Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Astonish'

English Word: Astonish

Key Russian Translations:

• удивить [ʊdʲɪˈvʲitʲ] - [Neutral, Commonly Used]
• поразить [pərɐˈzʲitʲ] - [Stronger Emotion, Often Formal or Dramatic]
• ошеломить [ɐʂɨlɐˈmʲitʲ] - [Intense, Informal, Often Negative Connotation]

Frequency: Medium (used regularly in conversational and written Russian)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "удивить"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "поразить" and "ошеломить"

Pronunciation (Russian):

удивить: [ʊdʲɪˈvʲitʲ]

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

поразить: [pərɐˈzʲitʲ]

Note on поразить: Stress on the third syllable. The "по" is unstressed and reduced to a schwa sound.

ошеломить: [ɐʂɨlɐˈmʲitʲ]

Note on ошеломить: Stress on the fourth syllable. The "ше" combination can be tricky for non-native speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To Surprise or Amaze (General Sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• удивить - Used in neutral or positive contexts to express surprise or amazement.

Usage Examples:

• Её успехи удивили всех нас.

  Her achievements astonished all of us.

• Ты можешь удивить их своим талантом.

  You can astonish them with your talent.

• Эта новость удивила даже учителя.

  This news astonished even the teacher.

2. To Strike or Shock (Strong Emotion)

Translation(s) & Context:

• поразить - Used for deeper, often dramatic amazement or shock, frequently in formal or literary contexts.
• ошеломить - Used for overwhelming surprise, often with a negative or intense connotation.

Usage Examples:

• Его слова поразили аудиторию.

  His words astonished the audience.

• Эта трагедия поразила весь город.

  This tragedy astonished the entire city.

• Его грубость ошеломила меня.

  His rudeness astonished me.

• Новость ошеломила всех присутствующих.

  The news astonished everyone present.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

удивить (Verb, Perfective Aspect): Regular conjugation in past, present, and future tenses. Below is the conjugation for past and infinitive forms.

поразить (Verb, Perfective Aspect): Similar regular conjugation with slight stem changes in some forms.

ошеломить (Verb, Perfective Aspect): Regular conjugation but note the complex prefix and stem stress shifts.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for удивить:

• изумить
• огорошить (Informal, Stronger)

Antonyms for удивить:

• ожидать (to expect)
• не удивляться (to not be surprised)

Related Phrases:

• удивить до глубины души - To astonish deeply (lit. "to the depth of the soul").
• поразить в самое сердце - To strike to the heart (used for deep emotional impact).
• ошеломить новостью - To stun with news.

Usage Notes:

• "удивить" is the most neutral and widely applicable translation for "astonish", suitable for most everyday contexts.
• "поразить" often implies a stronger, more profound reaction, frequently used in formal or literary contexts.
• "ошеломить" carries an intense or often negative connotation, suggesting being overwhelmed or stunned.
• Note the aspectual difference: all three are perfective verbs, implying a completed action. For ongoing or habitual surprise, imperfective forms like "удивлять" may be used.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "ошеломить" in neutral or positive contexts. Incorrect: "Его подарок ошеломил меня" (suggests negative shock). Correct: "Его подарок удивил меня" (neutral surprise).
• Error: Misusing aspect. Incorrect: "Я удивил его каждый день" (perfective used for habitual action). Correct: "Я удивлял его каждый день" (imperfective for habitual action).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressions of astonishment (especially with "поразить") are often tied to emotional or dramatic contexts, such as in literature or storytelling. Russians may use exaggerated language to convey surprise, reflecting a cultural tendency toward emotional expressiveness.

Related Concepts:

• изумление (amazement)
• шок (shock)
• восторг (delight)