Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Disappoint'

English Word: Disappoint

Key Russian Translations:

• разочаровать [rəzətʃɐˈrovətʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Verb, Perfective]
• разочаровывать [rəzətʃɐˈrovɨvətʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Verb, Imperfective]
• огорчить [ɐɡɐrˈtʃitʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Verb, Perfective, Emotional Nuance]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in personal and professional contexts)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate, due to aspectual differences in Russian verbs)

Pronunciation (Russian):

разочаровать: [rəzətʃɐˈrovətʲ]

Note on разочаровать: Stress falls on the third syllable. The 'ч' sound is similar to 'ch' in "church."

разочаровывать: [rəzətʃɐˈrovɨvətʲ]

Note on разочаровывать: Stress on the third syllable; imperfective form often used for ongoing or repeated disappointment.

огорчить: [ɐɡɐrˈtʃitʲ]

Note on огорчить: Stress on the second syllable; carries a stronger emotional tone of sadness or upset.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To cause someone to feel let down or unsatisfied (general sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• разочаровать / разочаровывать - Used in both formal and informal contexts to express disappointment in results, expectations, or behavior.

Usage Examples:

• Его результаты на экзамене разочаровали учителя.

  His exam results disappointed the teacher.

• Она часто разочаровывает своих друзей своим поведением.

  She often disappoints her friends with her behavior.

• Этот фильм меня разочаровал.

  This movie disappointed me.

2. To upset or sadden someone emotionally

Translation(s) & Context:

• огорчить - Used when disappointment carries a stronger emotional impact, often implying sadness or distress.

Usage Examples:

• Её слова огорчили меня.

  Her words disappointed (upset) me.

• Я не хотел тебя огорчить своим отказом.

  I didn’t mean to disappoint (upset) you with my refusal.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

разочаровать (Perfective Verb): Refers to a completed action of disappointing someone. Conjugates regularly as a first-conjugation verb.

Person	Present (N/A for Perfective)	Past	Future
Я (I)	-	разочаровал / разочаровала	разочарую
Ты (You, singular)	-	разочаровал / разочаровала	разочаруешь
Он/Она (He/She)	-	разочаровал / разочаровала	разочарует

разочаровывать (Imperfective Verb): Refers to ongoing or repeated disappointment. Also conjugates as a first-conjugation verb.

огорчить (Perfective Verb): Similar to разочаровать but with emotional nuance. Follows second-conjugation rules.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• расстроить (to upset, often emotionally)
• подвести (to let down, often in terms of expectations or obligations)

Note: расстроить emphasizes emotional upset, while подвести often implies failing to meet expectations or obligations.

Antonyms:

• порадовать (to please)
• вдохновить (to inspire)

Related Phrases:

• разочаровать в ком-то - To be disappointed in someone (e.g., losing faith or trust).
• огорчить до слёз - To disappoint (upset) someone to the point of tears.
• разочароваться в жизни - To become disappointed in life (a reflexive form indicating personal disillusionment).

Usage Notes:

• The choice between разочаровать/разочаровывать and огорчить depends on the emotional weight. Use огорчить when the disappointment causes sadness or distress.
• Russian verbs of disappointment are often paired with aspect (perfective/imperfective). Use perfective (разочаровать, огорчить) for a single, completed action and imperfective (разочаровывать) for repeated or ongoing disappointment.
• Unlike English, Russian often requires a direct object (e.g., "disappoint someone"), so transitive usage is common.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using imperfective разочаровывать for a one-time event.
  Incorrect: Я разочаровываю его вчера.
  Correct: Я разочаровал его вчера. (Use perfective for a specific past event.)
  Explanation: Aspect is critical in Russian; perfective verbs are used for completed actions.
• Error: Confusing огорчить with разочаровать in non-emotional contexts.
  Incorrect: Этот результат огорчил учителя. (If no emotional upset is implied.)
  Correct: Этот результат разочаровал учителя.
  Explanation: огорчить implies a deeper emotional reaction.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressing disappointment (especially with огорчить) can carry a strong emotional undertone, often tied to personal relationships. Russians may use such terms more sparingly in formal settings compared to English speakers, opting for neutral phrases to avoid seeming overly critical.

Related Concepts:

• расстройство (upset, distress)
• неудача (failure, setback)
• ожидания (expectations)