Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Confront'

English Word: confront

Key Russian Translations:

• противостоять [prətʲɪvəstɐˈjatʲ] - [Formal, Often used in abstract or ideological contexts]
• столкнуться [stɐlkˈnutʲsə] - [Neutral, Often used for physical or direct encounters]
• встретиться лицом к лицу [ˈfstrʲetʲɪtsə lʲɪˈtsom k lʲɪˈtsu] - [Informal, Idiomatic, Emphasizes direct confrontation]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in discussions of conflict or challenges)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies slightly by translation)

Pronunciation (Russian):

противостоять: [prətʲɪvəstɐˈjatʲ]

Note on противостоять: Stress falls on the last syllable; the 'о' in 'против' is reduced to a schwa sound in fast speech.

столкнуться: [stɐlkˈnutʲsə]

Note on столкнуться: The stress is on the second syllable; the reflexive ending '-ся' is pronounced softly.

встретиться лицом к лицу: [ˈfstrʲetʲɪtsə lʲɪˈtsom k lʲɪˈtsu]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To face or oppose someone or something (direct conflict)

Translation(s) & Context:

• противостоять - Used for standing up against an opponent or challenge, often in a formal or ideological sense (e.g., opposing a policy).
• столкнуться - Used for a direct encounter, often with conflict or difficulty (e.g., facing a problem).

Usage Examples:

• Мы должны противостоять этим угрозам.

  We must confront these threats.

• Он столкнулся с серьезными проблемами на работе.

  He confronted serious problems at work.

• Нам нужно противостоять несправедливости.

  We need to confront injustice.

2. To meet face-to-face, often in a challenging way (personal encounter)

Translation(s) & Context:

• встретиться лицом к лицу - Emphasizes a direct, personal confrontation, often emotionally charged.

Usage Examples:

• Я наконец встретился с ним лицом к лицу.

  I finally confronted him face to face.

• Она не боится встретиться лицом к лицу с опасностью.

  She is not afraid to confront danger face to face.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

противостоять (verb, imperfective): Regular verb conjugation in the imperfective aspect. Often used with dative case for the object of opposition.

столкнуться (verb, perfective, reflexive): Perfective verb indicating a completed action. Often used with instrumental case for the object of encounter.

встретиться лицом к лицу (idiomatic expression): Does not inflect as a fixed phrase; component verbs (встретиться) follow standard reflexive conjugation.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for противостоять:

• сопротивляться (to resist - more physical or active resistance)
• бороться (to fight - implies a stronger struggle)

Antonyms for противостоять:

• сдаваться (to surrender)
• уступать (to yield)

Related Phrases:

• противостоять врагу - "to confront the enemy" (used in military or hostile contexts)
• столкнуться с трудностями - "to confront difficulties" (common in everyday speech about challenges)
• встретиться лицом к лицу с правдой - "to confront the truth face to face" (emotional or revelatory context)

Usage Notes:

• "противостоять" is more formal and often used in written or abstract contexts, such as opposing ideas or threats. It pairs with the dative case.
• "столкнуться" is versatile, used for both literal and figurative confrontations (e.g., colliding with a problem). It often implies an unexpected encounter.
• "встретиться лицом к лицу" is idiomatic and emphasizes personal, direct confrontation, often with emotional undertones.

Common Errors:

1. Incorrect case usage with противостоять: English speakers often forget to use the dative case after "противостоять." For example, saying "противостоять враг" (nominative) instead of "противостоять врагу" (dative) is incorrect.

2. Overusing столкнуться in formal contexts: "столкнуться" can sound too casual for formal writing about opposition; "противостоять" is preferred in such cases.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, confrontation (especially personal) is often approached with caution, and directness (as implied by "встретиться лицом к лицу") can be seen as aggressive or emotionally intense. Russians may prefer indirect ways of addressing conflict in social settings, which is reflected in the nuanced use of these terms.

Related Concepts:

• конфликт (conflict)
• спор (dispute)
• противник (opponent)