Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'appease'

English Word: appease

Key Russian Translations:

• успокоить [ʊspɐˈkoɪtʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Used for calming someone emotionally]
• умиротворить [ʊmʲɪrɐˈtvorʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, Often used in political or conflict contexts]
• удовлетворить [ʊdɐvlʲɪtvɐˈrʲitʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Used for satisfying demands or needs]

Frequency: Medium (used in specific contexts rather than everyday speech)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for "успокоить"; C1 (Advanced) for "умиротворить" and "удовлетворить" due to nuanced usage

Pronunciation (Russian):

успокоить: [ʊspɐˈkoɪtʲ]

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

умиротворить: [ʊmʲɪrɐˈtvorʲɪtʲ]

Note on умиротворить: Stress on the fourth syllable. The soft "р" requires attention for non-native speakers.

удовлетворить: [ʊdɐvlʲɪtvɐˈrʲitʲ]

Note on удовлетворить: Stress on the fifth syllable. The "тв" cluster can be challenging to pronounce smoothly.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To calm or pacify someone emotionally

Translation(s) & Context:

• успокоить - Used when trying to soothe someone's feelings or reduce anxiety.

Usage Examples:

• Я пытался успокоить её после ссоры.

  I tried to appease her after the argument.

• Он успокоил ребёнка, рассказав сказку.

  He appeased the child by telling a story.

• Её слова успокоили меня.

  Her words appeased me.

2. To satisfy or meet demands (often reluctantly)

Translation(s) & Context:

• удовлетворить - Often used for fulfilling requests or demands to avoid conflict.

Usage Examples:

• Мы удовлетворили их требования, чтобы избежать скандала.

  We appeased their demands to avoid a scandal.

• Его невозможно удовлетворить, он всегда требует больше.

  He’s impossible to appease; he always demands more.

3. To pacify in a political or conflict context

Translation(s) & Context:

• умиротворить - Used in formal contexts, often related to diplomacy or conflict resolution.

Usage Examples:

• Они пытались умиротворить враждующие стороны.

  They tried to appease the warring sides.

• Политика умиротворения не всегда эффективна.

  The policy of appeasement is not always effective.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

успокоить (Verb, Perfective Aspect):

Person	Present (Imperfective: успокаивать)	Past (Perfective)	Future (Perfective)
Я (I)	успокаиваю	успокоил	успокою
Ты (You, singular)	успокаиваешь	успокоил	успокоишь
Он/Она (He/She)	успокаивает	успокоил/успокоила	успокоит

Note: "умиротворить" and "удовлетворить" follow similar perfective verb conjugation patterns but are less commonly used in everyday speech.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for "успокоить":

• утешить (to comfort)
• облегчить (to ease)

Note: "утешить" is more emotional, while "облегчить" can refer to physical or emotional relief.

Antonyms for "успокоить":

• взволновать (to upset)
• раздражать (to irritate)

Related Phrases:

• успокоить нервы - to calm one’s nerves (used for reducing stress or anxiety)
• умиротворить душу - to bring peace to the soul (often used in a spiritual context)
• удовлетворить запрос - to satisfy a request (formal, often in business or official contexts)

Usage Notes:

• "успокоить" is the most versatile and commonly used translation for "appease" when referring to calming emotions.
• "умиротворить" is highly formal and typically reserved for political or diplomatic contexts. It may sound out of place in casual conversation.
• "удовлетворить" focuses on satisfying demands or needs and often implies a transactional or reluctant act of appeasement.
• Pay attention to the aspect of verbs in Russian. "успокоить" (perfective) indicates a completed action, while its imperfective form "успокаивать" indicates an ongoing process.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "умиротворить" in everyday emotional contexts. Example: *Я умиротворил её после ссоры* (incorrect).
  Correction: Use "успокоить" instead: Я успокоил её после ссоры.
  Explanation: "умиротворить" is too formal and context-specific for personal situations.
• Error: Mixing up aspects, e.g., using "успокаивать" when a completed action is implied. Example: *Я успокаивал её вчера* (less natural).
  Correction: Use the perfective "успокоил": Я успокоил её вчера.
  Explanation: Perfective verbs are often more appropriate for one-time, completed actions in the past.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of "appeasement" in political contexts (as translated by "умиротворить") often carries historical connotations, particularly related to pre-WWII policies of appeasement toward aggressive regimes. Using this term may evoke such associations among educated speakers.

Related Concepts:

• примирение (reconciliation)
• компромисс (compromise)
• уступка (concession)