Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'brew'

English Word: brew

Key Russian Translations:

• варить [ˈvarʲɪtʲ] - [Informal, Verb, Used for cooking or brewing drinks]
• заваривать [zəvɐˈrʲivətʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Verb, Often used for tea or coffee]
• пиво [ˈpʲivə] - [Neutral, Noun, Refers to beer as a brewed drink]

Frequency: Medium (especially "пиво" for beer; verbs less frequent in specific contexts)

Difficulty: A2-B1 (Beginner-Intermediate; "пиво" is A1, while verbs require understanding of conjugation)

Pronunciation (Russian):

варить: [ˈvarʲɪtʲ]

Note on варить: Stress on the first syllable; the "р" is rolled, which may be challenging for non-native speakers.

заваривать: [zəvɐˈrʲivətʲ]

Note on заваривать: Stress on the third syllable; pay attention to the soft "в" sound.

пиво: [ˈpʲivə]

Note on пиво: Stress on the first syllable; the "о" is reduced to a schwa sound in unstressed position.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To prepare a drink by steeping (e.g., tea, coffee)

Translation(s) & Context:

• заваривать - Commonly used for tea or coffee preparation in domestic or casual settings.

Usage Examples:

• Я люблю заваривать чай с мятой.

  I love brewing tea with mint.

• Она заваривает кофе каждое утро.

  She brews coffee every morning.

• Можно заваривать этот чай дважды.

  You can brew this tea twice.

2. To cook or prepare by boiling (general sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• варить - Used for brewing in a broader sense, including cooking soups or making homemade drinks.

Usage Examples:

• Бабушка варит компот из яблок.

  Grandma brews (cooks) apple compote.

• Мы варили пиво дома прошлым летом.

  We brewed beer at home last summer.

• Он умеет варить отличный квас.

  He knows how to brew excellent kvass.

3. A brewed drink, specifically beer

Translation(s) & Context:

• пиво - Refers directly to beer as a brewed beverage, commonly used in casual contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Давай возьмём пиво после работы.

  Let’s grab a brew (beer) after work.

• Это пиво варят в местной пивоварне.

  This brew (beer) is made at a local brewery.

• Какое пиво ты предпочитаешь?

  Which brew (beer) do you prefer?

Russian Forms/Inflections:

варить (Verb, Imperfective): Regular conjugation in the 2nd conjugation group. Below is the present tense conjugation:

заваривать (Verb, Imperfective): Regular conjugation, also 2nd conjugation group. Similar pattern to "варить". Perfective form is "заварить".

пиво (Noun, Neuter): Declines as a neuter noun. Below are the main cases:

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for варить (to brew/cook):

• готовить
• сварить (perfective)

Note: "готовить" is broader and means "to prepare" in general, while "сварить" implies completion of the brewing process.

Synonyms for пиво (beer):

• пивко (colloquial, affectionate)

Antonyms: None directly applicable for these terms.

Related Phrases:

• заварить чай - To brew tea (common expression for making tea).
• варить пиво - To brew beer (often used in the context of homebrewing or craft beer).
• свежее пиво - Fresh brew (beer), referring to recently made beer.

Usage Notes:

• "Brew" as a verb in English can correspond to either "варить" or "заваривать" in Russian. Use "заваривать" specifically for tea or coffee, while "варить" is more general and can apply to beer, soups, or other boiled preparations.
• "Brew" as a noun (meaning beer) directly translates to "пиво", which is a very common word in Russian. However, it does not extend to other brewed drinks like tea or coffee.
• Be mindful of the aspect of verbs: "варить" and "заваривать" are imperfective (ongoing action), while "сварить" and "заварить" are perfective (completed action).

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "пиво" to mean "brew" in the sense of tea or coffee.
  Incorrect: Я пью пиво из чая. (I drink a brew of tea.)
  Correct: Я пью заваренный чай. (I drink brewed tea.)
  Explanation: "Пиво" exclusively means beer in Russian.
• Error: Misusing verb aspects by using imperfective verbs for completed actions.
  Incorrect: Я варить пиво вчера. (I brew beer yesterday.)
  Correct: Я сварил пиво вчера. (I brewed beer yesterday.)
  Explanation: Past completed actions require the perfective form "сварить".

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, "пиво" (beer) holds a significant place as a popular beverage, often associated with social gatherings or relaxation. Brewing beer at home ("варить пиво") is less common compared to Western craft beer cultures but is growing in popularity. Tea brewing ("заваривать чай") is a daily ritual for many Russians, often done with a samovar in traditional settings.

Related Concepts:

• квас (kvass - a traditional fermented drink)
• чай (tea)
• компот (compote - a fruit drink often brewed)