Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Devour'

English Word: devour

Key Russian Translations:

• поглощать [pɐɡlɐˈɕːatʲ] - [Formal, General Use]
• пожирать [pɐʐɨˈratʲ] - [Informal, Often Negative or Figurative]
• съедать [sʲjɪˈdatʲ] - [Neutral, Common in Everyday Speech]

Frequency: Medium (used regularly in various contexts)

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

Pronunciation (Russian):

поглощать: [pɐɡlɐˈɕːatʲ]

Note on поглощать: Stress falls on the third syllable; the "щ" sound is a soft, hissing "shch."

пожирать: [pɐʐɨˈratʲ]

Note on пожирать: Stress on the second syllable; often carries an intense or greedy connotation.

съедать: [sʲjɪˈdatʲ]

Note on съедать: Stress on the second syllable; a straightforward, neutral term.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To eat something eagerly or greedily (literal)

Translation(s) & Context:

• съедать - Used for consuming food quickly or completely in everyday contexts.
• пожирать - Often implies greed or voraciousness, sometimes with a negative tone.

Usage Examples:

• Он съел весь торт за пять минут.

  He devoured the entire cake in five minutes.

• Волк пожирал свою добычу с жадностью.

  The wolf devoured its prey with greed.

• Дети съедают всё, что я готовлю!

  The kids devour everything I cook!

2. To consume or absorb completely (figurative)

Translation(s) & Context:

• поглощать - Commonly used for abstract consumption, like time, attention, or resources.
• пожирать - Used figuratively for destructive or overwhelming consumption.

Usage Examples:

• Работа поглощает всё моё время.

  Work devours all my time.

• Огонь пожирал старый дом за считанные минуты.

  The fire devoured the old house in mere minutes.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

поглощать (verb, imperfective, transitive):

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (Masculine/Feminine/Neuter)
1st Singular	поглощаю [pɐɡlɐˈɕːaju]	поглощал / поглощала / поглощало
3rd Plural	поглощают [pɐɡlɐˈɕːajut]	поглощали

Note: Perfective form is "поглотить" (used for completed actions).

пожирать and съедать follow similar conjugation patterns as imperfective verbs. Perfective forms are "пожрать" (colloquial for пожирать) and "съесть" (for съедать).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• глотать (to swallow, less intense)
• уничтожать (to destroy, figurative)

Antonyms:

• беречь (to save or preserve)
• отказываться (to refuse)

Note on Synonyms: "глотать" is more neutral and less intense than "пожирать," while "уничтожать" is stronger in figurative contexts.

Related Phrases:

• поглощать знания - to devour knowledge (to absorb or learn eagerly)
• пожирать глазами - to devour with one’s eyes (to stare intensely, often with desire)
• съедать на завтрак - to devour for breakfast (to defeat or overcome easily, figurative)

Usage Notes:

• "Поглощать" is the most versatile and formal of the translations, suitable for both literal and figurative uses, such as absorbing time or resources.
• "Пожирать" often carries a negative or intense connotation, implying greed or destruction, and is less formal.
• "Съедать" is the most neutral and commonly used for literal eating, especially in casual speech.
• Choose the translation based on tone and context: use "съедать" for neutral descriptions of eating, "поглощать" for abstract or formal contexts, and "пожирать" for emotional or vivid imagery.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "пожирать" in neutral or formal contexts. Incorrect: Он пожирает завтрак каждое утро. Correct: Он съедает завтрак каждое утро. (Explanation: "Пожирать" sounds overly dramatic or negative for a simple act of eating breakfast.)
• Error: Confusing "поглощать" with literal eating in casual speech. Incorrect: Я поглощаю пиццу. Correct: Я съедаю пиццу. (Explanation: "Поглощать" is more suited for abstract contexts unless the tone is deliberately formal or figurative.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the choice of verb for "devour" can reflect cultural nuances. For instance, "пожирать" may evoke imagery of folklore or fairy tales (e.g., wolves devouring prey), while "поглощать" is often used in intellectual or philosophical discussions about absorbing ideas or knowledge.

Related Concepts:

• аппетит (appetite)
• жадность (greed)
• уничтожение (destruction)