Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Congregate'

English Word: Congregate

Key Russian Translations:

• собираться [sɐˈbʲirətʲsə] - [Informal, General Use]
• собраться [sɐˈbratʲsə] - [Perfective, Emphasizing Completion]
• стекаться [stʲɪˈkatʲsə] - [Formal, Often for Crowds or Masses]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "собираться" and "собраться"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "стекаться"

Pronunciation (Russian):

собираться: [sɐˈbʲirətʲsə]

Note on собираться: Stress on the second syllable; the soft 'р' sound can be challenging for non-native speakers.

собраться: [sɐˈbratʲsə]

Note on собраться: Stress on the first syllable; a perfective form indicating a completed action.

стекаться: [stʲɪˈkatʲsə]

Note on стекаться: Stress on the second syllable; often used metaphorically for crowds "flowing" together.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To gather together in a group (General)

Translation(s) & Context:

• собираться - Commonly used for people gathering informally or regularly.
• собраться - Used when emphasizing the act of having gathered at a specific moment.

Usage Examples:

• Мы часто собираемся в парке по выходным.

  We often congregate in the park on weekends.

• Друзья собрались у меня дома вчера вечером.

  Friends congregated at my house last night.

• Люди собираются на площади перед митингом.

  People are congregating in the square before the rally.

2. To come together in large numbers (Crowds or Masses)

Translation(s) & Context:

• стекаться - Often used for large crowds or abstract gatherings, with a sense of movement toward a point.

Usage Examples:

• Толпы людей стекались к стадиону на концерт.

  Crowds of people congregated at the stadium for the concert.

• Сюда стекаются туристы со всего мира.

  Tourists from all over the world congregate here.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

собираться (Imperfective Verb): Regular conjugation in the present, past, and future tenses. Reflexive verb with the suffix -ся.

Person	Present Tense
Я (I)	собираюсь
Ты (You, sing.)	собираешься
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	собирается
Мы (We)	собираемся
Вы (You, pl.)	собираетесь
Они (They)	собираются

собраться (Perfective Verb): Indicates a completed action; conjugated similarly but used in past and future tenses only.

стекаться (Imperfective Verb): Regular conjugation, often used in third-person forms to describe crowds.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• сходиться
• группироваться

Note: "сходиться" often implies a more casual or spontaneous gathering, while "группироваться" can suggest organizing into groups.

Antonyms:

• расходиться
• разъезжаться

Related Phrases:

• собираться с мыслями - To gather one’s thoughts.
• собраться с духом - To muster up courage.
• стекаться в одно место - To congregate in one place.

Usage Notes:

• "собираться" is the most versatile and commonly used translation for "congregate," suitable for both informal and neutral contexts.
• "собраться" as a perfective verb emphasizes the completion of gathering, often used for a specific event or moment.
• "стекаться" carries a more formal or literary tone and is often used for large crowds or abstract concepts like ideas or resources coming together.
• Be mindful of the reflexive nature of these verbs (ending in -ся), which is a key feature in Russian grammar.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "собирать" (transitive, meaning "to collect") instead of "собираться" (intransitive, meaning "to gather").
  Incorrect: Люди собирают на площади. (People collect on the square.)
  Correct: Люди собираются на площади. (People congregate on the square.)
  Explanation: "собирать" requires an object, while "собираться" is reflexive and used for gathering as a group.
• Error: Misusing "стекаться" in informal contexts.
  Incorrect: Мы стекались у друга дома. (We congregated at a friend’s house.)
  Correct: Мы собрались у друга дома. (We congregated at a friend’s house.)
  Explanation: "стекаться" is more formal and less appropriate for small, personal gatherings.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of gathering ("собираться") often carries a sense of community and togetherness, especially in contexts like family gatherings or public events. The verb "стекаться" may evoke imagery of historical or large-scale events, such as crowds gathering for celebrations or protests in public squares, a recurring theme in Russian history.

Related Concepts:

• встреча (meeting)
• толпа (crowd)
• объединение (unification)