Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Banish'

English Word: Banish

Key Russian Translations:

• изгнать [ɪzˈɡnætʲ] - [Formal, Often used in historical or literary contexts]
• выслать [ˈvɨslətʲ] - [Formal, Often used for deportation or exile by authorities]
• отогнать [ətɐˈɡnætʲ] - [Informal, Can refer to driving away thoughts or feelings]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for "изгнать" and "выслать"; B1 (Beginner-Intermediate) for "отогнать"

Pronunciation (Russian):

изгнать: [ɪzˈɡnætʲ]

Note on изгнать: Stress on the second syllable; the "г" is pronounced as a voiced velar stop.

выслать: [ˈvɨslətʲ]

Note on выслать: Stress on the first syllable; the "ы" sound is unique to Russian, similar to a short "i".

отогнать: [ətɐˈɡnætʲ]

Note on отогнать: Stress on the third syllable; the "о" in the first syllable is reduced to a schwa sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To force someone to leave a place (Exile or Deportation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• изгнать - Used in formal, historical, or literary contexts, often implying permanent exile.
• выслать - Often used in legal or administrative contexts, such as deportation by authorities.

Usage Examples:

• Король изгнал предателя из королевства.

  The king banished the traitor from the kingdom.

• Правительство выслало иностранца за нарушение закона.

  The government deported the foreigner for breaking the law.

• Его изгнали из общины за непослушание.

  He was banished from the community for disobedience.

2. To drive away thoughts, feelings, or fears

Translation(s) & Context:

• отогнать - Used metaphorically for dispelling thoughts or emotions, less formal.

Usage Examples:

• Она пыталась отогнать мысли о прошлом.

  She tried to banish thoughts of the past.

• Он отогнал страх и сделал шаг вперед.

  He banished fear and took a step forward.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

изгнать (Verb, Perfective): This verb is perfective and indicates a completed action. It follows regular conjugation patterns for perfective verbs in Russian.

Person	Present (Rarely Used)	Past	Future
Я (I)	-	изгнал (m) / изгнала (f)	изгоню
Ты (You, informal)	-	изгнал (m) / изгнала (f)	изгонишь
Он/Она (He/She)	-	изгнал / изгнала	изгонит

выслать (Verb, Perfective): Similar to "изгнать," it is a perfective verb with regular conjugation.

отогнать (Verb, Perfective): Also perfective, used for both literal and figurative senses of driving away.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for изгнать/выслать (Exile):

• выгнать
• прогнать

Note: "выгнать" is more colloquial than "изгнать," while "прогнать" can imply a quicker or harsher action.

Antonyms for изгнать/выслать:

• принять
• впустить

Related Phrases:

• изгнать из страны - To banish from the country (formal or historical context).
• выслать за границу - To deport abroad (legal or administrative context).
• отогнать дурные мысли - To drive away bad thoughts (figurative use).

Usage Notes:

• "изгнать" is often used in historical, literary, or religious contexts and carries a dramatic or formal tone. It may not be suitable for casual conversation.
• "выслать" is more specific to legal or governmental actions, such as deportation, and is less emotionally charged than "изгнать."
• "отогнать" is versatile, used for both physical and metaphorical banishing (e.g., driving away animals or thoughts), and is more conversational.
• Be mindful of the perfective aspect of these verbs; they imply a completed action. For ongoing or repeated actions, imperfective forms like "изгонять" or "высылать" may be used.

Common Errors:

1. Mixing up "изгнать" and "выгнать": English learners often confuse "изгнать" (formal, exile) with "выгнать" (colloquial, to kick out). For example, saying "Я изгнал его из дома" sounds overly dramatic; "Я выгнал его из дома" (I kicked him out of the house) is more natural in everyday speech.

2. Using "отогнать" for formal exile: "отогнать" should not be used for formal contexts like banishment from a country. Incorrect: "Король отогнал врага из страны." Correct: "Король изгнал врага из страны."

Cultural Notes:

The concept of banishment, especially through "изгнать," carries significant weight in Russian literature and history, often tied to themes of exile during the Soviet era or in classic works like those of Dostoevsky. Understanding the emotional and historical connotations of "изгнать" can enhance comprehension of Russian texts.

Related Concepts:

• ссылка (exile, deportation)
• изгнание (banishment, expulsion)
• отчуждение (alienation)