Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'bemoan'

English Word: bemoan

Key Russian Translations:

• оплакивать [ɐˈplakʲɪvətʲ] - [Formal, Often used for lamenting loss or misfortune]
• сетовать [sʲɪˈtovətʲ] - [Neutral, Commonly used for expressing regret or complaint]
• жаловаться [ʐɐˈlovətsə] - [Informal, Used when complaining about something]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in written and spoken contexts, especially "сетовать" and "жаловаться")

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "сетовать" and "жаловаться"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "оплакивать" due to its formal tone and specific usage

Pronunciation (Russian):

оплакивать: [ɐˈplakʲɪvətʲ]

Note on оплакивать: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "о" is pronounced as a reduced "ɐ" due to Russian vowel reduction.

сетовать: [sʲɪˈtovətʲ]

Note on сетовать: Stress on the second syllable. The "е" sounds like "и" in unstressed positions.

жаловаться: [ʐɐˈlovətsə]

Note on жаловаться: Stress on the second syllable. The "ж" is a voiced retroflex fricative, a sound unfamiliar to many English speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To express sorrow or lament over something (e.g., a loss)

Translation(s) & Context:

• оплакивать - Used in formal or literary contexts to lament a significant loss, such as a death or tragedy.

Usage Examples:

• Она оплакивает смерть своего друга.

  She bemoans the death of her friend.

• Мы оплакиваем утрату нашего дома.

  We bemoan the loss of our home.

• Он оплакивал свою судьбу в одиночестве.

  He bemoaned his fate in solitude.

2. To express regret or dissatisfaction (e.g., about a situation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• сетовать - Neutral tone, often used to express regret or mild complaint about circumstances.
• жаловаться - Informal, used when complaining to someone about a problem or situation.

Usage Examples:

• Он сетовал на плохую погоду всю неделю.

  He bemoaned the bad weather all week.

• Она жаловалась на низкую зарплату своему начальнику.

  She bemoaned her low salary to her boss.

• Мы сетовали на отсутствие времени для отдыха.

  We bemoaned the lack of time for rest.

• Дети жаловались на трудные уроки.

  The children bemoaned the difficult lessons.

• Он сетовал, что не смог приехать на праздник.

  He bemoaned that he couldn’t come to the celebration.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

оплакивать (verb, imperfective): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -ать. It is often used with the accusative case for the object of lamentation.

Person	Present Tense
Я (I)	оплакиваю
Ты (You, singular)	оплакиваешь
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	оплакивает
Мы (We)	оплакиваем
Вы (You, plural/formal)	оплакиваете
Они (They)	оплакивают

сетовать (verb, imperfective): Regular conjugation for verbs ending in -овать. Used with preposition "на" + accusative case for the object of regret.

жаловаться (verb, imperfective): Regular conjugation, often used with preposition "на" + accusative case for the object of complaint, or dative case for the person being complained to.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for оплакивать:

• скорбеть
• тосковать

Note: "скорбеть" is more formal and tied to mourning, while "тосковать" implies longing or sadness.

Synonyms for сетовать/жаловаться:

• роптать
• ныть

Note: "роптать" has a connotation of grumbling, while "ныть" is more colloquial and negative, implying whining.

Antonyms:

• радоваться (to rejoice)
• восхищаться (to admire)

Related Phrases:

• сетовать на судьбу - To bemoan one’s fate (express regret about one’s life circumstances).
• жаловаться на жизнь - To bemoan life (complain about one’s life situation).
• оплакивать прошлое - To bemoan the past (lament past events or losses).

Usage Notes:

• "оплакивать" is more formal and often reserved for serious or tragic contexts, such as mourning a death or significant loss. It is less common in everyday speech.
• "сетовать" is a neutral term for expressing regret or mild dissatisfaction, often used in written or spoken contexts without sounding overly emotional.
• "жаловаться" is conversational and implies complaining, often to someone else, about a personal issue or situation. It can sometimes carry a negative tone if overused.
• Pay attention to prepositions: "сетовать" and "жаловаться" often pair with "на" + accusative case (e.g., "на погоду" - about the weather), while "оплакивать" directly takes the accusative case (e.g., "смерть" - death).

Common Errors:

• Mixing up "оплакивать" and "жаловаться": English speakers might use "оплакивать" for casual complaints, but it is inappropriate for trivial matters. Correct: "жаловаться на работу" (bemoan work); Incorrect: "оплакивать работу".
• Preposition errors: Using "о" instead of "на" with "сетовать" or "жаловаться". Correct: "сетовать на проблему"; Incorrect: "сетовать о проблеме".
• Overusing "жаловаться": It can sound whiny if used too often in conversation. Use "сетовать" for a more neutral tone in formal discussions.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, openly bemoaning or complaining (especially with "жаловаться") can sometimes be seen as a way to bond or seek sympathy, but excessive complaining may be frowned upon as a sign of weakness or negativity. On the other hand, "оплакивать" carries a deep emotional weight and is often tied to traditional expressions of grief, especially in literature or historical contexts.

Related Concepts:

• скорбь (grief)
• жалоба (complaint)
• печаль (sadness)