Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Compute'

English Word: Compute

Key Russian Translations:

• вычислять [vɨˈtɕislʲatʲ] - [Formal, Often used in technical or mathematical contexts]
• рассчитывать [rɐsˈɕitɨvətʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Broader usage including planning or estimating]

Frequency: Medium (Common in technical, academic, and business contexts)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate - вычислять is more specific and technical; рассчитывать is slightly easier due to broader usage)

Pronunciation (Russian):

вычислять: [vɨˈtɕislʲatʲ]

Note on вычислять: Stress falls on the second syllable. The 'ч' sound is similar to 'ch' in "church," and 'ы' is a unique Russian vowel, pronounced as a short, neutral sound between 'i' and 'u'.

рассчитывать: [rɐsˈɕitɨvətʲ]

Note on рассчитывать: Stress on the second syllable. The double 'с' is pronounced distinctly, and 'ы' follows the same rule as above.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To calculate or determine by mathematical methods

Translation(s) & Context:

• вычислять - Used in mathematical, scientific, or computational contexts (e.g., solving equations or processing data).

Usage Examples:

• Мы должны вычислить площадь круга.

  We need to compute the area of the circle.

• Компьютер может вычислять сложные алгоритмы за секунды.

  The computer can compute complex algorithms in seconds.

• Ученые вычислили расстояние до звезды.

  Scientists computed the distance to the star.

2. To estimate or plan something (often non-mathematical)

Translation(s) & Context:

• рассчитывать - Used for estimating costs, time, or planning actions, often beyond pure mathematics.

Usage Examples:

• Мы рассчитываем бюджет на следующий год.

  We are computing (estimating) the budget for next year.

• Он рассчитывает завершить проект к пятнице.

  He computes (plans) to finish the project by Friday.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

вычислять (Imperfective Verb, 1st Conjugation):

Note: Perfective form is вычислить, used for completed actions.

рассчитывать (Imperfective Verb, 1st Conjugation):

Follows similar conjugation patterns as above. Perfective form is рассчитать.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for вычислять:

• исчислять (more formal, often used in statistics)
• подсчитывать (closer to "count up" or "tally")

Note: "подсчитывать" is less formal and often implies manual counting, unlike "вычислять" which suggests complex calculation.

Synonyms for рассчитывать:

• планировать (closer to "plan")
• оценивать (closer to "evaluate" or "assess")

Antonyms:

• игнорировать (to ignore - in the sense of not calculating or considering)

Related Phrases:

• вычислить результат - "to compute the result" (often used in academic or technical settings)
• рассчитывать на помощь - "to count on help" (used in the sense of expecting or relying on something)
• рассчитать силы - "to compute/plan one's strength" (used for assessing capabilities or resources)

Usage Notes:

• вычислять is more specific to mathematical or technical computation and is rarely used in casual conversation. It often implies precision.
• рассчитывать has a broader scope, covering both literal calculations (e.g., budget) and figurative planning or expecting (e.g., рассчитывать на успех - "to count on success").
• In Russian, verbs of this nature often come in imperfective/perfective pairs (e.g., вычислять/вычислить). Use the imperfective for ongoing or repeated actions and perfective for completed ones.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using вычислять when referring to planning or estimating non-mathematical things.
  Incorrect: Я вычисляю на успех.
  Correct: Я рассчитываю на успех. ("I count on success.")
  Explanation: "вычислять" is strictly for computation, not expectation or planning.
• Error: Ignoring aspect (imperfective vs. perfective).
  Incorrect: Я вычисляю результат вчера.
  Correct: Я вычислил результат вчера. ("I computed the result yesterday.")
  Explanation: Past completed actions require the perfective form.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, precision in technical language is highly valued, especially in academic and scientific fields. The verb вычислять often carries a connotation of intellectual rigor, reflecting Russia's historical emphasis on mathematics and engineering education.

Related Concepts:

• математика (mathematics)
• алгоритм (algorithm)
• анализ (analysis)