Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Coax'

English Word: Coax

Key Russian Translations:

• уговаривать [ʊɡɐˈvarʲɪvətʲ] - [Informal, Commonly Used]
• убеждать [ʊbʲɪʐˈdatʲ] - [Formal, Persuasive Context]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for both translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

уговаривать: [ʊɡɐˈvarʲɪvətʲ]

Note on уговаривать: Stress falls on the second syllable; the 'r' sound is rolled slightly, typical of Russian phonetics.

убеждать: [ʊbʲɪʐˈdatʲ]

Note on убеждать: The stress is on the second syllable; the 'zh' sound [ʐ] is similar to the 's' in 'measure' but harder.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To gently persuade someone to do something

Translation(s) & Context:

• уговаривать - Often used in informal or personal contexts, like convincing a friend or family member.

Usage Examples:

• Я пытался уговорить её пойти на вечеринку.

  I tried to coax her into going to the party.

• Мама уговаривала ребёнка съесть суп.

  The mom coaxed the child into eating soup.

• Он долго уговаривал меня согласиться.

  He coaxed me for a long time to agree.

2. To convince with logical arguments

Translation(s) & Context:

• убеждать - Used in formal or serious discussions, often implying reasoning or debate.

Usage Examples:

• Учитель убеждал учеников в важности учёбы.

  The teacher coaxed the students into understanding the importance of studying.

• Она убеждала коллег принять её план.

  She coaxed her colleagues into accepting her plan.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

уговаривать (Imperfective Verb): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -ать. It denotes an ongoing or repeated action.

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (Masculine/Feminine/Neuter)
Я (I)	уговариваю	уговаривал / уговаривала / уговаривало
Ты (You, informal)	уговариваешь	уговаривал / уговаривала / уговаривало
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	уговаривает	уговаривал / уговаривала / уговаривало

убеждать (Imperfective Verb): Similar to уговаривать, this verb also follows regular conjugation for -ать verbs.

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (Masculine/Feminine/Neuter)
Я (I)	убеждаю	убеждал / убеждала / убеждало
Ты (You, informal)	убеждаешь	убеждал / убеждала / убеждало
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	убеждает	убеждал / убеждала / убеждало

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for уговаривать:

• упрашивать
• склонять

Note: "упрашивать" often implies more pleading, while "склонять" can suggest subtle influence.

Synonyms for убеждать:

• доказывать
• внушать

Antonyms:

• отговаривать (to dissuade)
• запрещать (to forbid)

Related Phrases:

• уговаривать на что-то - to coax someone into something
• убеждать в правоте - to coax someone into believing in the correctness of something

Usage Notes:

• "уговаривать" is more casual and often used in personal interactions, while "убеждать" is more formal and suited for professional or serious contexts.
• Both verbs are imperfective, indicating an ongoing process of persuasion. If the act of coaxing is completed, perfective forms like "уговорить" or "убедить" are used.
• Be mindful of the object of persuasion: "уговаривать" often takes a direct object (whom you coax) and a preposition like "на" for the action, e.g., "уговаривать на поездку" (coax into a trip).

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "убеждать" in casual family contexts. Incorrect: "Я убеждаю сестру пойти гулять." Correct: "Я уговариваю сестру пойти гулять." (I coax my sister to go for a walk.) Explanation: "убеждать" sounds overly formal for family settings.
• Error: Forgetting the aspectual difference. Incorrect: "Я уговаривал и она согласилась вчера." Correct: "Я уговорил её вчера." (I coaxed her yesterday.) Explanation: Use perfective "уговорить" for a completed action.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, coaxing or persuading someone often involves patience and emotional appeal, especially in personal relationships. Using "уговаривать" can imply a gentle, empathetic tone, which is valued in family or close-knit settings. On the other hand, "убеждать" may be seen as more intellectual or authoritative, often used in debates or professional discussions.

Related Concepts:

• уговор (persuasion)
• убеждение (conviction)
• доверие (trust)