Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'disbelieve'

English Word: disbelieve

Key Russian Translations:

• не верить [nʲɪ vʲerʲɪtʲ] - [Neutral, Commonly Used]
• сомневаться [sɐmʲnʲɪˈvatʲsə] - [Neutral, Often Implies Doubt]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "не верить"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "сомневаться"

Pronunciation (Russian):

не верить: [nʲɪ vʲerʲɪtʲ]

Note on не верить: Stress falls on the second syllable of "верить". The negative particle "не" is unstressed.

сомневаться: [sɐmʲnʲɪˈvatʲsə]

Note on сомневаться: Stress on the third syllable. The reflexive suffix "-ся" is pronounced softly.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To not believe something or someone

Translation(s) & Context:

• не верить - Used when expressing a lack of belief or trust in something or someone.

Usage Examples:

• Я не верю его словам.

  I don’t believe his words.

• Она не верит в сказки.

  She doesn’t believe in fairy tales.

• Мы не верим этим обещаниям.

  We don’t believe these promises.

2. To have doubts about something

Translation(s) & Context:

• сомневаться - Used to express hesitation or uncertainty about the truth of something.

Usage Examples:

• Я сомневаюсь в его искренности.

  I doubt his sincerity.

• Он сомневается, стоит ли идти.

  He doubts whether it’s worth going.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

не верить (imperfective verb):

сомневаться (imperfective reflexive verb): Similar conjugation pattern to regular verbs, with the reflexive suffix "-ся".

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for "не верить":

• не доверять
• сомневаться

Note: "не доверять" often implies a lack of trust rather than disbelief in facts.

Antonyms for "не верить":

• верить
• доверять

Related Phrases:

• не верить своим глазам - "to not believe one’s eyes" (used when something seems unbelievable)
• сомневаться в правде - "to doubt the truth" (used in contexts of skepticism)

Usage Notes:

• "не верить" is more direct and commonly used to express disbelief or lack of trust in a person, statement, or idea.
• "сомневаться" implies a softer disbelief, often closer to doubt or uncertainty, and is frequently used with prepositional phrases like "в чем-либо" (in something).
• Both verbs are imperfective, meaning they describe ongoing or habitual disbelief. Perfective forms like "не поверить" (for "не верить") can be used for a one-time act of disbelief.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "не верить" without the dative case for the object of disbelief. Incorrect: *Я не верю его* (I don’t believe him). Correct: Я не верю ему.
• Error: Confusing "сомневаться" with "не верить" in contexts where doubt (not outright disbelief) is intended. Explanation: "сомневаться" is better for expressing hesitation.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressing disbelief or doubt can sometimes be seen as a sign of caution or skepticism, which is often valued in interpersonal communication. Directly saying "не верю" might come across as confrontational depending on the tone and context, so softening expressions like "сомневаюсь" are often preferred in polite conversation.

Related Concepts:

• недоверие (distrust)
• скептицизм (skepticism)
• сомнение (doubt)