Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'discriminate'

English Word: discriminate

Key Russian Translations:

• дискриминировать [dʲɪskrʲɪmʲɪnʲɪrəˈvatʲ] - [Formal, Used in legal or social contexts]
• различать [rəzlʲɪˈtʃatʲ] - [Informal/Neutral, Used for distinguishing or perceiving differences]

Frequency: Medium (Common in discussions on social issues and everyday differentiation, but not as frequent as basic verbs).

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual nuances; for 'дискриминировать', it may lean towards B2+, due to its specialized usage).

Pronunciation (Russian):

дискриминировать: [dʲɪskrʲɪmʲɪnʲɪrəˈvatʲ]

Note on дискриминировать: The stress falls on the fourth syllable (-ни-), and the initial 'д' is palatalized. Be mindful of the soft sign (ʲ) for accurate pronunciation in formal settings.

Audio: []

различать: [rəzlʲɪˈtʃatʲ]

Note on различать: The 'ч' is pronounced as a soft 'ch' sound, similar to 'church' in English. This verb often has vowel reductions in casual speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To treat someone unfairly based on characteristics like race, gender, or origin (e.g., discrimination).

Translation(s) & Context:

• дискриминировать - Used in formal, legal, or social justice contexts to denote systemic or personal bias.

Usage Examples:

• В обществе не должны дискриминировать людей по расовому признаку.

  In society, people should not discriminate against individuals based on race.

• Эта политика дискриминирует женщин на рабочем месте.

  This policy discriminates against women in the workplace.

• Правительство стремится предотвратить дискриминирование на основе возраста.

  The government aims to prevent discrimination based on age.

• Дискриминировать кого-то из-за национальности – это нарушение прав человека.

  Discriminating against someone because of their nationality is a human rights violation.

• В некоторых странах законы все еще дискриминируют меньшинства.

  In some countries, laws still discriminate against minorities.

Meaning 2: To recognize or make a distinction between things (e.g., to distinguish).

Translation(s) & Context:

• различать - Used in everyday contexts for sensory or cognitive differentiation, such as in education or perception.

Usage Examples:

• Дети учатся различать цвета с раннего возраста.

  Children learn to discriminate (distinguish) colors from an early age.

• Чтобы различать настоящие и поддельные банкноты, нужно обратить внимание на водяные знаки.

  To discriminate (distinguish) between real and fake banknotes, you need to check the watermarks.

• Этот тест помогает различать разные уровни интеллекта.

  This test helps to discriminate (distinguish) between different levels of intelligence.

• Вкусовые рецепторы позволяют различать сладкое и горькое.

  Taste receptors allow us to discriminate (distinguish) between sweet and bitter flavors.

• Опытный критик может различать стили разных художников.

  An experienced critic can discriminate (distinguish) between the styles of different artists.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both key translations are verbs, which follow standard Russian conjugation patterns. 'Дискриминировать' is a first-conjugation verb with irregularities in perfective aspects, while 'различать' is imperfective and follows regular patterns.

Note: These verbs do not change in gender or number in the infinitive form but conjugate based on tense, person, and aspect.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • дискриминировать: ущемлять (uschemlat' - to infringe upon, with a focus on rights)
  • различать: отличать (otlichat' - to differentiate, often in a more precise sense)
• Antonyms:
  • дискриминировать: равноправие обеспечивать (ensuring equality, though not a direct verb)
  • различать: путать (putat' - to confuse)

Related Phrases:

• Дискриминация по полу - Gender discrimination; often used in feminist or legal discussions.
• Различать правду от лжи - To discriminate (distinguish) truth from lies; a common phrase in ethical contexts.
• Социальная дискриминация - Social discrimination; refers to societal biases.

Usage Notes:

'Дискриминировать' directly corresponds to the negative connotation of 'discriminate' in English, such as in anti-discrimination laws, and is typically used in formal or written Russian. In contrast, 'различать' aligns with the neutral sense of distinguishing, like in sensory perception. When choosing between translations, consider the context: use 'дискриминировать' for ethical or legal scenarios and 'различать' for cognitive ones. Be aware of aspect in Russian verbs; 'дискриминировать' is imperfective, implying ongoing action.

• Grammar note: These verbs require accusative case for direct objects, e.g., "дискриминировать кого-то" (to discriminate against someone).
• Context tip: In informal speech, 'различать' might be replaced with simpler synonyms to avoid sounding overly academic.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse 'дискриминировать' with 'унижать' (to humiliate), thinking they mean the same thing. Incorrect: "Я унижаю людей по расе" (I humiliate people by race) – This implies emotional degradation rather than systemic bias. Correct: "Я не должен дискриминировать людей по расе" (I should not discriminate against people based on race). Another error is misusing aspect; for example, saying "дискриминировал" when a perfective form like "дискриминировать" is needed for completed actions.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'дискриминация' is a sensitive topic linked to historical events like Soviet-era policies and modern issues in post-Soviet states. It often appears in discussions about ethnic minorities in Russia, reflecting broader cultural tensions around identity and equality, which differ from Western contexts due to Russia's multicultural history.

Related Concepts:

• равенство (equality)
• предрассудки (prejudices)
• отличительные признаки (distinguishing features)