Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'deprive'

English Word: deprive

Key Russian Translations:

• лишать [lʲɪˈʂatʲ] - [Formal, Often used in legal or serious contexts]
• отнимать [ɐtʲˈnʲimatʲ] - [Neutral, Common in everyday speech]

Frequency: Medium (Both translations are used regularly in different contexts)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for both translations due to conjugation and contextual nuances

Pronunciation (Russian):

лишать: [lʲɪˈʂatʲ]

Note on лишать: Pay attention to the soft "л" sound and the stress on the second syllable.

отнимать: [ɐtʲˈnʲimatʲ]

Note on отнимать: The stress falls on the second syllable, and the "н" is palatalized.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To take something away from someone (rights, possessions, etc.)

Translation(s) & Context:

• лишать - Often used in formal or legal contexts, such as depriving someone of rights or privileges.
• отнимать - More general, often used for tangible items or time.

Usage Examples:

• Суд лишил его права на вождение автомобиля.

  The court deprived him of the right to drive a car.

• Его лишили свободы на пять лет.

  He was deprived of freedom for five years.

• Не отнимай у меня время своими жалобами.

  Don’t deprive me of my time with your complaints.

• Они отняли у нас последнюю надежду.

  They deprived us of our last hope.

• Болезнь отняла у неё возможность ходить.

  The illness deprived her of the ability to walk.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

лишать (Verb, Imperfective Aspect):

This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -ать. It requires an object in the Genitive case (кого/чего) to indicate what is being deprived.

отнимать (Verb, Imperfective Aspect):

Similarly, this verb requires an object in the Accusative case (кого/что) for tangible things or Genitive for abstract concepts like time.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for лишать:

• отбирать (more colloquial, often for physical objects)
• ограничивать (to restrict, less direct)

Synonyms for отнимать:

• забирать (to take away, more neutral)
• отбирать (similar, but often with a sense of force)

Antonyms:

• давать (to give)
• наделять (to endow or grant)

Related Phrases:

• лишать свободы - to deprive of freedom (e.g., imprisonment)
• лишать права - to deprive of a right (legal context)
• отнимать время - to deprive of time (to waste someone’s time)
• отнимать надежду - to deprive of hope (to take away optimism)

Usage Notes:

• Contextual Choice: Use "лишать" when referring to abstract or legal deprivations (e.g., rights, freedom). Use "отнимать" for more tangible or everyday contexts (e.g., taking away objects, time).
• Case Usage: "лишать" always governs the Genitive case for the object of deprivation, while "отнимать" can take Accusative for tangible objects or Genitive for abstract concepts.
• Aspect: Both verbs are imperfective, but their perfective forms (лишить and отнять) are used for completed actions. This distinction is critical in Russian.

Common Errors:

• Confusing Cases: English speakers often misuse cases after these verbs. For example, saying *лишать кого-то* with Accusative instead of Genitive is incorrect. Correct: Лишать кого/чего (Genitive).
• Wrong Verb Choice: Using "отнимать" in formal legal contexts sounds unnatural. Incorrect: *Суд отнял его права.* Correct: *Суд лишил его права.*
• Aspect Errors: Failing to use the perfective form when the action is completed. Incorrect: *Он лишал меня денег вчера.* Correct: *Он лишил меня денег вчера.* (completed action).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of deprivation, especially in legal contexts (e.g., "лишать свободы" for imprisonment), carries significant weight due to historical contexts like Soviet-era repressions. The term "лишать" often evokes a formal or serious tone, reflecting authority or power dynamics.

Related Concepts:

• ограничение (restriction)
• запрет (prohibition)
• потеря (loss)