Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'disenchant'

English Word: disenchant

Key Russian Translations:

• разочаровывать /rə.zə.ʧə.rə.'vɨ.vətʲ/ - [Formal, Verb]
• разочароваться /rə.zə.ʧə.rə.'vɑ.t͡sə/ - [Informal, Reflexive Verb, Used for self-disillusionment]

Frequency: Medium (Common in literary and everyday discussions of disappointment, but not as frequent as basic verbs).

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate for most learners due to verb conjugation and reflexive forms; разочаровывать may be C1 for irregular aspects).

Pronunciation (Russian):

разочаровывать: /rə.zə.ʧə.rə.'vɨ.vətʲ/

разочароваться: /rə.zə.ʧə.rə.'vɑ.t͡sə/

Note on разочаровывать: The stress falls on the third syllable ('vɨ), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the Russian vowel reduction; pronounce with a soft 'v' sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Main meaning: To free from enchantment, disillusion, or idealization; often used to describe the loss of illusions or disappointment.

Translation(s) & Context:

• разочаровывать - Used in formal contexts, such as literature or discussions, to actively cause disillusionment in others.
• разочароваться - Applied in informal or personal contexts for self-reflection, e.g., becoming disappointed oneself.

Usage Examples:

• Эта книга разочаровывает читателей, обещая приключения, но предлагая банальные сюжеты.

  This book disenchants readers by promising adventures but delivering banal plots.

• Многие люди разочаровываются в политике после первых лет участия.

  Many people become disenchanted with politics after their first few years of involvement.

• Фильм разочаровывает ожидания аудитории из-за слабого сценария.

  The film disenchants the audience's expectations due to its weak script.

• Я разочаровался в этом проекте, когда понял его нереалистичность.

  I became disenchanted with this project once I realized its impracticality.

• Родители часто разочаровывают детей, не оправдывая их идеализированные представления.

  Parents often disenchant children by not living up to their idealized expectations.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs. "Разочаровывать" is a first-conjugation verb with imperfective aspect, while "разочароваться" is its reflexive counterpart. Russian verbs inflect based on tense, aspect, person, and number. Below is a table for key inflections:

Note: These verbs follow regular patterns but include aspectual pairs; for perfective, use "разочаровать" and "разочароваться".

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • обманывать (obmanivat' - implies deception, often with a stronger negative connotation)
  • расхолаживать (rasholazhivat' - used for cooling enthusiasm or motivation)
• Antonyms:
  • очаровывать (ocharovyvat' - to enchant or captivate)
  • вдохновлять (vdokhnovlyat' - to inspire or motivate)

Related Phrases:

• Разочароваться в ком-то - To become disenchanted with someone; often used in personal relationships.
• Разочаровывать ожидания - To disenchant expectations; common in reviews or critiques.
• Полностью разочароваться - To be completely disenchanted; emphasizes total disillusionment.

Usage Notes:

"Disenchant" most closely aligns with "разочаровывать" in formal contexts, where it's used to describe external actions causing disillusionment, such as in literature or professional settings. For self-experienced disappointment, opt for the reflexive "разочароваться," which is more common in everyday speech. Be mindful of aspect: use imperfective for ongoing processes and perfective ("разочаровать") for completed actions. In Russian, these verbs often carry emotional weight, so context matters—pair with adjectives like "полностью" for emphasis.

• Choose "разочаровываться" over "обманывать" if the focus is on loss of illusion rather than outright deceit.
• Grammar note: Always ensure the reflexive particle "-ся" is used correctly with "разочароваться" to avoid changing the meaning.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse the reflexive form, using "разочаровывать" when "разочароваться" is needed for self-disillusionment. For example:

• Incorrect: Я разочаровываю в этом фильме. (This implies you're actively disappointing the film, which is illogical.)
• Correct: Я разочаровываюсь в этом фильме. (This means "I am becoming disenchanted with this film.")
• Another error: Misapplying tense, e.g., using present for past events. Explanation: Russian verbs require precise conjugation; always match the aspect to the context to convey the right level of completion.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, themes of disillusionment, as captured by "разочаровываться," are prevalent in literature (e.g., in works by Chekhov or Dostoevsky), reflecting historical experiences of idealism versus reality in Russian society. This word often evokes a sense of profound, introspective disappointment, tied to the cultural value of deep emotional expression.

Related Concepts:

• идеализация (idealization)
• обман (deception)
• вдохновение (inspiration)