Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'dissipate'

English Word: dissipate

Key Russian Translations:

• рассеивать [rɐˈsʲeɪvətʲ] - [Transitive verb, Formal]
• рассеяться [rɐˈsʲeɪtsə] - [Intransitive verb, Informal]
• исчезать [ɪsʲˈt͡ɕɛzətʲ] - [Verb, Neutral, Used in contexts of complete disappearance]

Frequency: Medium (Common in scientific, literary, and everyday contexts, but not as frequent as basic verbs)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb aspects and conjugations, varying by translation)

Pronunciation (Russian):

рассеивать: [rɐˈsʲeɪvətʲ]

рассеяться: [rɐˈsʲeɪtsə]

исчезать: [ɪsʲˈt͡ɕɛzətʲ]

Note on рассеивать: The stress falls on the second syllable; be cautious with the soft 's' sound, which is a common challenge for English speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To scatter or disperse (e.g., energy, crowd, or fog)

Translation(s) & Context:

• рассеивать - Used in formal or scientific contexts, such as describing the dispersion of light or a crowd.
• рассеяться - Applied in informal settings, like emotions or thoughts fading away.

Usage Examples:

• Ветер рассеивает туман над рекой. (The wind dissipates the fog over the river.)

  English: The wind dissipates the fog over the river.

• Солнечный свет рассеивается в облаках, делая день ярким. (The sunlight dissipates in the clouds, making the day bright.)

  English: The sunlight dissipates in the clouds, making the day bright.

• Его мысли рассеялись после долгой прогулки. (His thoughts dissipated after a long walk.)

  English: His thoughts dissipated after a long walk.

• Полиция рассеивает толпу на площади. (The police are dissipating the crowd in the square.)

  English: The police are dissipating the crowd in the square.

Meaning 2: To waste or squander (e.g., resources or time)

Translation(s) & Context:

• рассеивать - In contexts of wasting intangible things, like energy or attention.
• исчезать - For when something is completely wasted or lost without trace.

Usage Examples:

• Не рассеивай свои силы на ненужные задачи. (Don't dissipate your energy on unnecessary tasks.)

  English: Don't dissipate your energy on unnecessary tasks.

• Деньги исчезают из-за расточительных привычек. (Money dissipates due to wasteful habits.)

  English: Money dissipates due to wasteful habits.

• Он рассеивает время, играя в видеоигры. (He dissipates his time by playing video games.)

  English: He dissipates his time by playing video games.

• Энергия рассеивается, если не сосредоточиться на цели. (Energy dissipates if you don't focus on the goal.)

  English: Energy dissipates if you don't focus on the goal.

• Война заставляет ресурсы исчезать быстро. (War makes resources dissipate quickly.)

  English: War makes resources dissipate quickly.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These verbs are imperfective in nature and follow standard Russian conjugation patterns. Below is a table for the infinitive forms and their key inflections. Note that 'рассеивать' is transitive and changes based on aspect, while 'рассеяться' is reflexive and 'исчезать' is intransitive.

These verbs do not have irregular inflections but require attention to aspect (e.g., perfective forms like рассеять for completed actions).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • распылять (raspyljat') - More specific to spraying or atomizing.
  • развеивать (razveyvat') - Similar to dissipating wind or ideas.
• Antonyms:
  • собирать (sobirat') - To gather or collect.
  • сосредотачивать (sosredotochivat') - To concentrate or focus.

Related Phrases:

• Рассеять сомнения - (To dissipate doubts; used in discussions or arguments to mean clearing uncertainties.)
• Ветер рассеивает листья - (The wind dissipates leaves; a common phrase for natural dispersion.)
• Рассеянные мысли - (Dissipated thoughts; refers to scattered or unfocused ideas in psychological contexts.)

Usage Notes:

'Dissipate' often corresponds to 'рассеивать' in physical contexts and 'рассеяться' in emotional or abstract ones. Be mindful of the verb aspect in Russian: use imperfective for ongoing actions (e.g., рассеивать for continuous dissipation) and perfective (e.g., рассеять) for completed ones. In formal writing, prefer 'рассеивать' over informal alternatives. When choosing between translations, select based on transitivity—'рассеивать' for active dissipation and 'рассеяться' for passive or reflexive scenarios.

Common Errors:

• Confusing aspect: Learners often use 'рассеивать' when a perfective form like 'рассеять' is needed. Incorrect: Я рассеивать энергию. Correct: Я рассеял энергию. (Explanation: The first is incomplete; use perfective for finished actions.)
• Misusing reflexive forms: Forgetting to add '-ся' for intransitive actions. Incorrect: Мои мысли рассеивать. Correct: Мои мысли рассеялись. (Explanation: This ensures the verb reflects self-action.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian literature, such as in works by Tolstoy, 'рассеивать' is often used metaphorically to describe the fleeting nature of life or emotions, reflecting a cultural emphasis on introspection and the impermanence of experiences. This aligns with broader Slavic themes of melancholy and transience.

Related Concepts:

• распадаться (To break down or decompose)
• исчезновение (Disappearance)
• концентрация (Concentration)