Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'demean'

English Word: demean

Key Russian Translations:

• унижать [ʊˈnʲiʐatʲ] - [Formal, Informal]
• принижать [prʲɪˈnʲiʐatʲ] - [Formal]
• опускать [ɐˈpuskətʲ] - [Informal, Often Figurative]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for all translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

унижать: [ʊˈnʲiʐatʲ]

Note on унижать: Stress falls on the second syllable. The 'ж' sound is a voiced fricative, similar to the 's' in 'measure'.

принижать: [prʲɪˈnʲiʐatʲ]

Note on принижать: Stress on the second syllable. Pay attention to the soft 'н' sound due to the following 'и'.

опускать: [ɐˈpuskətʲ]

Note on опускать: Stress on the second syllable. The initial 'о' is reduced to 'ɐ' in unstressed position.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To lower in dignity or status (Verbally or socially degrade)

Translation(s) & Context:

• унижать - Commonly used for personal humiliation or belittling someone.
• принижать - Often used in formal or abstract contexts, e.g., diminishing someone's achievements.

Usage Examples:

• Он постоянно унижает своих коллег на работе.

  He constantly demeans his colleagues at work.

• Не стоит унижать себя ради чужого мнения.

  You shouldn't demean yourself for someone else's opinion.

• Её слова принижают значение его усилий.

  Her words demean the value of his efforts.

2. To lower oneself (Act in a degrading way)

Translation(s) & Context:

• опускать - Used when someone lowers their own status or dignity, often figuratively.
• унижать (себя) - Used with reflexive pronoun to indicate self-degradation.

Usage Examples:

• Он опустился до того, чтобы просить милостыню.

  He demeaned himself to the point of begging.

• Она унизила себя, согласившись на такие условия.

  She demeaned herself by agreeing to such conditions.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

унижать (Verb, Imperfective Aspect):

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (Masc./Fem./Neut./Plural)
1st Sing.	унижаю	унижал / унижала / унижало / унижали
2nd Sing.	унижаешь	унижал / унижала / унижало / унижали
3rd Sing.	унижает	унижал / унижала / унижало / унижали

Note: Perfective form is "унизить". Used for completed actions.

принижать and опускать follow similar conjugation patterns as imperfective verbs. Perfective forms are "принизить" and "опустить", respectively.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for унижать/принижать:

• оскорблять (to insult)
• ущемлять (to infringe or belittle)

Note: "оскорблять" focuses more on verbal insult, while "ущемлять" can imply harming dignity or rights.

Antonyms for унижать/принижать:

• возвышать (to elevate)
• хвалить (to praise)

Related Phrases:

• унижать достоинство - to demean someone's dignity
• принижать заслуги - to demean someone's achievements
• опускаться до уровня - to demean oneself to a certain level

Usage Notes:

• "унижать" is the most versatile and commonly used translation for "demean", applicable in both personal and abstract contexts.
• "принижать" is more formal and often used for diminishing value or importance rather than personal humiliation.
• "опускать" often implies a figurative lowering, especially when referring to oneself (with reflexive forms like "опуститься").
• Pay attention to the aspect of the verb: imperfective forms (унижать, принижать) describe ongoing or habitual actions, while perfective forms (унизить, принизить) indicate a completed action.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "опускать" without reflexive form when referring to self-degradation. Incorrect: "Я опускаю." Correct: "Я опускаюсь."
• Error: Confusing "унижать" with "оскорблять". While both can mean to degrade, "оскорблять" specifically means to insult, often verbally. Example: Incorrect: "Он оскорбил её достоинство" (if no insult was intended). Correct: "Он унизил её достоинство."

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, personal dignity and respect are highly valued, so words like "унижать" carry strong negative connotations. Using such terms can be seen as very harsh or offensive in social interactions. It's important to consider the context and tone when addressing sensitive topics involving humiliation or degradation.

Related Concepts:

• достоинство (dignity)
• уважение (respect)
• оскорбление (insult)