Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Characterise'

English Word: Characterise

Key Russian Translations:

• характеризовать [xərəktʲɪrʲɪˈzovatʲ] - [Formal, Verb]
• описывать [ɐpʲɪˈsɨvətʲ] - [Neutral, Verb]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for both translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

характеризовать: [xərəktʲɪrʲɪˈzovatʲ]

Note on характеризовать: Stress falls on the fourth syllable. The 'х' sound is a voiceless fricative, similar to the Scottish 'loch'.

описывать: [ɐpʲɪˈsɨvətʲ]

Note on описывать: Stress on the third syllable. The 'ы' sound is a central vowel, unique to Russian.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To describe the qualities or features of something/someone

Translation(s) & Context:

• характеризовать - Often used in formal or analytical contexts, such as describing traits or characteristics in detail.
• описывать - More general, used for describing or depicting something, not always focused on inherent traits.

Usage Examples:

• Он характеризует своего друга как очень доброго человека.

  He characterises his friend as a very kind person.

• Этот фильм характеризует эпоху с большой точностью.

  This film characterises the era with great accuracy.

• Она описывает природу так, что кажется, будто ты там был.

  She characterises/describes nature in a way that makes you feel like you’ve been there.

• Как бы вы охарактеризовали текущую ситуацию?

  How would you characterise the current situation?

• Его стиль письма можно описать как минималистичный.

  His writing style can be characterised/described as minimalist.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

характеризовать (Verb, Imperfective): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -овать. Below is the present tense conjugation:

описывать (Verb, Imperfective): This verb also follows regular conjugation for -ывать verbs. Similar structure applies as above (omitted for brevity).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for характеризовать:

• описывать (more general description)
• обрисовывать (to outline or sketch characteristics)

Antonyms for характеризовать:

• игнорировать (to ignore, not describe)

Related Phrases:

• характеризовать с положительной стороны - To characterise from a positive perspective.
• описывать в деталях - To describe/characterise in detail.

Usage Notes:

• характеризовать is typically used in formal or analytical contexts, such as academic writing or evaluations. It focuses on defining traits or qualities.
• описывать is more versatile and can be used in everyday speech for general descriptions, not necessarily tied to inherent characteristics.
• Both verbs are imperfective, meaning they describe ongoing or repeated actions. For completed actions, perfective forms like охарактеризовать or описать are used.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using характеризовать in casual conversation where описывать would be more natural. For example, saying "Я характеризую этот день как хороший" sounds overly formal and awkward. Correct usage: "Я описываю этот день как хороший" (I describe this day as good).
• Error: Misplacing stress in pronunciation, e.g., stressing the wrong syllable in характеризовать. Correct stress is on the fourth syllable: [xərəktʲɪrʲɪˈzovatʲ].

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the verb характеризовать often appears in formal contexts, such as Soviet-era reports or character references (e.g., "характеристика" - a formal evaluation document). Understanding this cultural nuance can help learners grasp why it feels more "official" compared to описывать.

Related Concepts:

• описание (description)
• характеристика (character reference or evaluation)
• определение (definition)