Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'atone'

English Word: atone

Key Russian Translations:

• искупить [isˈku.pʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, often used in moral or religious contexts]
• замаливать [zə.məˈlʲi.vətʲ] - [Informal, implies ongoing repentance]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations are moderately common in literary and philosophical discussions but less so in everyday conversation.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual nuances, with искупить being slightly more challenging due to its perfective aspect.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

искупить: [isˈku.pʲɪtʲ]

замаливать: [zə.məˈlʲi.vətʲ]

Note on искупить: The stress falls on the second syllable; be mindful of the palatalized 'пʲ' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. This verb has a perfective form, emphasizing completion.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To make amends for a wrong, sin, or mistake, often with a sense of moral or spiritual compensation.

Translation(s) & Context:

• искупить - Used in formal, religious, or philosophical contexts, such as atoning for past errors in a story or sermon.
• замаливать - Applied in informal or personal settings, like ongoing efforts to repent in daily life.

Usage Examples:

• Он искупил свои грехи, жертвуя временем на благотворительность.

  He atoned for his sins by dedicating time to charity.

• После ошибки она замаливала вину, извиняясь перед всеми пострадавшими.

  After her mistake, she atoned for her guilt by apologizing to everyone affected.

• В романе герой пытается искупить прошлое, помогая другим.

  In the novel, the hero tries to atone for his past by helping others.

• Замаливая проступок, он изменил свой образ жизни.

  While atoning for his transgression, he changed his way of life.

• Искупить вину в обществе часто требует публичных действий.

  Atoning for guilt in society often requires public actions.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs, which undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number in Russian. искупить is a perfective verb (indicating a completed action), while замаливать is imperfective (indicating an ongoing process). Russian verbs follow patterns of conjugation that can be regular or irregular.

Note: These verbs do not change for number in the same way as nouns, but they do agree with the subject in person and gender where applicable. искупить is irregular in its perfective form derivations.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: искупать (to wash away sins, similar but more metaphorical), загладить (to smooth over, for minor wrongs)
• Antonyms: усугубить (to worsen, as it intensifies rather than resolves a wrong), игнорировать (to ignore, neglecting atonement altogether)

Note: искупать often carries a more religious connotation, while загладить is used for everyday apologies with subtle differences in emotional depth.

Related Phrases:

• искупить грехи - A common phrase meaning "to atone for sins," often in religious or moral contexts; refers to compensating for past mistakes through good deeds.
• замаливать вину - Means "to atone for guilt," implying a process of repentance; used in personal or psychological discussions.
• публично искупить ошибку - Translates to "to publicly atone for a mistake," emphasizing social or formal restitution.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "atone" translations like искупить are more formal and often tied to moral or religious themes, unlike the broader English usage. Choose искупить for completed actions (e.g., in narratives), and замаливать for ongoing ones. Be aware of aspect differences: perfective for finished events and imperfective for processes. In everyday speech, Russians might opt for simpler phrases like извиниться (to apologize) if the context is less intense.

• Grammar tip: These verbs require agreement with the subject in gender and number in past tense.
• Context guidance: Use искупить in literary or ethical discussions, but замаливать in conversational settings to convey sincerity.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse the perfective and imperfective aspects, e.g., using искупить when an ongoing action is needed. Incorrect: "Я искуплю каждый день" (implying a one-time event). Correct: "Я буду замаливать каждый день" (for continuous atonement). Another error is mispronouncing the palatalized sounds, like saying [is-ku-pit] instead of [isˈku.pʲɪtʲ], which can alter the word's perceived formality.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like искупить carry strong ties to Orthodox Christianity, where atonement is a key theme in literature (e.g., Dostoevsky's works). It reflects a cultural emphasis on redemption through suffering or good deeds, differing from Western individualism by often involving community or spiritual elements.

Related Concepts:

• раскаяние (repentance)
• грех (sin)
• мораль (morality)