prefixes like 'по-' for completed actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Удивлять (Udivlyat') - To surprise, but less intensely; often used for positive shocks.
  • Пугать (Pugaat') - To scare, with a focus on fear rather than moral horror.
• Antonyms:
  • Успокаивать (Uspokaivat') - To calm or soothe.
  • Радовать (Radovat') - To delight or please.

Related Phrases:

• Шокирующая новость (Shokiruyushchaya novost') - A shocking piece of news; used in media to describe appalling events.
• Ужасать до глубины души (Uzhasat' do glubiny dushi) - To appal to the core; an idiomatic expression for deep emotional impact.
• Быть шокированным (Byt' shokirovannym) - To be appalled; a common phrase in personal reactions.

Usage Notes:

'Appal' in English often carries a sense of moral outrage, which aligns closely with 'Шокировать' in formal Russian contexts, such as ethics or politics. Use 'Ужасать' for more visceral, emotional reactions. Be cautious with register: 'Шокировать' is neutral to formal, while 'Ужасать' can sound dramatic in casual speech. When choosing between translations, consider the aspect—Russian verbs require specifying perfective/imperfective forms for accurate tense usage. For example, pair with adverbs like 'сильно' (strongly) to intensify, as in English.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'Шокировать' interchangeably with 'Ужасать' without considering context. For instance, learners might say 'Эта история шокирует меня' when 'ужасает' better fits an emotional horror story.

  Correct: 'Эта история ужасает меня' (This story appals me). Explanation: 'Шокировать' implies surprise more than deep fear, leading to understatement in emotional contexts.

• Error: Incorrect conjugation, e.g., saying 'Я шокирует' instead of 'Я шокирую' in present tense.

  Correct: 'Я шокирую'. Explanation: Russian verbs must agree with subject in person and number; this is a common mistake for English speakers unfamiliar with Slavic conjugation patterns.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'Ужасать' often tie into historical contexts, such as the portrayal of war or Soviet-era hardships in literature (e.g., in works by Tolstoy). 'Appal' equivalents can evoke collective memory of events like the Great Patriotic War, where shock and horror are deeply ingrained, making these verbs not just descriptive but emotionally resonant in storytelling.

Related Concepts:

• Страх (Strakh) - Fear
• Ужас (Uzhas) - Horror
• Шок (Shok) - Shock