Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Aspire'

English Word: aspire

Key Russian Translations:

• стремиться [strʲɪˈmʲitʲsə] - [Neutral, Commonly Used]
• мечтать [mʲɪtʃˈtatʲ] - [Neutral, Often Emotional or Idealistic]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for both translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

стремиться: [strʲɪˈmʲitʲsə]

Note on стремиться: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "р" sound is rolled, which may be challenging for non-native speakers.

мечтать: [mʲɪtʃˈtatʲ]

Note on мечтать: Stress on the second syllable. The "ч" sound is a soft palatal sound, similar to 'ch' in "church".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To Have a Strong Desire or Ambition to Achieve Something

Translation(s) & Context:

• стремиться - Often used in formal or neutral contexts to indicate striving toward a goal (e.g., career, success).

Usage Examples:

• Он стремится стать врачом.

  He aspires to become a doctor.

• Мы стремимся к лучшему будущему.

  We aspire to a better future.

• Она стремится к совершенству во всём.

  She aspires to perfection in everything.

2. To Dream or Long for Something Idealistic

Translation(s) & Context:

• мечтать - Used in contexts involving dreams, hopes, or idealistic desires, often with an emotional tone.

Usage Examples:

• Я мечтаю о путешествии по миру.

  I aspire to travel the world (lit. I dream of traveling the world).

• Дети мечтают о волшебстве.

  Children aspire to magic (lit. Children dream of magic).

Russian Forms/Inflections:

стремиться (Verb, Imperfective): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for -ить verbs. It is used with the preposition "к" + dative case to indicate the object of aspiration.

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (Masculine/Feminine/Neuter/Plural)
Я (I)	стремлюсь	стремился / стремилась / стремилось / стремились
Ты (You, sing.)	стремишься	стремился / стремилась / стремилось / стремились
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	стремится	стремился / стремилась / стремилось / стремились

мечтать (Verb, Imperfective): This verb also follows regular conjugation for -ать verbs. It can be used with "о" + prepositional case for the object of dreaming.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for стремиться:

• добиваться
• рваться

Note: "добиваться" often implies achieving through effort, while "рваться" can imply eagerness or urgency.

Synonyms for мечтать:

• грезить
• мечтаться

Antonyms:

• сдаваться (to give up)
• отказываться (to refuse)

Related Phrases:

• стремиться к успеху - Aspire to success (strive for success).
• мечтать о будущем - Aspire to a future (dream about the future).
• стремиться к знаниям - Aspire to knowledge (strive for knowledge).

Usage Notes:

• "стремиться" is more appropriate for concrete goals or ambitions and often used in formal or neutral contexts. It requires the preposition "к" + dative case.
• "мечтать" conveys a sense of dreaming or longing, often with an emotional or idealistic tone. It is commonly used with "о" + prepositional case.
• Choose between the two based on the tone and context of aspiration: use "стремиться" for determination and "мечтать" for hopes or dreams.

Common Errors:

1. Incorrect Preposition Use: English speakers often forget to use "к" with "стремиться" or "о" with "мечтать". For example, saying "Я стремлюсь успех" instead of "Я стремлюсь к успеху" is incorrect.

2. Confusing Contexts: Using "мечтать" in formal contexts where "стремиться" is more appropriate, e.g., "Я мечтаю о карьере" sounds overly emotional in a professional setting; "Я стремлюсь к карьере" is better.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressing aspirations or dreams (especially with "мечтать") often carries a romantic or idealistic connotation. Russians may use "мечтать" in literature or personal conversations to evoke deep emotions, while "стремиться" is more pragmatic and goal-oriented, often tied to Soviet-era rhetoric of striving for collective progress.

Related Concepts:

• цель (goal)
• мечта (dream)
• амбиция (ambition)