Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'defray'

English Word: defray

Key Russian Translations:

• оплатить [ɐplɐˈtʲitʲ] - [Formal, used in financial or business contexts]
• возместить [vəzmʲɪˈsʲitʲ] - [Formal, often implies reimbursement or compensation]

Frequency: Medium (Common in business, legal, and everyday financial discussions, but not as frequent as basic verbs like "to buy".)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual usage, suitable for learners with basic Russian grammar knowledge.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

оплатить: [ɐplɐˈtʲitʲ]

Note on оплатить: The stress is on the third syllable; the soft 'т' sound can be challenging for English speakers, as it requires palatalization. Pronounce it with a quick, crisp ending.

возместить: [vəzmʲɪˈsʲitʲ]

Note on возместить: Stress on the third syllable; the 'з' is voiced, and the soft 'с' adds a subtle hiss. Common regional variations in speed may occur in casual speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To pay or cover the cost of something, often expenses incurred by others.

Translation(s) & Context:

• оплатить - Used in formal contexts like business transactions or reimbursements, e.g., when a company covers employee expenses.
• возместить - Applied in scenarios involving compensation, such as insurance claims or refunds.

Usage Examples:

• Компания согласилась оплатить все медицинские расходы. (The company agreed to cover all medical expenses.)

  English Translation: The company agreed to defray all medical costs.

• Он возместил мне затраты на поездку. (He reimbursed me for the trip expenses.)

  English Translation: He helped defray my trip costs.

• Правительство планирует оплатить часть затрат на образование. (The government plans to cover part of the education costs.)

  English Translation: The government intends to defray some of the education expenses.

• Мы должны возместить убытки пострадавшим. (We need to compensate the victims for their losses.)

  English Translation: We must defray the losses for those affected.

• Банк оплатит проценты по кредиту в первые месяцы. (The bank will cover the interest on the loan in the first few months.)

  English Translation: The bank will defray the loan interest initially.

Secondary Meaning: To offset or alleviate financial burdens indirectly.

Translation(s) & Context:

• оплатить - In broader contexts, like subsidies or grants, where costs are indirectly managed.
• возместить - Less common, but used for indirect compensation in legal or social scenarios.

Usage Examples:

• Грант поможет оплатить часть повседневных расходов студентов. (The grant will help cover part of students' daily expenses.)

  English Translation: The grant will assist in defraying students' everyday costs.

• Организация возместит затраты на волонтёрскую работу. (The organization will compensate for the costs of volunteer work.)

  English Translation: The organization will defray the expenses related to volunteering.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations, "оплатить" and "возместить", are verbs of the first conjugation in Russian, which follow regular patterns but have specific inflections based on tense, aspect, and person. "Оплатить" is a perfective verb, while "возместить" can be used in perfective contexts.

Note: These verbs do not change irregularly, but learners should note gender agreements in past tense and aspect usage for accurate application.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • оплатить - Covers similar ground to "покрыть" (to cover), but "покрыть" is more general.
  • возместить - Synonymous with "компенсировать" (to compensate), often used interchangeably in financial contexts.
• Antonyms:
  • Не оплатить (not to pay) - Implied antonym like "отказаться" (to refuse).
  • возместить - Antonym could be "взимать" (to charge or impose costs).

Related Phrases:

• Оплатить счет - (To pay the bill; commonly used in restaurants or services.)
• Возместить ущерб - (To compensate for damage; often in legal or insurance contexts.)
• Покрыть расходы - (To cover expenses; a broader phrase for defraying costs in daily life.)

Usage Notes:

"Оплатить" directly corresponds to "defray" in formal payment scenarios, while "возместить" is better for reimbursement contexts. English users should note that Russian verbs require attention to aspect: use perfective like these for completed actions. In informal speech, simpler alternatives like "заплатить" might be preferred, but stick to these for precise translations. Always consider the subject’s gender in past tense forms to avoid errors.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "оплатить" in imperfective contexts, e.g., saying "Я плачу" instead of "Я оплачиваю" for ongoing payment. Correct: "Я плачу" means "I am paying" in a general sense, but for defraying specific costs, use "оплатить" for completion. Explanation: English speakers often overlook Russian's aspect system, leading to tense mismatches.

• Error: Forgetting gender agreement in past tense, e.g., "Я оплатилa" for a male speaker. Correct: "Я оплатил" for males. Explanation: This is a common grammatical slip for non-native speakers, as English lacks gender-specific verbs.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, terms like "возместить" are frequently used in contexts involving state or institutional support, such as government subsidies for education or healthcare. This reflects a cultural emphasis on collective responsibility for financial burdens, differing from more individualistic approaches in English-speaking countries.

Related Concepts:

• расходы (expenses)
• компенсация (compensation)
• субсидия (subsidy)