Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'burn'

English Word: burn

Key Russian Translations:

• гореть [ɡɐˈrʲetʲ] - [Informal, General use for 'to burn' as a verb]
• сгорать [sɡɐˈratʲ] - [Informal, Often implies complete burning or destruction]
• ожог [ɐˈʐok] - [Formal, Noun form meaning 'a burn' as in injury]

Frequency: High (commonly used in various contexts)

Difficulty: гореть - A2 (Beginner-Intermediate); сгорать - B1 (Intermediate); ожог - A2 (Beginner-Intermediate)

Pronunciation (Russian):

гореть: [ɡɐˈrʲetʲ]

Note on гореть: Stress falls on the second syllable. The 'р' sound is rolled slightly.

сгорать: [sɡɐˈratʲ]

Note on сгорать: The prefix 'с-' indicates completion, and stress is on the second syllable.

ожог: [ɐˈʐok]

Note on ожог: The 'ж' sound is a voiced retroflex fricative, unique to Russian.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To burn (as in fire or combustion)

Translation(s) & Context:

• гореть - Used for ongoing burning (e.g., a fire or candle burning).
• сгорать - Used when something burns completely or is destroyed by fire.

Usage Examples:

• Свеча горит на столе.

  The candle is burning on the table.

• Дом сгорел дотла.

  The house burned down completely.

• Костёр горит ярко в ночи.

  The bonfire burns brightly in the night.

2. To burn (as in injury or sensation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• ожог - Refers to a physical burn injury on the skin.
• гореть - Can be used metaphorically for a burning sensation.

Usage Examples:

• У меня ожог на руке после готовки.

  I have a burn on my hand from cooking.

• Кожа горит после долгого дня на солнце.

  My skin burns after a long day in the sun.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

гореть (verb, imperfective): Regular verb with standard conjugation for imperfective verbs in Russian. It indicates an ongoing action.

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (Masculine/Feminine/Neuter)
Я (I)	горю [ɡɐˈrʲu]	горел / горела / горело
Ты (You, singular)	горишь [ɡɐˈrʲiʂ]	горел / горела / горело
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	горит [ɡɐˈrʲit]	горел / горела / горело

сгорать (verb, perfective): Indicates a completed action. Conjugates similarly but is used less frequently in present tense due to its perfective nature.

ожог (noun, masculine): Declines as a regular masculine noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	ожог	ожоги
Genitive	ожога	ожогов
Dative	ожогу	ожогам

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for гореть/сгорать:

• пылать (to blaze, more intense or poetic)
• вспыхивать (to flare up, sudden burning)

Synonyms for ожог:

• ожжение (burning sensation)

Antonyms:

• тушить (to extinguish, for гореть/сгорать)
• охлаждать (to cool, for ожог in metaphorical sense)

Related Phrases:

• гореть желанием - to burn with desire (to be very eager)
• сгорать от стыда - to burn with shame (to feel extremely embarrassed)
• получить ожог - to get a burn (to sustain a burn injury)

Usage Notes:

• гореть vs. сгорать: Use 'гореть' for ongoing burning processes and 'сгорать' for completed actions or total destruction. Mixing them up can confuse the listener about the state of the action.
• ожог: Primarily a noun, used to describe physical burns. It is not interchangeable with the verbs for burning actions.
• Contextual Sensitivity: Metaphorical uses (e.g., burning with emotion) are common with 'гореть', but ensure the context is clear to avoid ambiguity.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'сгорать' for ongoing burning. Incorrect: "Свеча сгорает." Correct: "Свеча горит." Explanation: 'сгорать' implies the candle has already burned out completely.
• Error: Using 'ожог' as a verb. Incorrect: "Я ожог руку." Correct: "Я получил ожог на руке." Explanation: 'ожог' is a noun, not a verb.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, fire and burning often carry symbolic meanings in literature and folklore, representing passion, destruction, or purification. The verb 'гореть' is frequently used in poetic contexts to describe intense emotions, such as love or longing (e.g., "сердце горит" - the heart burns).

Related Concepts:

• огонь (fire)
• пламя (flame)
• жар (heat)