Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Coerce'

English Word: coerce

Key Russian Translations:

• заставлять [zəstɐˈvlʲætʲ] - [Formal, Informal]
• принуждать [prʲɪnʊʐˈdætʲ] - [Formal]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for both translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

заставлять: [zəstɐˈvlʲætʲ]

Note on заставлять: Stress falls on the second syllable. The soft 'l' sound (лʲ) can be challenging for non-native speakers.

принуждать: [prʲɪnʊʐˈdætʲ]

Note on принуждать: Stress on the third syllable. Pay attention to the soft 'zh' sound (ж).

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To Force Someone to Do Something Against Their Will

Translation(s) & Context:

• заставлять - Commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to imply forcing or compelling someone to act.
• принуждать - More formal, often used in legal or official contexts to denote coercion or compulsion.

Usage Examples:

• Он заставил меня подписать документ.

  He forced me to sign the document.

• Её заставили работать сверхурочно.

  She was coerced into working overtime.

• Закон принуждает граждан соблюдать правила.

  The law coerces citizens to follow the rules.

• Никто не может принуждать тебя к этому.

  No one can force you to do this.

• Они заставили его извиниться перед всеми.

  They made him apologize to everyone.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

заставлять (verb, imperfective aspect)

принуждать (verb, imperfective aspect) follows a similar conjugation pattern.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• вынуждать
• понуждать

Note: "вынуждать" is often used interchangeably with "заставлять," but can imply a stronger sense of necessity.

Antonyms:

• разрешать
• позволять

Related Phrases:

• заставлять делать что-либо - to force someone to do something
• принуждать к действию - to coerce into action
• заставлять силой - to compel by force

Usage Notes:

• "заставлять" is more versatile and can be used in everyday speech, while "принуждать" is more formal and often appears in written or legal contexts.
• Both verbs are imperfective, implying an ongoing or repeated action. For a completed act of coercion, perfective forms like "заставить" or "принудить" are used.
• Be mindful of the object case: both verbs typically require the accusative case for the person being coerced.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "заставлять" with the wrong aspect in completed actions. Incorrect: "Я заставляю его сделать это вчера." Correct: "Я заставил его сделать это вчера." (perfective form for past completed action).
• Error: Confusing "принуждать" with "принуждение" (noun form). Incorrect: "Его принуждать было незаконно." Correct: "Его принуждение было незаконно."

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of coercion can carry strong historical and social connotations, especially in discussions of authority and power dynamics. The use of "принуждать" in formal contexts often evokes associations with legal or governmental enforcement.

Related Concepts:

• давление (pressure)
• насилие (violence)
• обязанность (obligation)