Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'defalcate'

English Word: defalcate

Key Russian Translations:

• растратить [rə.strɐˈtʲitʲ] - [Formal, Legal context]
• злоупотребить [zlə.ʊˈtrʲe.bʲitʲ] - [Formal, often in administrative or ethical contexts]

Frequency: Low (Primarily used in legal, financial, or professional settings; not common in everyday conversation)

Difficulty: C1 (Advanced level, as it involves understanding complex legal terminology and verb conjugations; for 'растратить', it may be slightly more challenging due to irregular aspects, while 'злоупотребить' aligns with standard verb patterns)

Pronunciation (Russian):

растратить: [rə.strɐˈtʲitʲ]

злоупотребить: [zlə.ʊˈtrʲe.bʲitʲ]

Note on растратить: The stress falls on the third syllable ('tʲitʲ'), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the palatalized 'tʲ' sound. Pronunciation may vary slightly in rapid speech.

Note on злоупотребить: Pay attention to the initial 'zlə' cluster, which is common in Russian but absent in English; it should be pronounced fluidly without a break.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To embezzle or misappropriate funds, often in a financial or legal context.

Translation(s) & Context:

• растратить - Used in formal legal documents or discussions about financial crimes, emphasizing the act of wasting or misusing entrusted resources.
• злоупотребить - Applied in broader contexts of abuse of power or trust, such as in corporate or governmental settings, where ethical violations are involved.

Usage Examples:

• Он растратил деньги компании на личные нужды. (He defalcated the company's money for personal needs.)

  English Translation: He embezzled the company's funds for his own use. (This example shows the verb in a simple past tense, highlighting financial misappropriation.)

• Менеджер злоупотребил своим положением, растратив бюджет проекта. (The manager abused his position by defalcating the project budget.)

  English Translation: The manager exploited his authority by misappropriating the project funds. (Demonstrates combination with another verb for emphasis in a professional context.)

• Если вы растратите эти средства, вас привлекут к ответственности. (If you defalcate these funds, you will be held accountable.)

  English Translation: If you embezzle these resources, you will face consequences. (Illustrates a conditional sentence in a warning context.)

• Она злоупотребила доверием инвесторов, растратив вверенные ей активы. (She abused the investors' trust by defalcating the assets entrusted to her.)

  English Translation: She violated the investors' confidence by misusing the assets given to her. (Shows usage in a narrative with ethical implications.)

• В отчёте указано, что чиновник растратил государственные средства. (The report states that the official defalcated public funds.)

  English Translation: The report indicates that the official embezzled government money. (Example in a formal reporting context, emphasizing legal ramifications.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'растратить' and 'злоупотребить' are verbs in Russian, belonging to the imperfective aspect group. They follow standard conjugation patterns for first-conjugation verbs but have irregularities in certain forms due to their roots.

For 'растратить' (imperfective: растрачивать):

For 'злоупотребить' (imperfective: злоупотреблять), it follows a similar pattern but is less irregular:

These verbs do not change in gender or number in the infinitive form but adjust in past tense based on the subject's gender.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Хищать (khishchat') - More general term for stealing, often interchangeable in financial contexts.
  • Присвоить (prisvoit') - Implies appropriation for personal gain, with a subtle nuance of seizing unlawfully.
• Antonyms:
  • Вернуть (vernuty') - To return or restore funds.
  • Сберечь (sberetch') - To save or preserve resources responsibly.

Related Phrases:

• Растрата государственных средств (Rastrota gosudarstvennykh sredstv) - Embezzlement of public funds; a common phrase in legal discussions.
• Злоупотребление служебным положением (Zloupolzovanie sluzhebnym polozheniem) - Abuse of office; often used in corruption cases involving defalcation.
• Растратить бюджет (Rastrostit' byudzhet) - To squander the budget; highlights wasteful spending in financial planning.

Usage Notes:

In English, 'defalcate' is a formal verb primarily used in legal and financial contexts to mean the misappropriation of funds. In Russian, 'растратить' is the closest equivalent and is typically used in similar formal settings, such as court proceedings or audits. Choose 'злоупотребить' when the emphasis is on ethical abuse rather than purely financial loss. Be mindful of aspect: use the imperfective form (e.g., растрачивать) for ongoing actions and perfective (растратить) for completed ones. In spoken Russian, these words are rare outside professional environments, so context is key to avoid sounding overly formal.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing 'растратить' with 'украсть' (to steal), as both involve taking something unlawfully. Incorrect: "Он украл деньги" when meaning defalcation. Correct: "Он растратил деньги" to specify misappropriation of entrusted funds. Explanation: 'Украсть' implies general theft, while 'растратить' connotes betrayal of trust, which is more precise for 'defalcate'.

• Error: Incorrect conjugation, e.g., using 'растратил' for a female subject without gender agreement. Incorrect: "Она растратил деньги." Correct: "Она растратила деньги." Explanation: Russian verbs in the past tense must agree with the subject's gender, which English learners often overlook.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and legal systems, terms like 'растрата' are heavily associated with historical contexts of corruption, such as during the Soviet era when embezzlement of state resources was a common issue. This reflects a broader cultural emphasis on accountability in public service, where such acts are not only illegal but also socially stigmatized, influencing modern anti-corruption campaigns.

Related Concepts:

• Коррупция (korruptsiya)
• Финансовое мошенничество (finansovoye moshennichestvo)
• Злоупотребление властью (zloupolzovanie vlast'yu)