Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Collect'

English Word: Collect

Key Russian Translations:

• собирать [sɐˈbʲirətʲ] - [General Use, Informal/Formal]
• собрать [sɐˈbratʲ] - [Perfective, Used for Completed Action]
• коллекционировать [kɐlʲɪkt͡sɨɐˈnʲirəvətʲ] - [Specific to Collecting Items, Formal]

Frequency: High (especially "собирать" and "собрать")

Difficulty: A2-B1 for "собирать/собрать" (Beginner-Intermediate); B2 for "коллекционировать" (Intermediate)

Pronunciation (Russian):

собирать: [sɐˈbʲirətʲ]

Note on собирать: Stress on the second syllable; the "и" is pronounced as a soft vowel.

собрать: [sɐˈbratʲ]

Note on собрать: Stress on the first syllable; shorter form due to perfective aspect.

коллекционировать: [kɐlʲɪkt͡sɨɐˈnʲirəvətʲ]

Note on коллекционировать: Stress on the fifth syllable; a longer word often used in written or formal contexts.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To Gather or Bring Together

Translation(s) & Context:

• собирать - Used for ongoing or habitual gathering (e.g., collecting data, assembling items).
• собрать - Used for a completed action of gathering (e.g., collecting all pieces at once).

Usage Examples:

• Я собираю информацию для проекта.

  I am collecting information for the project.

• Он собрал все документы за час.

  He collected all the documents in an hour.

• Мы собираем грибы в лесу каждую осень.

  We collect mushrooms in the forest every autumn.

2. To Accumulate Items as a Hobby

Translation(s) & Context:

• коллекционировать - Specifically for hobbies like collecting stamps, coins, etc.

Usage Examples:

• Мой дед коллекционирует старинные монеты.

  My grandfather collects old coins.

• Она начала коллекционировать открытки в детстве.

  She started collecting postcards in childhood.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

собирать (Imperfective Verb): Regular conjugation in present, past, and future tenses.

Person	Present	Past (Masc./Fem./Neut./Plural)	Future
Я (I)	собираю	собирал / собирала / собирало / собирали	буду собирать
Ты (You, informal)	собираешь	собирал / собирала / собирало / собирали	будешь собирать
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	собирает	собирал / собирала / собирало	будет собирать

собрать (Perfective Verb): Used for completed actions; does not have present tense forms.

коллекционировать (Verb): Regular verb with similar conjugation patterns to "собирать".

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for "собирать":

• набирать
• складывать

Note: "набирать" often implies accumulating gradually; "складывать" implies putting together physically.

Antonyms for "собирать":

• разбирать
• разбрасывать

Related Phrases:

• собирать урожай - To harvest (literally "collect the harvest").
• собрать вещи - To pack things (e.g., before a trip).
• коллекционировать марки - To collect stamps.

Usage Notes:

• "собирать" is imperfective and used for ongoing or repetitive actions, while "собрать" is perfective for one-time or completed actions. English speakers often confuse the two.
• "коллекционировать" is more formal and specific to hobbies; it cannot replace "собирать" in general contexts like gathering data.
• Pay attention to verb aspects (imperfective/perfective) as they are crucial in Russian but have no direct equivalent in English.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "собирать" instead of "собрать" for a completed action. Example: *Я собираю все книги вчера* (Incorrect). Correct: Я собрал все книги вчера (I collected all the books yesterday).
• Error: Using "коллекционировать" for general gathering. Example: *Я коллекционирую данные* (Incorrect). Correct: Я собираю данные (I collect data).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, "собирать" often appears in contexts like harvesting (e.g., collecting mushrooms or berries), which is a common activity in rural areas and carries a sense of tradition and community.

Related Concepts:

• накопление (accumulation)
• сбор (collection, as in gathering)
• хобби (hobby, related to collecting items)