Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Delegate'

English Word: Delegate

Key Russian Translations:

• делегат [dʲɪlʲɪˈɡat] - [Formal, Noun, Refers to a representative]
• представитель [prʲɪdstɐˈvʲitʲɪlʲ] - [Formal/Neutral, Noun, Broader term for representative]
• поручать [pɐrʊˈtɕatʲ] - [Verb, Used for the act of delegating tasks]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in formal and business contexts)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies by form - "делегат" is simpler, "поручать" requires verb conjugation knowledge)

Pronunciation (Russian):

делегат: [dʲɪlʲɪˈɡat]

Note on делегат: Stress on the last syllable; the "г" is pronounced as a hard [ɡ].

представитель: [prʲɪdstɐˈvʲitʲɪlʲ]

Note on представитель: Stress on the third syllable; soft "л" at the end.

поручать: [pɐrʊˈtɕatʲ]

Note on поручать: Stress on the second syllable; typical Russian verb ending.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Delegate (Noun - A person sent to represent others)

Translation(s) & Context:

• делегат - Used in formal settings like conferences or political meetings.
• представитель - A broader term for any representative, not limited to delegations.

Usage Examples:

• Делегат от нашей компании выступил на конференции.

  The delegate from our company spoke at the conference.

• Представитель профсоюза защищал права работников.

  The representative of the union defended the workers' rights.

• На съезде присутствовали делегаты из разных стран.

  Delegates from different countries attended the congress.

2. Delegate (Verb - To entrust a task or responsibility)

Translation(s) & Context:

• поручать - Commonly used for assigning tasks or responsibilities.

Usage Examples:

• Руководитель поручил мне подготовить отчёт.

  The manager delegated the task of preparing the report to me.

• Она поручила своему помощнику организовать встречу.

  She delegated the organization of the meeting to her assistant.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

делегат (Noun, Masculine): Follows the regular second declension pattern for masculine nouns.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	делегат	делегаты
Genitive	делегата	делегатов
Dative	делегату	делегатам
Accusative	делегата	делегатов
Instrumental	делегатом	делегатами
Prepositional	о делегате	о делегатах

поручать (Verb, Imperfective): Regular first conjugation verb. Requires knowledge of personal endings and past tense forms.

представитель (Noun, Masculine): Similar to "делегат," follows regular masculine declension.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for делегат/представитель:

• уполномоченный (authorized person, often formal)
• посланник (envoy, often diplomatic)

Synonyms for поручать:

• доверять (to entrust)
• возлагать (to assign, often responsibilities)

Antonyms for поручать:

• отбирать (to take away)
• удерживать (to withhold)

Related Phrases:

• делегат съезда - Delegate of the congress (used in political or organizational contexts).
• поручить задание - To delegate a task (common in workplace settings).
• представитель интересов - Representative of interests (legal or formal contexts).

Usage Notes:

• "Делегат" is more specific to formal delegations, such as at conferences, while "представитель" can be used in a wider range of contexts, including business or legal representation.
• "Поручать" as a verb implies entrusting or assigning and is often used with the dative case for the person receiving the task (e.g., "поручать кому-то").
• Be mindful of formality: "делегат" and "представитель" are formal, while "поручать" can be used in both formal and semi-formal contexts.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "делегат" interchangeably with "представитель" in all contexts.
  Explanation: "Делегат" is specifically tied to delegated representation (e.g., at a congress), while "представитель" is broader. For example, saying "делегат компании" instead of "представитель компании" sounds unnatural.
• Error: Incorrect verb conjugation of "поручать" (e.g., saying "я поручу" instead of "я поручу").
  Explanation: "Поручать" is imperfective, and its future form requires proper conjugation or the use of the perfective form "поручить" (e.g., "я поручу").

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of delegation (both as a noun and verb) is often tied to formal hierarchies, especially in political or Soviet-era contexts. The word "делегат" may evoke historical associations with Soviet congresses or party delegations, so it carries a slightly more specific connotation than in English.

Related Concepts:

• конференция (conference)
• съезд (congress)
• полномочия (authority, powers)