Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Chew'

English Word: chew

Key Russian Translations:

• жевать [ˈʐɛvətʲ] - [Informal, General Use]
• пережёвывать [pʲɪrʲɪˈʐovɨvətʲ] - [Formal, Emphasizes Thorough Chewing]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: A2 (Beginner-Intermediate) for "жевать"; B1 (Intermediate) for "пережёвывать"

Pronunciation (Russian):

жевать: [ˈʐɛvətʲ]

Note on жевать: Pay attention to the Russian "ж" sound, which is a voiced retroflex fricative, distinct from English "zh".

пережёвывать: [pʲɪrʲɪˈʐovɨvətʲ]

Note on пережёвывать: Stress falls on the second syllable, and the prefix "пере-" adds a sense of thoroughness.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To Chew (Food)

Translation(s) & Context:

• жевать - Commonly used for the act of chewing food in everyday contexts.
• пережёвывать - Used when emphasizing slow or thorough chewing, often in formal or descriptive contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Он жуёт яблоко.

  He is chewing an apple.

• Не жуй с открытым ртом!

  Don't chew with your mouth open!

• Она медленно пережёвывает каждый кусок.

  She chews each piece slowly.

• Нужно хорошо пережёвывать пищу.

  You need to chew your food well.

• Ребёнок жуёт жевательную резинку.

  The child is chewing gum.

2. To Chew (Figurative, e.g., Think Over)

Translation(s) & Context:

• пережёвывать - Often used figuratively to mean "to mull over" or "to think through something repeatedly".

Usage Examples:

• Он всё время пережёвывает свои ошибки.

  He keeps chewing over his mistakes.

• Перестань пережёвывать эту проблему!

  Stop chewing over this problem!

Russian Forms/Inflections:

жевать (Imperfective Verb): Regular verb conjugation in Russian. Below is the present tense conjugation:

Perfective Pair: прожевать (to finish chewing).

пережёвывать (Imperfective Verb): Also regular, with similar conjugation patterns but with the prefix "пере-". Perfective pair: пережевать.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for жевать:

• грызть (to gnaw, often used for harder items)
• кушать (to eat, less specific but sometimes overlaps in casual speech)

Note: "грызть" often implies chewing something hard like nuts or bones, while "жевать" is more general.

Antonyms:

• глотать (to swallow, the opposite action)

Related Phrases:

• жевать резинку - to chew gum (literal usage for chewing gum).
• пережёвывать слова - to mumble or chew over words (figurative, speaking unclearly or hesitantly).
• жевать без остановки - to chew non-stop (used for continuous chewing, often in a critical tone).

Usage Notes:

• "жевать" is the most common and neutral term for chewing and can be used in both literal (food, gum) and informal contexts. It is the default choice for most situations.
• "пережёвывать" often implies a more deliberate or thorough action, and it is frequently used in figurative contexts to mean "to dwell on something" or "to overthink". Use it when you want to emphasize the process.
• Both verbs are imperfective, reflecting an ongoing action. Their perfective forms ("прожевать" and "пережевать") are used for completed actions, e.g., "I chewed and swallowed it".

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "жевать" in formal writing or speech where "пережёвывать" would be more appropriate.
  Incorrect: В статье говорилось, как важно жевать пищу.
  Correct: В статье говорилось, как важно пережёвывать пищу.
  Explanation: "пережёвывать" sounds more precise and formal, fitting for written or scientific contexts.
• Error: Confusing "жевать" with "грызть".
  Incorrect: Он грызёт хлеб.
  Correct: Он жуёт хлеб.
  Explanation: "грызть" is used for hard items like bones or nuts, not soft foods like bread.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, chewing gum ("жевательная резинка") became widely popular after the Soviet era as a symbol of Western influence. The phrase "жевать резинку" is often associated with a casual or carefree attitude, sometimes carrying a slight negative connotation if overdone in public.

Related Concepts:

• глотать (to swallow)
• грызть (to gnaw)
• есть (to eat)