Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'discard'

English Word: discard

Key Russian Translations:

• выкинуть [vɨˈkʲinutʲ] - [Informal, Everyday use]
• отбросить [ɐtˈbrosʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, Literary or technical contexts]
• выбросить [vɨˈbrosʲɪtʲ] - [Neutral, Common in waste-related scenarios]

Frequency: Medium (The word and its translations are commonly used in daily conversations but not as ubiquitous as basic verbs like "eat" or "go").

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; Learners at this level can grasp basic conjugations, but irregular forms may require practice. For 'выкинуть', it's straightforward; for 'отбросить', it might be slightly harder due to formal nuances).

Pronunciation (Russian):

выкинуть: [vɨˈkʲinutʲ]

Note on выкинуть: The stress falls on the second syllable ('ки'), which is a common point of difficulty for English speakers due to Russian's mobile stress patterns. Pronounce the 'ы' as a high back unrounded vowel.

Audio: Audio placeholder for выкинуть (Click to play)

отбросить: [ɐtˈbrosʲɪtʲ]

Note on отбросить: The initial 'о' is reduced to [ɐ] in unstressed positions, typical in Russian. Palatalization of 'с' adds a soft sound.

Audio: Audio placeholder for отбросить (Click to play)

выбросить: [vɨˈbrosʲɪtʲ]

Note on выбросить: Similar to выкинуть, but with a clearer 'бр' cluster; focus on the soft 'с' for accuracy.

Audio: Audio placeholder for выбросить (Click to play)

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To throw away or get rid of something no longer needed (e.g., waste disposal).

Translation(s) & Context:

• выкинуть - Used in casual, everyday situations, such as discarding household items.
• отбросить - Applied in more formal or metaphorical contexts, like discarding ideas in a discussion.
• выбросить - Common for literal waste, such as throwing out trash, in neutral settings.

Usage Examples:

• Я выкинул старые вещи из гаража.

  I discarded the old things from the garage. (Shows informal use in a domestic context.)

• Она отбросила эту идею, так как она была нереальной.

  She discarded that idea because it was unrealistic. (Illustrates formal, abstract usage.)

• Мы выбросили мусор в контейнер на улице.

  We discarded the trash in the bin on the street. (Demonstrates neutral, everyday application.)

• После ремонта он выкинул все ненужные материалы.

  After the repair, he discarded all the unnecessary materials. (Highlights use in a practical scenario.)

Meaning 2: To reject or dismiss something, such as in games or decisions (e.g., card games).

Translation(s) & Context:

• отбросить - Often used metaphorically in strategic or intellectual contexts, like discarding a plan.
• выкинуть - Informal in gaming contexts, e.g., discarding cards.

Usage Examples:

• В картах он выкинул лишние карты из руки.

  In cards, he discarded the extra cards from his hand. (Shows informal gaming usage.)

• Команда отбросила предложение конкурентов.

  The team discarded the competitors' proposal. (Exemplifies formal rejection in business.)

• Я выкинул эту мысль, так как она была бесполезной.

  I discarded that thought because it was useless. (Demonstrates casual decision-making.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are primarily verbs, which in Russian undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number. Russian verbs have imperfective and perfective aspects; for 'discard', the perfective aspect is more common as it implies completion.

For выкинуть (perfective, imperfective: выкидывать):

For отбросить and выбросить, they follow similar perfective patterns with standard verb conjugations. Note: Russian verbs do not change for gender in the future tense but do in the past.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: выбросить (similar to выкинуть, but more neutral), избавиться от (to get rid of, less direct)
• Antonyms: сохранить (to save/preserve, used when one wants to keep something), держать (to hold/keep, in physical or metaphorical senses)

Related Phrases:

• Выкинуть в мусор - Throw into the trash (Used for literal waste disposal in everyday life.)
• Отбросить сомнения - Discard doubts (Metaphorical, often in motivational contexts.)
• Выбросить на ветер - Throw away to the wind (Idiomatic, meaning to waste something carelessly.)

Usage Notes:

'Discard' in English often implies a deliberate action, which aligns closely with Russian perfective verbs like выкинуть. Choose выкинуть for informal, spoken language to match everyday English usage, while отбросить is better for formal writing or abstract concepts. Be mindful of aspect: use imperfective forms (e.g., выкидывать) for ongoing actions. In Russian, prepositions like 'в' (into) or 'из' (from) can refine the context, e.g., выкинуть из дома (discard from the house).

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using the imperfective form where perfective is needed, e.g., saying "Я выкидываю бумагу" when meaning a completed action (correct: "Я выкинул бумагу"). Explanation: Russian requires aspect agreement; this can confuse English speakers who don't distinguish ongoing vs. completed actions.
• Mistake: Overusing отбросить in casual speech, e.g., "Я отбросил еду" instead of "Я выкинул еду". Explanation: Отбросить sounds too formal or literary; it may come across as unnatural in daily contexts. Correct with выкинуть for better fit.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, discarding items is often tied to concepts of minimalism and resourcefulness, especially in historical contexts like the Soviet era when waste was minimized. Phrases like выкинуть на ветер reflect a cultural wariness of extravagance, emphasizing practicality in daily life.

Related Concepts:

• мусор (trash)
• сбросить (to dump or offload)
• избавиться (to get rid of)