Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'desalinate'

English Word: desalinate

Key Russian Translations:

• опреснять /ɐˈprʲesnɨtʲ/ - [Formal, Technical]
• десалинировать /dʲɪsɐlʲɪˈnʲirəvɐtʲ/ - [Formal, Scientific]

Frequency: Medium (Common in environmental and technical discussions, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and technical vocabulary)

Pronunciation (Russian):

опреснять: /ɐˈprʲesnɨtʲ/

Note on опреснять: The stress falls on the second syllable; the 'рʲ' sound is a palatalized 'r', which can be challenging for English speakers. Pronounce it with a soft, rolled 'r' followed by a quick 'ye' sound.

десалинировать: /dʲɪsɐlʲɪˈnʲirəvɐtʲ/

Note on десалинировать: This is a longer word with multiple syllables; focus on the stress on the fourth syllable. The 'лʲ' is a palatalized 'l', similar to the 'l' in "million" in English.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To remove salt from seawater or other saline water

Translation(s) & Context:

• Опреснять is typically used in formal, environmental, or industrial contexts, such as water treatment processes.
• Десалинировать is more scientific and precise, often in academic or engineering discussions.

Usage Examples:

• В некоторых странах опресняют морскую воду для получения питьевой воды.

  In some countries, they desalinate seawater to obtain drinking water.

• Ученые разрабатывают новые технологии, чтобы опреснять воду в засушливых регионах.

  Scientists are developing new technologies to desalinate water in arid regions.

• Десалинировать океаническую воду — это дорогостоящий процесс, но он необходим для островных наций.

  Desalinating oceanic water is an expensive process, but it is necessary for island nations.

• Завод использует современное оборудование, чтобы десалинировать воду из подземных источников.

  The plant uses modern equipment to desalinate water from underground sources.

• Опреснять речную воду помогает решить проблему засоления почв в сельскохозяйственных районах.

  Desalinating river water helps solve the problem of soil salinization in agricultural areas.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "опреснять" and "десалинировать" are imperfective verbs in Russian, belonging to the first conjugation group. They follow standard verb inflections for person, number, tense, and aspect. Below is a table for "опреснять" as an example; "десалинировать" follows similar patterns but with its own stem.

For "десалинировать", the infinitive form changes to "десалинирую" in the first person present, etc. These verbs do not have irregular inflections but require attention to aspect (e.g., pair with perfective forms like "опреснить" for completed actions).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • очищать от соли (to purify from salt; less technical, more general)
  • удалять соль (to remove salt; straightforward and literal)
• Antonyms:
  • салинизировать (to salinize; used in scientific contexts for adding salt)
  • засаливать (to make salty; more informal for everyday salting)

Related Phrases:

• Процесс опреснения воды - The process of desalinating water (used in technical discussions about water treatment).
• Установка для десалинирования - Desalination plant (refers to facilities for large-scale operations).
• Опреснять морскую воду - To desalinate seawater (a common phrase in environmental contexts).

Usage Notes:

• Choose "опреснять" for everyday or general discussions about water purification, as it is more concise and widely understood in Russian-speaking regions.
• "Десалинировать" is preferred in formal, scientific, or academic settings due to its precision, mirroring the English "desalinate" in technical contexts.
• Both verbs are typically used with accusative objects, e.g., "опреснять воду" (to desalinate water). Be mindful of aspect: use imperfective for ongoing actions and perfective (e.g., "опреснить") for completed ones.
• In spoken Russian, these words are rare outside professional environments; opt for simpler synonyms like "очищать" in casual conversation.

Common Errors:

• English learners often confuse the verb aspect, using "опреснять" for completed actions. Incorrect: "Я опреснял воду вчера" (if implying a finished action, but this is actually correct for past imperfective). Correct: For a one-time event, use the perfective "опреснил". Explanation: Russian requires matching aspect to the context; always check if the action is ongoing or finished.
• Mispronouncing the palatalized consonants, e.g., saying /ɐˈpresnatʲ/ instead of /ɐˈprʲesnɨtʲ/. Incorrect pronunciation: /ɐˈpresnatʲ/. Correct: Focus on the soft 'r' sound. Explanation: This can make the word sound unnatural to native speakers.
• Overusing in informal speech; for example, saying "десалинировать" in a casual chat. Incorrect usage: Using it in everyday talk. Correct: Stick to "очищать" for informal contexts. Explanation: It sounds overly formal and may confuse listeners.

Cultural Notes:

In Russia and other Russian-speaking countries, desalination is a critical topic due to water scarcity in arid regions like parts of Central Asia. Terms like "опреснять" often appear in discussions about environmental policies, reflecting Russia's focus on resource management in its vast territories. Historically, Soviet-era engineering advancements in water treatment have influenced modern usage, emphasizing practicality over theoretical science.

Related Concepts:

• очистка воды (water purification)
• засоление (salinization)
• экология (ecology)