Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Disappear'

English Word: disappear

Key Russian Translations:

• исчезать [ɪsʲt͡ɕɪˈzatʲ] - [Imperfective, General Use]
• исчезнуть [ɪsʲt͡ɕɪzˈnutʲ] - [Perfective, Completed Action]
• пропадать [prəpɐˈdatʲ] - [Imperfective, Informal, Often for Losing Something]
• пропасть [prɐˈpasʲtʲ] - [Perfective, Informal, Sudden Disappearance]

Frequency: High (Common in everyday speech and writing)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for исчезать/исчезнуть; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for пропадать/пропасть due to nuanced usage

Pronunciation (Russian):

исчезать: [ɪsʲt͡ɕɪˈzatʲ]

Note on исчезать: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "щ" sound is a soft, hissing sound unique to Russian.

исчезнуть: [ɪsʲt͡ɕɪzˈnutʲ]

пропадать: [prəpɐˈdatʲ]

пропасть: [prɐˈpasʲtʲ]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To cease to be visible (general disappearance)

Translation(s) & Context:

• исчезать/исчезнуть - Used for general or abstract disappearance, such as objects or people vanishing.

Usage Examples:

• Туман исчезает утром.

  The fog disappears in the morning.

• Он исчез из комнаты без следа.

  He disappeared from the room without a trace.

• Надежда исчезла после долгих поисков.

  Hope disappeared after a long search.

2. To be lost or go missing (often objects or people)

Translation(s) & Context:

• пропадать/пропасть - Often used for losing things or sudden, unexplained disappearance.

Usage Examples:

• Мои ключи пропали, я их нигде не нахожу.

  My keys have disappeared; I can’t find them anywhere.

• Он пропал без вести в горах.

  He disappeared without a trace in the mountains.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

исчезать/исчезнуть (Verb, Imperfective/Perfective Pair): These verbs follow regular conjugation patterns for first-conjugation verbs. Below is a sample conjugation for исчезать (imperfective) in the present tense:

пропадать/пропасть (Verb, Imperfective/Perfective Pair): Similar regular conjugation, though пропасть has an irregular past tense form (e.g., пропал for masculine past).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• скрываться (to hide oneself, often intentionally)
• теряться (to get lost, often for objects)

Note: скрываться implies intentional hiding, while теряться is closer to accidental loss.

Antonyms:

• появляться (to appear)
• находиться (to be found)

Related Phrases:

• исчезнуть без следа - "to disappear without a trace" (used for complete, mysterious disappearance)
• пропасть с глаз долой - "to disappear out of sight" (informal, often with a sense of relief)
• исчезнуть из виду - "to disappear from view" (literal or figurative)

Usage Notes:

• The choice between исчезать/исчезнуть and пропадать/пропасть depends on context. Use исчезать for general or abstract disappearance (e.g., fog, hope), and пропадать for tangible loss or sudden vanishing (e.g., keys, people).
• Aspect is crucial in Russian: imperfective forms (исчезать, пропадать) describe ongoing or repeated actions, while perfective forms (исчезнуть, пропасть) indicate a completed, one-time action.
• Be mindful of formality: исчезать is more neutral and formal, while пропадать can sound colloquial.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using исчезать when referring to losing an object. Incorrect: Мои деньги исчезают. Correct: Мои деньги пропадают. (Explanation: пропадать is more appropriate for tangible loss.)
• Error: Ignoring verbal aspect. Incorrect: Он исчезает вчера. Correct: Он исчез вчера. (Explanation: Use perfective исчез for past completed actions.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of "disappearance" can carry emotional weight, especially in historical contexts like the Soviet era, where people "disappeared" due to political repression. The term пропасть без вести ("to disappear without a trace") is often used in such serious contexts.

Related Concepts:

• скрыться (to hide)
• потеряться (to get lost)
• уйти (to leave)