Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'discourage'

English Word: discourage

Key Russian Translations:

• отговаривать [ɐtɡɐˈvarʲɪvətʲ] - [Informal, Verb, Used in everyday conversations to advise against an action]
• обескураживать [ɐbʲɪskʊˈraʐɨvətʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Used in more serious or emotional contexts to imply demoralization]
• сдерживать [sdʲɪˈʐɨvətʲ] - [Neutral, Verb, Often used when referring to restraining or holding back progress]

Frequency: Medium (The word and its translations appear regularly in spoken and written Russian, especially in advice-giving or motivational contexts.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; learners at this level can grasp basic usage, but mastering nuances and inflections may require further practice. For 'отговаривать', it's B1; for 'обескураживать', it's B2 due to its emotional connotations.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

отговаривать: [ɐtɡɐˈvarʲɪvətʲ]

Note on отговаривать: The stress falls on the third syllable; be careful with the soft 'r' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. Variations in informal speech may soften the initial 'o' to a more neutral vowel.

обескураживать: [ɐbʲɪskʊˈraʐɨvətʲ]

Note on обескураживать: This word has a complex consonant cluster; practice the 'zh' sound ([ʐ]) as in 'measure'. Regional accents might alter the vowel length.

сдерживать: [sdʲɪˈʐɨvətʲ]

Note on сдерживать: The initial 's' is palatalized; it's a common verb with straightforward pronunciation but pay attention to the soft 'd'.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To persuade someone not to do something (e.g., advising against an action)

Translation(s) & Context:

• отговаривать - Used in informal, everyday situations, such as family discussions or casual advice.
• обескураживать - Applied in contexts involving emotional discouragement, like motivational speeches.

Usage Examples:

• Мои родители всегда отговаривают меня от рискованных путешествий. (My parents always discourage me from risky travels.)

  Translation: My parents always talk me out of risky travels.

• Друзья отговаривали его от покупки старой машины, но он не послушал. (Friends discouraged him from buying the old car, but he didn't listen.)

  Translation: Friends talked him out of buying the old car, but he didn't listen.

• Обескураживающие слова тренера помогли игроку пересмотреть свои цели. (The coach's discouraging words helped the player rethink his goals.)

  Translation: The coach's demoralizing words helped the player rethink his goals.

• Она отговаривала сестру от поспешного решения, подчеркивая риски. (She discouraged her sister from making a hasty decision, emphasizing the risks.)

  Translation: She talked her sister out of making a hasty decision, emphasizing the risks.

Meaning 2: To prevent or hinder progress or enthusiasm

Translation(s) & Context:

• сдерживать - Common in professional or abstract contexts, such as business or psychology.
• обескураживать - Used when the discouragement leads to a loss of confidence.

Usage Examples:

• Экономические проблемы сдерживают развитие малого бизнеса в регионе. (Economic issues discourage the development of small businesses in the region.)

  Translation: Economic issues hinder the development of small businesses in the region.

• Обескураживающая критика от коллег может сдерживать творческий процесс. (Discouraging criticism from colleagues can hinder the creative process.)

  Translation: Demoralizing criticism from colleagues can discourage the creative process.

• Правительственные регуляции сдерживают инновации в отрасли. (Government regulations discourage innovation in the industry.)

  Translation: Government regulations hinder innovation in the industry.

• Сдерживая энтузиазм команды, менеджер добился более реалистичного плана. (By discouraging the team's enthusiasm, the manager achieved a more realistic plan.)

  Translation: By holding back the team's enthusiasm, the manager achieved a more realistic plan.

• Обескураживающие новости о рынке обескуражили инвесторов. (Discouraging market news demoralized the investors.)

  Translation: Demoralizing market news discouraged the investors.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations are verbs, which follow standard Russian conjugation patterns. They are imperfective verbs, meaning they describe ongoing or repeated actions. Below is a table for 'отговаривать' as an example; similar patterns apply to the others with minor variations.

For 'обескураживать' and 'сдерживать', the inflections are regular but may have slight phonetic changes in certain forms due to consonant clusters.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • убеждать (ubedit') - To convince, often with a persuasive tone.
  • предупреждать (preduprezhdat') - To warn, implying prevention.
  • мешать (meshat') - To interfere, with a focus on obstruction.
• Antonyms:
  • поощрять (pooshchryat') - To encourage.
  • стимулировать (stimulirovat') - To stimulate or motivate.

Related Phrases:

• Отговаривать от чего-либо - To talk someone out of something; used in persuasive contexts to prevent actions.
• Обескураживать противника - To demoralize the opponent; common in sports or debates, implying psychological tactics.
• Сдерживать порыв - To hold back an impulse; often in emotional or impulsive situations, emphasizing self-control.

Usage Notes:

'Отговаривать' is the most direct equivalent to 'discourage' in informal settings, while 'обескураживать' carries a stronger emotional weight, similar to 'demoralize'. Choose based on context: use 'сдерживать' for abstract hindrances. Be mindful of aspect in Russian verbs; these are imperfective, so pair with perfective forms like 'отговорить' for completed actions. In formal writing, 'обескураживать' is preferred for its nuance.

Common Errors:

• Confusing 'отговаривать' with 'отказывать' (to refuse): Learners might say "Я отказываю его" instead of "Я отговариваю его", which incorrectly implies refusal rather than discouragement. Correct: "Я отговариваю его от этой идеи" (I discourage him from this idea).
• Overusing 'обескураживать' in casual speech: This can sound overly dramatic; in informal contexts, opt for 'отговаривать'. Error example: "Я обескураживаю друга" (implying deep demoralization), Correct: "Я отговариваю друга" for simple advice.
• Misinflecting verbs: Forgetting gender in past tense, e.g., saying "она отговаривал" instead of "она отговаривала". Always match the subject.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, discouraging someone ('отговаривать') is often seen as a form of caring advice, rooted in collectivist values where family and friends intervene to prevent mistakes. This contrasts with more individualistic approaches in English-speaking cultures, highlighting the importance of community in decision-making.

Related Concepts:

• убеждение (conviction)
• мотивация (motivation)
• препятствие (obstacle)