Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'depute'

English Word: depute

Key Russian Translations:

• делегировать [dʲɪlʲɪɡʲɪrəvatʲ] - [Formal, Used in professional or administrative contexts]
• уполномочивать [ʊpɐlɐˈmɐtɕɪtʲ] - [Formal, Often implies granting authority in legal settings]

Frequency: Medium (Common in business, legal, and administrative Russian texts, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and formal language structures for accurate use)

Pronunciation (Russian):

делегировать: [dʲɪlʲɪɡʲɪrəvatʲ]

уполномочивать: [ʊpɐlɐˈmɐtɕɪtʲ]

Note on делегировать: The stress falls on the third syllable ("ги"), which can be tricky for learners; pronounce it with a soft 'г' sound.

Note on уполномочивать: This verb often has a palatalized 'т' at the end, making it sound softer; practice with native speakers for accuracy.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To appoint or delegate someone to act on one's behalf, often in an official capacity.

Translation(s) & Context:

• делегировать - Used in formal contexts like business meetings or government proceedings, emphasizing task assignment.
• уполномочивать - Applied in legal or authoritative scenarios, such as empowering an agent in contracts.

Usage Examples:

• Председатель решил делегировать эту задачу своему заместителю.

  The chairman decided to depute this task to his deputy.

• Компания уполномочила менеджера представлять её на конференции.

  The company deputed the manager to represent it at the conference.

• В срочной ситуации директор делегировал полномочия ассистенту.

  In an emergency, the director deputed authority to the assistant.

• Судья уполномочила адвоката действовать от имени клиента.

  The judge deputed the lawyer to act on behalf of the client.

• Руководитель делегировал переговоры опытному специалисту, чтобы сэкономить время.

  The leader deputed the negotiations to an experienced specialist to save time.

Secondary Meaning: To assign a role or responsibility temporarily, often implying substitution.

Translation(s) & Context:

• делегировать - Common in organizational settings, focusing on temporary delegation without full authority transfer.
• уполномочивать - Less common here, but used if legal authorization is involved.

Usage Examples:

• Из-за болезни главного врача делегировали обязанности младшему коллеге.

  Due to the chief doctor's illness, they deputed the duties to a junior colleague.

• В отпуске менеджер уполномочила заместителя принимать решения.

  On vacation, the manager deputed her deputy to make decisions.

• Команда делегировала лидерство новому члену для разнообразия подходов.

  The team deputed leadership to a new member to diversify approaches.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "делегировать" and "уполномочивать" are Russian verbs of the first conjugation, which follow regular patterns but can have irregularities in perfective aspects. They are imperfective verbs, and their perfective counterparts are "делегировать" (no direct perfective, often used as is) and "уполномочить". Below is a table for conjugation of "делегировать" in the present tense; "уполномочивать" follows a similar pattern.

For "уполномочивать":

These verbs do not change in gender or number in their base form but must agree in tense, aspect, and person. Note: They are regular but can form perfective aspects (e.g., "уполномочить") for completed actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • назначать (naznachatʲ) - More general, used for appointing without implying delegation.
  • поручать (poruchatʲ) - Emphasizes entrusting a task, often with less formality.
• Antonyms:
  • отзывать (otzyvatʲ) - To revoke or withdraw authority.
  • самостоятельно выполнять (samostoyatelʹno vypolnyatʲ) - To handle something independently, without delegation.

Related Phrases:

• Делегировать полномочия - To depute authority; used in contexts of power transfer in organizations.
• Уполномочить представителя - To depute a representative; common in legal or diplomatic settings.
• Делегировать задачи - To depute tasks; a phrase for workload distribution in teams.

Usage Notes:

"Depute" corresponds closely to "делегировать" in formal English-Russian translation, especially in business contexts, but "уполномочивать" is preferred when legal authorization is involved. Be mindful of the verb's aspect: use the imperfective for ongoing actions and perfective for completed ones. In Russian, these verbs often require a direct object, so always specify what is being deputed (e.g., "задачу" for task). Choose "делегировать" for everyday professional use and "уполномочивать" for official documents to avoid misuse.

Common Errors:

• Confusing "делегировать" with "поручать": Learners might use "поручать" interchangeably, but it implies less formal trust. Error: "Я поручил задачу" (implying casual entrusting). Correct: "Я делегировал задачу" for official delegation.
• Neglecting verb conjugation: English speakers often forget to conjugate for person, e.g., saying "он делегирует" incorrectly as "он делегировать". Correct form: Ensure agreement, as in "он делегирует".
• Overusing in informal contexts: Using "уполномочивать" in casual speech, which sounds overly formal. Error: "Я уполномочиваю друга" in everyday talk. Correct: Use "поручить" for friends and save "уполномочивать" for professional scenarios.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, delegating authority ("делегировать") reflects hierarchical structures common in workplaces and government, influenced by Soviet-era bureaucracy. It often carries an implication of trust and responsibility, but misuse can lead to perceptions of laziness, so it's used cautiously in team settings to maintain respect and efficiency.

Related Concepts:

• авторизация (avtorizatsiya)
• ответственность (otvetstvennostʹ)
• руководство (rukovodstvo)