Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Disarm'

English Word: Disarm

Key Russian Translations:

• разоружить [rɐzɐrʊˈʒɨtʲ] - [Formal, Often used in military or diplomatic contexts]
• обезоружить [ɐbʲɪzɐrʊˈʒɨtʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Literal and Figurative (e.g., to charm or win over)]

Frequency: Medium (Common in specific contexts like politics, conflict, or emotional expressions)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for both translations due to contextual nuances

Pronunciation (Russian):

разоружить: [rɐzɐrʊˈʒɨtʲ]

Note on разоружить: Stress falls on the third syllable. The 'ж' sound is a voiced retroflex fricative, which may be challenging for non-native speakers.

обезоружить: [ɐbʲɪzɐrʊˈʒɨtʲ]

Note on обезоружить: Stress on the fourth syllable. The prefix 'обез-' softens the 'б' sound due to palatalization.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Literal Meaning (To remove weapons)

Translation(s) & Context:

• разоружить - Primarily used for disarming in a military, political, or physical sense (e.g., disarming an enemy or a nation).

Usage Examples:

• Правительство решило разоружить повстанцев.

  The government decided to disarm the rebels.

• Страны договорились разоружить свои ядерные арсеналы.

  The countries agreed to disarm their nuclear arsenals.

• Полиция разоружила преступника без применения силы.

  The police disarmed the criminal without using force.

2. Figurative Meaning (To charm or win over)

Translation(s) & Context:

• обезоружить - Used metaphorically to mean rendering someone defenseless through charm, kindness, or emotional appeal.

Usage Examples:

• Её улыбка обезоружила всех в комнате.

  Her smile disarmed everyone in the room.

• Его искренность обезоружила даже самых скептически настроенных людей.

  His sincerity disarmed even the most skeptical people.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

разоружить (Verb, Perfective): This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for perfective verbs in Russian. It indicates a completed action.

Note: Imperfective form is "разоружать" for ongoing or repeated actions.

обезоружить (Verb, Perfective): Similar to "разоружить," it follows regular perfective verb conjugation. Imperfective form is "обезоруживать."

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for разоружить (Literal):

• лишить оружия
• разоружаться (reflexive form, to disarm oneself)

Synonyms for обезоружить (Figurative): Slight differences in nuance may apply (e.g., обезоружить often implies emotional impact, while others may not).

• очаровать (to charm)
• покорить (to win over)

Antonyms:

• вооружить (to arm)
• вооружаться (to arm oneself)

Related Phrases:

• разоружить противника - To disarm the opponent (Literal, military context).
• обезоружить улыбкой - To disarm with a smile (Figurative, emotional context).
• полное разоружение - Complete disarmament (Often used in diplomatic discussions).

Usage Notes:

• "Разоружить" is more specific to physical or strategic disarmament (e.g., weapons, military forces) and is often used in formal or technical contexts.
• "Обезоружить" can be used both literally and figuratively. In figurative use, it often implies winning someone over or making them defenseless through emotional means.
• Both verbs are perfective, meaning they describe a completed action. For ongoing or repeated actions, use their imperfective counterparts ("разоружать" and "обезоруживать").

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "разоружить" in a figurative sense (e.g., to charm someone).
  Incorrect: Её улыбка разоружила меня.
  Correct: Её улыбка обезоружила меня.
  Explanation: "Разоружить" is strictly literal and tied to physical disarmament, while "обезоружить" is appropriate for emotional or figurative contexts.
• Error: Mixing up perfective and imperfective forms.
  Incorrect: Мы разоружаем ядерное оружие каждый день.
  Correct: Мы разоружаем ядерное оружие (ongoing process, imperfective).
  Explanation: Use imperfective "разоружать" for ongoing actions.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the term "разоружение" (disarmament) often carries historical weight due to the Soviet Union's role in Cold War-era disarmament talks. It may evoke associations with peace treaties or international negotiations. Meanwhile, "обезоружить" in a figurative sense reflects the cultural value placed on emotional sincerity and warmth in personal interactions.

Related Concepts:

• вооружение (armament)
• мир (peace)
• переговоры (negotiations)
• очарование (charm)