Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'begrudge'

English Word: begrudge

Key Russian Translations:

• завидовать [zɐˈvʲidəvətʲ] - [Informal, Often used for envy or resentment]
• жалеть [ʐɐˈlʲetʲ] - [Neutral, Often used for reluctance to give or share]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for both translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

завидовать: [zɐˈvʲidəvətʲ]

Note on завидовать: Stress falls on the second syllable. The 'в' is pronounced softly due to the following 'и'.

жалеть: [ʐɐˈlʲetʲ]

Note on жалеть: Stress on the second syllable. The 'ж' is a voiced fricative, unique to Russian.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To feel envy or resentment towards someone’s success or possessions

Translation(s) & Context:

• завидовать - Commonly used to express envy or resentment towards someone else's achievements or belongings.

Usage Examples:

• Она завидует его успеху в карьере.

  She begrudges his career success. / She envies his success in his career.

• Не завидуй чужому счастью.

  Don’t begrudge others’ happiness. / Don’t envy others’ happiness.

• Он всегда завидует тем, у кого больше денег.

  He always begrudges those who have more money. / He always envies those with more money.

2. To be reluctant to give or allow something

Translation(s) & Context:

• жалеть - Used when someone is reluctant to give time, money, or resources, often with a sense of regret or pity.

Usage Examples:

• Он жалеет денег на подарок.

  He begrudges spending money on a gift. / He is reluctant to spend money on a gift.

• Она жалеет времени на помощь другим.

  She begrudges the time to help others. / She is reluctant to spend time helping others.

• Не жалей усилий, чтобы достичь цели.

  Don’t begrudge the effort to achieve your goal. / Don’t spare the effort to achieve your goal.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

завидовать (verb, imperfective): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -овать. It is used with the dative case for the object of envy.

жалеть (verb, imperfective): This verb also follows regular conjugation and is often used with the genitive case for the object of reluctance.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for завидовать:

• ревновать (more emotional, often related to jealousy)
• зависть испытывать (formal, to feel envy)

Synonyms for жалеть:

• скупиться (to be stingy)
• беречь (to spare or save, less negative)

Antonyms for завидовать:

• радоваться (to rejoice)

Antonyms for жалеть:

• щедро делиться (to share generously)

Related Phrases:

• завидовать по-чёрному - "to envy deeply" (very strong, informal envy)
• жалеть о прошлом - "to regret the past" (used for regret or reluctance about past events)

Usage Notes:

• Choosing between translations: Use "завидовать" when the context involves envy or resentment towards someone’s success or possessions. Use "жалеть" when the context involves reluctance to give or spend something like time or money.
• Case usage: "завидовать" requires the dative case for the object of envy (e.g., завидовать другу - to envy a friend). "жалеть" often takes the genitive case for the object of reluctance (e.g., жалеть времени - to begrudge time).
• Aspect: Both verbs are imperfective. For completed actions, perfective forms like "позавидовать" or "пожалеть" may be used, though they are less common in this context.

Common Errors:

• Incorrect case usage: English speakers often forget to use the dative case with "завидовать". Incorrect: *завидовать друг (nominative)*. Correct: завидовать другу (dative).
• Confusing translations: Using "жалеть" to mean pity instead of begrudging. "Жалеть" can mean "to pity" in other contexts (e.g., жалеть ребёнка - to feel sorry for a child), so ensure the context matches reluctance or begrudging.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, openly expressing envy ("завидовать") can be seen as negative or impolite, so it’s often implied rather than stated directly. Similarly, begrudging resources ("жалеть") might be associated with frugality, which is sometimes valued in certain contexts but can also be viewed as stinginess.

Related Concepts:

• зависть (envy, noun form)
• жадность (greed or stinginess)
• ревность (jealousy)