Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Assail'

English Word: assail

Key Russian Translations:

• нападать [nəpɐˈdatʲ] - [Informal, General Use]
• атаковать [ɐtɐˈkovətʲ] - [Formal, Often Military or Strategic Context]
• осыпать [ɐˈsɨpətʲ] - [Figurative, Often Used with Criticism or Insults]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "нападать" and "атаковать"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "осыпать" due to figurative usage

Pronunciation (Russian):

нападать: [nəpɐˈdatʲ]

Note on нападать: Stress on the second syllable; the "а" sounds are short and unstressed.

атаковать: [ɐtɐˈkovətʲ]

Note on атаковать: Stress on the third syllable; the "о" is pronounced clearly due to stress.

осыпать: [ɐˈsɨpətʲ]

Note on осыпать: Stress on the second syllable; often used in specific figurative contexts.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To Attack Physically or Violently

Translation(s) & Context:

• нападать - Commonly used for physical or sudden attacks in everyday language.
• атаковать - Used in more formal or strategic contexts, such as military or planned attacks.

Usage Examples:

• Бандиты напали на прохожего в темном переулке.

  Bandits assailed a passerby in a dark alley.

• Враг атаковал наши позиции на рассвете.

  The enemy assailed our positions at dawn.

• Собака напала на ребенка без предупреждения.

  The dog assailed the child without warning.

2. To Criticize or Attack Verbally

Translation(s) & Context:

• осыпать - Often used figuratively with words like "упреки" (reproaches) or "оскорбления" (insults).

Usage Examples:

• Его осыпали упреками за опоздание.

  He was assailed with reproaches for being late.

• Критики осыпали фильм негативными отзывами.

  Critics assailed the movie with negative reviews.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

нападать (Imperfective Verb): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -ать. It indicates an ongoing or repeated action.

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (M/F/N)
Я (I)	нападаю	нападал / нападала / нападало
Ты (You, sing.)	нападаешь	нападал / нападала / нападало
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	нападает	нападал / нападала / нападало

атаковать (Imperfective Verb): Follows similar regular conjugation for -овать verbs. Often paired with perfective "атаковать" for completed actions.

осыпать (Imperfective Verb): Regular conjugation but often used with specific objects like "упреки" or "оскорбления".

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for нападать/атаковать:

• набрасываться
• накидываться

Note: "набрасываться" often implies a more sudden or impulsive attack.

Antonyms for нападать/атаковать:

• защищать
• оборонять

Related Phrases:

• нападать без причины - To assail without reason; used for unprovoked attacks.
• атаковать с фланга - To assail from the flank; a military term for strategic attack.
• осыпать градом упреков - To assail with a hail of reproaches; a figurative expression for heavy criticism.

Usage Notes:

• "нападать" is the most versatile and commonly used translation for "assail" in physical attack contexts and is suitable for informal speech.
• "атаковать" is more formal and often used in military or strategic discussions; it may sound out of place in casual conversation about personal conflicts.
• "осыпать" is strictly figurative and must be paired with an object like "упреки" (reproaches) or "оскорбления" (insults); it cannot be used for physical attacks.

Common Errors:

Error 1: Using "осыпать" for physical attacks. Incorrect: "Он осыпал врага ударами" (He assailed the enemy with blows). Correct: Use "нападать" or "атаковать" for physical contexts, e.g., "Он напал на врага с ударами".

Error 2: Misusing "атаковать" in informal contexts. Incorrect: "Он атаковал меня в споре" (He assailed me in an argument). Correct: Use "нападать" for verbal arguments in casual speech, e.g., "Он напал на меня в споре".

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the concept of "нападать" can carry a strong negative connotation, often implying aggression or hostility. It is rarely used neutrally, unlike "assail" in English, which can sometimes be used in less intense contexts (e.g., assailed by doubts). For such figurative uses in Russian, other verbs like "одолевать" (to overcome) might be more appropriate.

Related Concepts:

• агрессия (aggression)
• насилие (violence)
• критика (criticism)