Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Convene'

English Word: convene

Key Russian Translations:

• созывать [sɐˈzɨvətʲ] - [Formal, Often used for meetings or assemblies]
• собирать [sɐˈbʲirətʲ] - [Neutral, Can refer to gathering people or things]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in formal or organizational contexts)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate, due to conjugation patterns and contextual nuances)

Pronunciation (Russian):

созывать: [sɐˈzɨvətʲ]

Note on созывать: Stress falls on the second syllable. The 'ы' sound is a unique Russian vowel, pronounced as a central unrounded vowel.

собирать: [sɐˈbʲirətʲ]

Note on собирать: Stress on the second syllable. The soft 'б' (palatalized) requires attention for accurate pronunciation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To call together for a meeting or assembly

Translation(s) & Context:

• созывать - Used in formal contexts, often for official meetings or conferences.

Usage Examples:

• Совет директоров был созван для обсуждения бюджета.

  The board of directors was convened to discuss the budget.

• Президент созвал экстренное совещание.

  The president convened an emergency meeting.

• Комитет созывается раз в месяц.

  The committee convenes once a month.

2. To gather or assemble (people or things)

Translation(s) & Context:

• собирать - More general, can refer to assembling people informally or collecting items.

Usage Examples:

• Мы собираем друзей на вечеринку.

  We are convening friends for a party.

• Он собирает команду для проекта.

  He is convening a team for the project.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

созывать (Verb, Imperfective): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -ать. It indicates an ongoing or repeated action.

собирать (Verb, Imperfective): Also a regular verb, used for both literal and figurative gathering. Conjugation follows similar patterns to созывать.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for созывать:

• сзывать (less common, archaic)
• призывать (often implies urgency or a call to action)

Synonyms for собирать:

• набирать (often used for recruiting or assembling a group)
• скликать (colloquial, to call together)

Antonyms:

• распускать (to dismiss or disband)
• разгонять (to disperse)

Related Phrases:

• созвать собрание - to convene a meeting (formal context)
• собирать народ - to gather people (informal context)
• созвать на совет - to call for a council (traditional or formal)

Usage Notes:

• Choosing between созывать and собирать: Use "созывать" for formal or official contexts like meetings or assemblies. Use "собирать" for more general or informal gatherings, or when referring to collecting objects.
• Aspectual Pair: Both verbs are imperfective. Their perfective counterparts are "созвать" and "собрать," used for completed actions.
• Grammar Note: These verbs often take an accusative object (whom or what is being convened).

Common Errors:

• Mixing up aspects: English speakers often confuse imperfective (созывать) with perfective (созвать). Incorrect: *Я созываю собрание вчера* (wrong aspect for past). Correct: Я созвал собрание вчера (I convened a meeting yesterday).
• Wrong verb choice: Using "собирать" in formal contexts can sound too casual. Incorrect: *Президент собирает парламент* (too informal). Correct: Президент созывает парламент.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the act of "convening" often carries a sense of importance, especially in historical contexts where "созывать" was used for gatherings of councils or assemblies (e.g., Земский собор, a historical assembly). Understanding this can help grasp the formal tone of the verb.

Related Concepts:

• собрание (meeting, assembly)
• совещание (consultation, conference)
• встреча (meeting, encounter)