Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'assassinate'

English Word: assassinate

Key Russian Translations:

• убить [ˈubʲitʲ] - [Formal/Informal, General use for 'to kill']
• ликвидировать [lʲɪkvʲɪˈdʲirəvətʲ] - [Formal, Often used in political or military contexts]
• устранить [ʊstrəˈnʲitʲ] - [Formal, Implies removal or elimination, often euphemistic]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in specific contexts like news or literature)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate, varies by context and formality)

Pronunciation (Russian):

убить: [ˈubʲitʲ]

Note on убить: Stress on the first syllable; the soft 'b' sound is typical in Russian.

ликвидировать: [lʲɪkvʲɪˈdʲirəvətʲ]

Note on ликвидировать: Stress on the fourth syllable; a longer, formal-sounding verb.

устранить: [ʊstrəˈnʲitʲ]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To kill someone, often a prominent figure, for political reasons

Translation(s) & Context:

• убить - General term for 'to kill', used in various contexts including assassination.
• ликвидировать - Specifically used in formal or military contexts for targeted elimination.

Usage Examples:

• Они планировали убить лидера оппозиции.

  They planned to assassinate the opposition leader.

• Спецслужбы ликвидировали опасного преступника.

  The special services assassinated a dangerous criminal.

• Его убили во время публичного выступления.

  He was assassinated during a public speech.

2. To eliminate or remove (often euphemistically)

Translation(s) & Context:

• устранить - Often used metaphorically or euphemistically for removing a threat or obstacle.

Usage Examples:

• Они решили устранить политического противника.

  They decided to eliminate a political opponent.

• Его устранили, чтобы избежать скандала.

  He was eliminated to avoid a scandal.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

убить (Verb, Perfective): This verb is perfective, indicating a completed action. It does not have an imperfective form in this exact meaning but is paired with "убивать" for ongoing or repeated actions.

ликвидировать (Verb, Perfective/Imperfective): Regular conjugation, with "ликвидировать" (imperfective) for ongoing actions.

устранить (Verb, Perfective): Perfective verb, paired with "устранять" for imperfective use. Follows regular conjugation patterns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• убить - прикончить (colloquial, harsh)
• ликвидировать - уничтожить (stronger, 'to destroy')
• устранить - изъять (formal, 'to withdraw')

Antonyms:

• убить - спасти (to save)
• ликвидировать - сохранить (to preserve)

Related Phrases:

• убить на месте - 'to kill on the spot' (immediate killing, often in anger or combat)
• ликвидировать угрозу - 'to eliminate a threat' (formal, often in security contexts)
• устранить конкурента - 'to eliminate a competitor' (often business or political context)

Usage Notes:

• "Убить" is the most general and widely used term for 'to kill', suitable for most contexts, including assassination. However, it lacks the specific political nuance of 'assassinate' in English.
• "Ликвидировать" carries a formal, often cold or official tone, and is frequently used in reports or discussions of targeted killings by authorities.
• "Устранить" is more euphemistic and can apply to non-lethal removal of obstacles or threats, though it can imply assassination in certain contexts.

Common Errors:

Error 1: Using "убить" in overly formal contexts where "ликвидировать" would be more appropriate (e.g., in news about political assassinations).

Incorrect: Террориста убили. (Too casual for formal reporting)

Correct: Террориста ликвидировали. (Appropriate for formal tone)

Error 2: Misusing "устранить" for direct killing without context implying removal or elimination.

Incorrect: Он устранил врага на улице. (Sounds odd without additional context)

Correct: Он убил врага на улице. (Direct and clear)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, terms like "ликвидировать" became prominent during Soviet times, often used in official propaganda to describe the elimination of enemies or threats. This historical context adds a layer of formality and sometimes menace to the word, which English speakers might not immediately grasp when translating 'assassinate'.

Related Concepts:

• убийство (murder/assassination)
• покушение (attempted assassination)
• террор (terror/terrorism)