Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'burst'

English Word: burst

Key Russian Translations:

• лопнуть [ˈlopnʊtʲ] - [Informal, Often used for physical bursting]
• взорваться [vzɐrˈvatʲsə] - [Formal/Informal, Used for explosions or figurative bursts]
• разорваться [rəzɐrˈvatʲsə] - [Formal, Often used for tearing or emotional bursts]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in specific contexts like explosions or emotional outbursts)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies by translation and context)

Pronunciation (Russian):

лопнуть: [ˈlopnʊtʲ]

Note on лопнуть: Stress on the first syllable; the 'п' sound is unaspirated.

взорваться: [vzɐrˈvatʲsə]

Note on взорваться: Stress on the second syllable; 'вз' cluster can be tricky for non-native speakers.

разорваться: [rəzɐrˈvatʲsə]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To break open suddenly (physical)

Translation(s) & Context:

• лопнуть - Used for balloons, tires, or other objects bursting due to pressure.
• разорваться - Used for something tearing apart violently, like fabric or paper.

Usage Examples:

• Воздушный шар лопнул от жары.

  The balloon burst from the heat.

• Шина лопнула на дороге.

  The tire burst on the road.

• Мешок разорвался, и всё высыпалось.

  The bag burst, and everything spilled out.

2. To explode (literal or figurative)

Translation(s) & Context:

• взорваться - Used for literal explosions or figurative emotional outbursts.

Usage Examples:

• Бомба взорвалась в центре города.

  The bomb burst (exploded) in the city center.

• Он взорвался от гнева, услышав новость.

  He burst with anger upon hearing the news.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

лопнуть (verb, perfective, intransitive): Regular conjugation in past tense, does not conjugate in present as it is perfective.

взорваться (verb, perfective, intransitive): Similar to лопнуть, used only in perfective aspect.

разорваться (verb, perfective, intransitive): Follows similar patterns to взорваться.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for лопнуть:

• треснуть (to crack)
• рваться (to tear, imperfective)

Note: 'треснуть' often implies a sound of cracking, while 'рваться' is more general for tearing.

Antonyms for лопнуть/взорваться:

• собраться (to gather or assemble, figuratively)
• склеиться (to stick together)

Related Phrases:

• лопнуть от смеха - to burst with laughter (lit. burst from laughter)
• взорваться от эмоций - to burst with emotions (fig. explode from emotions)
• разорваться на части - to burst into pieces (fig. or lit., to tear apart)

Usage Notes:

• While 'лопнуть' is often used for physical bursting (like a balloon), it can also be used colloquially for failure, e.g., a plan 'лопнул' (fell through).
• 'взорваться' is the go-to word for explosions and strong emotional outbursts, making it more intense than 'лопнуть'.
• 'разорваться' often implies a more violent or complete breaking apart, and can be used for both physical and emotional contexts.
• Be mindful of the perfective aspect of these verbs; they describe completed actions, so for ongoing actions, you might need their imperfective counterparts like 'рваться'.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'лопнуть' for emotional outbursts. Incorrect: *Он лопнул от гнева.* Correct: Он взорвался от гнева. (He burst with anger.) Explanation: 'лопнуть' is rarely used for emotions; 'взорваться' is the appropriate choice.
• Error: Mixing up perfective and imperfective aspects. Incorrect: *Шар лопнет каждый день.* Correct: Шар лопается каждый день. (The balloon bursts every day.) Explanation: Use the imperfective 'лопаться' for repeated actions.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the concept of 'bursting' with emotion, especially anger or laughter, is quite common and vividly expressed with 'взорваться' or 'лопнуть от смеха'. These phrases reflect the cultural tendency to describe intense emotions with physical imagery, emphasizing their uncontrollable nature.

Related Concepts:

• взрыв (explosion)
• разрыв (rupture, break)
• треск (crack, burst sound)