Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'defraud'

English Word: defraud

Key Russian Translations:

• обмануть [ɐbˈmanʊtʲ] - [Informal, General Use]
• мошенничать [mɐˈʂɛnʲːɪtɕətʲ] - [Formal, Legal Context]
• надуть [nɐˈdutʲ] - [Colloquial, Informal]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for "обмануть" and "надуть"; C1 (Advanced) for "мошенничать"

Pronunciation (Russian):

обмануть: [ɐbˈmanʊtʲ]

Note on обмануть: Stress on the second syllable; the "у" is pronounced as a short "oo".

мошенничать: [mɐˈʂɛnʲːɪtɕətʲ]

Note on мошенничать: Stress on the second syllable; "щ" is a soft "shch" sound, unique to Russian.

надуть: [nɐˈdutʲ]

Note on надуть: Stress on the second syllable; often used in casual speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To deceive someone for personal gain (General Fraud)

Translation(s) & Context:

• обмануть - Commonly used for general deception or cheating someone out of money or trust.
• надуть - Informal, often used for smaller-scale or playful deception, but can imply fraud in colloquial contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Он обманул меня, взяв деньги за несуществующий товар.

  He defrauded me by taking money for a non-existent product.

• Её обманули на крупную сумму в интернете.

  She was defrauded of a large sum online.

• Ты меня надул, сказав, что это оригинал!

  You defrauded me by saying this was an original!

2. To engage in systematic or legal fraud (Formal/Legal Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• мошенничать - Used in formal or legal contexts to describe systematic fraud or swindling.

Usage Examples:

• Компания мошенничала, скрывая налоги.

  The company defrauded by hiding taxes.

• Он был арестован за то, что мошенничал с инвестициями.

  He was arrested for defrauding with investments.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

обмануть (Verb, Perfective Aspect): This verb is perfective, indicating a completed action. It conjugates irregularly in some forms.

Person	Present (Not applicable for perfective)	Past	Future
Я (I)	-	обманул (m) / обманула (f)	обману
Ты (You)	-	обманул (m) / обманула (f)	обманешь
Он/Она (He/She)	-	обманул / обманула	обманет

мошенничать (Verb, Imperfective Aspect): Regular conjugation, used for ongoing or habitual action.

надуть (Verb, Perfective Aspect): Similar to "обмануть", it is perfective and follows similar conjugation patterns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• обманывать (to deceive, ongoing action)
• кинуть (colloquial, to cheat or trick)

Antonyms:

• помочь (to help)
• поддержать (to support)

Note: Synonyms like "кинуть" are more colloquial and situational compared to "обмануть".

Related Phrases:

• обмануть доверие - to betray trust (lit. to defraud trust)
• мошенничать с деньгами - to defraud with money (common in legal contexts)
• надуть на деньги - to cheat someone out of money (colloquial)

Usage Notes:

• "обмануть" is the most versatile and commonly used translation for "defraud", suitable for both casual and semi-formal contexts.
• "мошенничать" is more formal and often appears in legal or official discussions of fraud.
• "надуть" is highly colloquial and may not always imply serious fraud; it can sometimes mean a playful trick.
• Be mindful of the aspect (perfective vs. imperfective) when using these verbs, as Russian grammar requires aspectual precision.

Common Errors:

1. Confusing aspects: English learners often use the imperfective "обманывать" when the context calls for the perfective "обмануть".

• Wrong: Я обманываю его вчера. (I deceive him yesterday.)
• Correct: Я обманул его вчера. (I defrauded him yesterday.)

2. Misusing "надуть": Using "надуть" in formal contexts can sound inappropriate or disrespectful.

• Wrong: Компания надула клиентов. (The company tricked clients.)
• Correct: Компания обманула клиентов. (The company defrauded clients.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, fraud and deception are sensitive topics, often tied to historical contexts of economic hardship or distrust in institutions. Terms like "мошенничать" may carry a strong negative connotation in legal or business discussions, reflecting a cultural emphasis on trust and honesty.

Related Concepts:

• обман (deception)
• мошенничество (fraud, swindling)
• ложь (lie)