Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Populate'

English Word: Populate

Key Russian Translations:

• населять [nəsʲɪˈlʲatʲ] - [Formal, Often used for describing settlement or inhabiting]
• заселять [zəsʲɪˈlʲatʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Often used for moving into or colonizing]
• наполнять [nəpɐlˈnʲatʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Used metaphorically for filling with content or data]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in specific contexts like geography, data, or demographics)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies slightly by translation and context)

Pronunciation (Russian):

населять: [nəsʲɪˈlʲatʲ]

Note on населять: Stress falls on the second syllable. The soft 'л' sound can be tricky for non-native speakers.

заселять: [zəsʲɪˈlʲatʲ]

Note on заселять: Similar stress pattern to 'населять', but begins with a voiced 'з' sound.

наполнять: [nəpɐlˈnʲatʲ]

Note on наполнять: Stress on the third syllable. Pay attention to the 'о' sound which may reduce in unstressed positions.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To inhabit or settle in a place (literal)

Translation(s) & Context:

• населять - Used for describing who lives in a specific area or region (often permanent or long-term).
• заселять - Refers to the act of moving into or colonizing a new area (often implies a process).

Usage Examples:

• Этот регион населяют разные народы.

  This region is populated by different peoples.

• Многие животные населяют эту местность.

  Many animals inhabit this area.

• Они начали заселять новые территории после войны.

  They began to populate new territories after the war.

2. To fill with content or data (metaphorical)

Translation(s) & Context:

• наполнять - Used in abstract contexts, like filling a database or populating a form with information.

Usage Examples:

• Нужно наполнить сайт полезной информацией.

  We need to populate the website with useful information.

• База данных наполняется новыми записями каждый день.

  The database is populated with new entries every day.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All translations are verbs and follow regular conjugation patterns in Russian. Below is the conjugation table for населять (imperfective aspect):

Note: Similar conjugation patterns apply to заселять and наполнять. All are imperfective verbs; perfective forms (e.g., заселить, наполнить) exist for completed actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for населять/заселять:

• обитать (to inhabit, more poetic or formal)
• проживать (to reside, often in legal or formal contexts)

Note: 'обитать' often carries a literary tone, while 'проживать' is more bureaucratic.

Antonyms:

• покидать (to abandon or leave)
• опустошать (to depopulate or empty)

Related Phrases:

• населять землю - to populate the earth (often used in historical or biblical contexts)
• заселять дом - to move into a house (implies starting to live there)
• наполнять смыслом - to fill with meaning (metaphorical usage)

Usage Notes:

• The choice between 'населять' and 'заселять' depends on whether the focus is on ongoing inhabitation ('населять') or the act of settling ('заселять').
• 'наполнять' is used in non-literal contexts, such as populating data or filling something abstractly. It does not refer to people settling in a place.
• Be mindful of aspect: Russian verbs often come in imperfective/perfective pairs (e.g., заселять/заселить), which affect the meaning of completion.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'наполнять' to describe people settling in a place. Incorrect: *наполнять город людьми*. Correct: населять город людьми (to populate a city with people).
• Error: Confusing 'населять' with 'заселять'. 'Населять' implies existing presence, while 'заселять' implies a process of moving in. Incorrect: *Они населяют новый дом* (sounds odd). Correct: Они заселяют новый дом (They are moving into a new house).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the concept of 'populating' a place often carries historical weight due to the country's vast geography and history of colonization or resettlement (e.g., Soviet-era relocations). Terms like 'заселять' may evoke associations with planned settlement projects in Siberia or other remote areas.

Related Concepts:

• миграция (migration)
• колонизация (colonization)
• демография (demography)