Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'dispense'

English Word: dispense

Key Russian Translations:

• выдавать [vɨˈdavətʲ] - [Formal, commonly used in official or professional contexts]
• раздатывать [rɐzˈdatɨvətʲ] - [Informal, often in everyday distribution scenarios]
• отпустить [ɐtˈpustʲitʲ] - [Formal, specifically used in pharmacy or medical contexts]

Frequency: Medium (The word and its translations are encountered in standard Russian texts, particularly in professional or administrative language, but not as ubiquitous as everyday verbs.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; involves understanding verb conjugations and context-specific usage, which may vary slightly across translations.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

выдавать: [vɨˈdavətʲ]

Note on выдавать: The stress falls on the second syllable ("da"), and the "в" sound is soft; common in formal speech. Be mindful of vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.

раздатывать: [rɐzˈdatɨvətʲ]

Note on раздатывать: Stress on the third syllable ("dat"); the prefix "раз-" indicates distribution, and pronunciation can vary slightly in rapid speech.

отпустить: [ɐtˈpustʲitʲ]

Note on отпустить: Stress on the second syllable ("pus"); often used in imperative forms, with palatalization of the final "т" in some dialects.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To give out or distribute supplies, medicine, or information

Translation(s) & Context:

• выдавать - Used in formal settings like offices or pharmacies to mean dispensing items or information.
• раздатывать - Informal contexts, such as distributing handouts in a classroom or event.
• отпустить - Specifically for releasing or dispensing medication in a medical environment.

Usage Examples:

• Фармацевт выдаёт лекарства пациентам в аптеке.

  The pharmacist dispenses medicine to patients at the pharmacy.

• В школе учитель раздаёт учебные материалы детям.

  At school, the teacher dispenses educational materials to the children.

• Менеджер отпустил товары со склада для отправки.

  The manager dispensed goods from the warehouse for shipment.

• В офисе администратор выдаёт пропуска сотрудникам каждый день.

  In the office, the administrator dispenses passes to employees every day.

• Во время фестиваля волонтёры раздавали еду посетителям.

  During the festival, volunteers dispensed food to the attendees.

To administer or provide in a controlled manner

Translation(s) & Context:

• выдавать - In contexts involving controlled distribution, like government aid.
• отпустить - For releasing something under specific conditions, e.g., legal documents.

Usage Examples:

• Правительство выдаёт субсидии нуждающимся семьям.

  The government dispenses subsidies to needy families.

• Библиотекарь отпускает книги только по предъявлению карты.

  The librarian dispenses books only upon presentation of a card.

• Менеджер выдаёт задания сотрудникам на еженедельной встрече.

  The manager dispenses tasks to employees at the weekly meeting.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are primarily verbs, which in Russian undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number. Russian verbs like выдавать and раздатывать are imperfective, while отпустить is perfective. Below is a conjugation table for выдавать (imperfective) in the present tense; similar patterns apply to others with variations.

For раздатывать: Similar imperfective conjugation, but it has a prefixed form indicating repeated action. отпустить is perfective and does not have a present tense; its past tense is отпусти́л (masc.) / отпусти́ла (fem.). These verbs are regular in most aspects but follow standard Russian verb patterns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • распределять (raspredeljatʲ) - More formal, emphasizes allocation.
  • предоставлять (predostavljatʲ) - Focuses on providing access.
• Antonyms:
  • удерживать (uderzhivatʲ) - To withhold or retain.
  • забрать (zabratʲ) - To take away or confiscate.

Related Phrases:

• Выдать лекарство - To dispense medicine (used in pharmacies; implies providing prescribed drugs).
• Раздать документы - To dispense documents (common in administrative settings; means distributing papers).
• Отпустить товар - To dispense goods (in retail; refers to releasing items for sale or delivery).

Usage Notes:

The English word "dispense" often corresponds to Russian verbs like выдавать in formal contexts, but choosing the right translation depends on the specific scenario. For instance, use отпустить for pharmaceutical dispensing to capture the nuance of "releasing" a prescription. Be aware of aspect: Russian verbs have perfective and imperfective forms, so выдавать (imperfective) is for ongoing actions, while its perfective counterpart выдать is for completed ones. In everyday speech, these verbs are common in professional environments, but avoid them in casual conversations where simpler synonyms might fit better.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using выдавать interchangeably with раздатывать without considering context. For example, learners might say "Я раздаю лекарства" when "Я выдаю лекарства" is more appropriate in a pharmacy. Correct: выдавать is formal; Explanation: раздатывать implies casual distribution, leading to tonal mismatches.
• Mistake: Forgetting verb aspect, e.g., saying "Я отпустил вчера" for a repeated action. Correct: Use the imperfective form like выдавать for ongoing processes; Explanation: Russian requires matching aspect to the action's completeness to avoid grammatical errors.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the act of dispensing, especially in pharmacies or government offices, often reflects a bureaucratic system. For example, отпустить in a medical context can evoke historical undertones of Soviet-era controlled distribution of goods, emphasizing the need for proper documentation and authority.

Related Concepts:

• распределение (raspredeleniye) - Distribution
• поставка (postavka) - Supply or delivery
• выдача (vydacha) - Issuance or handout