Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Contaminate'

English Word: contaminate

Key Russian Translations:

• загрязнять [zəɡrʲɪˈznʲætʲ] - [Formal, Commonly Used]
• заражать [zərɐˈʐatʲ] - [Formal, Often Medical or Biological Context]
• осквернять [ɐskvʲɪrˈnʲætʲ] - [Formal, Often Figurative or Religious Context]

Frequency: Medium (used in specific contexts like environmental or health discussions)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies by translation—осквернять is closer to B2 due to its nuanced usage)

Pronunciation (Russian):

загрязнять: [zəɡrʲɪˈznʲætʲ]

Note on загрязнять: Stress falls on the third syllable. The "гр" cluster can be tricky for non-native speakers—ensure a rolled 'r' sound.

заражать: [zərɐˈʐatʲ]

Note on заражать: The 'ж' sound is a voiced retroflex fricative, distinct from English 'z' or 'zh'.

осквернять: [ɐskvʲɪrˈnʲætʲ]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To Pollute or Make Impure (Physical Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• загрязнять - Used for environmental pollution or making something dirty (e.g., water, air).

Usage Examples:

• Завод загрязняет реку химическими отходами.

  The factory contaminates the river with chemical waste.

• Не загрязняйте воздух, выключайте двигатель на стоянке.

  Don’t contaminate the air; turn off the engine when parked.

• Масло загрязнило почву после утечки.

  Oil contaminated the soil after the leak.

2. To Infect or Spread Disease (Biological Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• заражать - Used for spreading infection or disease, often in medical contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Вирус может заражать тысячи людей за считанные дни.

  The virus can contaminate thousands of people in just a few days.

• Не трогайте это, чтобы не заразить рану.

  Don’t touch it so as not to contaminate the wound.

3. To Defile or Corrupt (Figurative or Moral Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• осквернять - Used for desecration or moral corruption, often in religious or ethical discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Они осквернили священное место своими действиями.

  They contaminated the sacred place with their actions.

• Ложь оскверняет память о герое.

  Lies contaminate the memory of the hero.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

загрязнять (verb, imperfective): Follows regular first-conjugation patterns. Often paired with perfective загрязнить.

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (M/F/N)
1st Sg.	загрязняю	загрязнял / загрязняла / загрязняло
3rd Pl.	загрязняют	загрязняли

заражать (verb, imperfective): Regular first-conjugation, paired with perfective заразить.

осквернять (verb, imperfective): Regular first-conjugation, paired with perfective осквернить. Less common in everyday speech.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for загрязнять (pollution context):

• пачкать
• загрязнять

Note: пачкать is more informal and often refers to making something visibly dirty.

Antonyms for загрязнять:

• очищать
• убирать

Related Phrases:

• загрязнять окружающую среду - to contaminate the environment
• заражать вирусом - to contaminate with a virus
• осквернять память - to contaminate (desecrate) someone’s memory

Usage Notes:

• The choice between загрязнять, заражать, and осквернять depends heavily on context. Use загрязнять for physical pollution, заражать for biological contamination, and осквернять for figurative or moral desecration.
• Unlike English, Russian often requires aspectual distinction (imperfective/perfective). For ongoing contamination, use imperfective forms like загрязнять; for completed actions, use perfective forms like загрязнить.
• Be mindful of formality—осквернять is rarely used in casual conversation and carries a strong emotional or ethical connotation.

Common Errors:

• Mixing up contexts: English speakers often misuse заражать when referring to environmental pollution. Incorrect: *заражать реку* (to infect a river). Correct: загрязнять реку (to contaminate a river).
• Ignoring aspect: Failing to use the correct verb aspect is common. Incorrect: *Я загрязнил воду каждый день* (I contaminated the water every day). Correct: Я загрязняю воду каждый день (ongoing action requires imperfective).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of "осквернение" (desecration) carries significant weight, especially in religious or historical contexts. Using осквернять inappropriately can offend native speakers, as it often relates to sacred or deeply respected entities.

Related Concepts:

• загрязнение (pollution)
• инфекция (infection)
• осквернение (desecration)