Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Consecrate'

English Word: Consecrate

Key Russian Translations:

• освятить [ɐsvʲɪˈtʲitʲ] - [Formal, Often Religious Context]
• посвятить [pɐsʲvʲɪˈtʲitʲ] - [Formal/Neutral, Often Figurative or Dedication]

Frequency: Medium (more common in religious or formal contexts)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for "освятить"; B1 (Intermediate) for "посвятить"

Pronunciation (Russian):

освятить: [ɐsvʲɪˈtʲitʲ]

Note on освятить: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "я" is pronounced as a soft vowel sound.

посвятить: [pɐsʲvʲɪˈtʲitʲ]

Note on посвятить: Stress also on the second syllable. The initial "по" is unstressed and reduced.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To make holy or sacred (Religious Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• освятить - Used for consecrating objects or places in a religious ceremony, e.g., a church or holy water.

Usage Examples:

• Священник освятил новый храм.

  The priest consecrated the new church.

• Они освятили воду на Крещение.

  They consecrated the water on Epiphany.

• Алтарь был освящён епископом.

  The altar was consecrated by the bishop.

2. To dedicate to a purpose (Figurative Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• посвятить - Used for dedicating time, effort, or life to a cause or person, often in a non-religious sense.

Usage Examples:

• Она посвятила свою жизнь помощи детям.

  She consecrated her life to helping children.

• Он посвятил книгу своей семье.

  He consecrated the book to his family.

• Мы посвятим этот вечер обсуждению планов.

  We will consecrate this evening to discussing plans.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

освятить (Verb, Perfective Aspect): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for perfective verbs in Russian. It indicates a completed action.

посвятить (Verb, Perfective Aspect): Similar to "освятить", this verb also follows regular perfective conjugation patterns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for "освятить":

• благословить (to bless, often in a religious sense)
• святить (imperfective form of consecrate)

Synonyms for "посвятить":

• отдать (to give/devote, often time or effort)
• уделить (to allocate, often attention or time)

Antonyms:

• осквернить (to desecrate, for "освятить")
• игнорировать (to ignore, for "посвятить" in some contexts)

Related Phrases:

• освятить путь - "to consecrate the path" (figurative, to bless or sanctify a journey or endeavor)
• посвятить себя делу - "to consecrate oneself to a cause" (to fully dedicate oneself to a mission)
• освятить икону - "to consecrate an icon" (a common religious practice)

Usage Notes:

• "освятить" is primarily used in religious contexts for sanctifying physical objects or spaces. It is less common in everyday speech unless discussing religious ceremonies.
• "посвятить" is more versatile and can be used in both literal and figurative senses, such as dedicating time, effort, or creative works to someone or something.
• Choose "освятить" for strictly religious or ceremonial connotations of "consecrate"; use "посвятить" for dedication or devotion in a broader sense.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "освятить" in non-religious contexts. For example, saying "Я освятил время семье" is incorrect.
  Correct Usage: Use "посвятить" instead: "Я посвятил время семье" (I consecrated time to my family).
• Error: Confusing imperfective and perfective aspects. Saying "Я посвящаю книгу" (ongoing) when meaning a completed dedication.
  Correct Usage: Use "посвятить" for a completed action: "Я посвятил книгу" (I consecrated the book).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian Orthodox tradition, the act of consecration ("освятить") is a significant ritual, often performed by a priest to bless churches, icons, or even homes. This term carries a deep spiritual weight and is tied to religious practices more than in many English-speaking cultures. Meanwhile, "посвятить" can reflect the Russian cultural value of deep personal commitment to family, work, or ideals.

Related Concepts:

• благословение (blessing)
• святость (holiness)
• преданность (devotion)