Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'disturb'

English Word: disturb

Key Russian Translations:

• беспокоить /bʲɪs.pɐˈko.ɪtʲ/ - [Formal, commonly used in everyday contexts to indicate emotional or physical interruption]
• нарушать /nɐ.ruˈʂatʲ/ - [Formal, often in legal or procedural contexts to mean disrupting rules or order]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations are encountered regularly in conversations, literature, and media, but not as frequently as basic verbs like "to be" or "to go".)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; learners at this level can grasp the concept with practice, as it involves understanding verb conjugations and context-dependent usage.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

беспокоить: /bʲɪs.pɐˈko.ɪtʲ/ (The stress is on the third syllable; note the palatalized 'bʲ' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers.)

Note on беспокоить: This verb has a soft 'тʲ' ending, which affects pronunciation in fast speech; practice with native speakers to master the subtle softening.

нарушать: /nɐ.ruˈʂatʲ/ (The 'ʂ' is a retroflex fricative, similar to the 'sh' in "shoe" but more guttural; stress falls on the second syllable.)

Note on нарушать: Variations may occur in dialects, but standard Russian maintains this pronunciation; be aware of the hard 'ш' sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To interrupt or bother someone emotionally or physically (e.g., causing unease or distraction).

Translation(s) & Context:

• беспокоить - Used in personal or social contexts, such as disturbing someone's peace or calling at an inconvenient time.

Usage Examples:

• Не беспокойте меня во время работы. (Ne bespokoyte menya vo vremya raboty.)

  Don't disturb me while I'm working. (This example shows the verb in an imperative form, advising against interruption in a professional setting.)

• Его звонок беспокоит меня по ночам. (Yego zvonok bespokoit menya po nocham.)

  His phone calls disturb me at night. (Here, it illustrates the verb in a present tense, third-person context, emphasizing habitual annoyance.)

• Я не хочу беспокоить соседей громкой музыкой. (Ya ne khochu bespokoit sosedey gromkoy muzykov.)

  I don't want to disturb the neighbors with loud music. (This demonstrates polite consideration, using the infinitive form in a subordinate clause.)

• Беспокойство от шума мешает мне сосредоточиться. (Bespokoystvo ot shuma meshayet mne sosredotochit'sya.)

  The disturbance from the noise prevents me from concentrating. (Shows the noun form derived from the verb, in a more abstract usage.)

Meaning 2: To disrupt or violate something, such as rules, order, or a process.

Translation(s) & Context:

• нарушать - Applied in formal, institutional, or legal scenarios, like breaking a law or interrupting a routine.

Usage Examples:

• Не нарушайте правила дорожного движения. (Ne narushayte pravila dorozhnogo dvizheniya.)

  Don't disturb/break the rules of traffic. (This imperative form highlights prevention in a regulatory context.)

• Его действия нарушили спокойствие мероприятия. (Yego deystviya narushili spokoystvo meropriyatiya.)

  His actions disturbed the peace of the event. (Past tense usage shows the impact of disruption in a social gathering.)

• Нарушение тишины в библиотеке недопустимо. (Narushenie tishiny v biblioteke nedopustimo.)

  Disturbing the silence in the library is unacceptable. (Noun form derived from the verb, emphasizing a general rule.)

• Она нарушила мой график, приехав неожиданно. (Ona narushila moy grafik, priehav neozhidanno.)

  She disturbed my schedule by arriving unexpectedly. (Past tense in a personal context, linking to emotional impact.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs, which follow standard Russian conjugation patterns. Russian verbs like беспокоить and нарушать are imperfective, meaning they describe ongoing or repeated actions. They conjugate based on tense, aspect, person, and number. Below is a table for each verb's present tense conjugations as examples:

Note: These verbs are irregular in their full paradigm but follow common patterns for first-conjugation verbs. For past tense, they use gender-based endings (e.g., беспокоил for masculine). Nouns derived from these (e.g., беспокойство) are neuter and decline like standard neuter nouns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Тревожить (trevozhit') - Similar to беспокоить but implies more anxiety.
  • Вмешиваться (vmesivat'sya) - For нарушать, meaning to interfere.
• Antonyms:
  • Успокаивать (uspokaivat') - Opposite of беспокоить, meaning to calm.
  • Соблюдать (soblyudat') - Opposite of нарушать, meaning to observe or follow rules.

Related Phrases:

• Беспокоить по пустякам - (Bespokoit' po pustyakam) Meaning: To disturb over trivial matters; often used in casual complaints about unnecessary interruptions.
• Нарушить тишину - (Narushit' tishinu) Meaning: To break the silence; commonly in contexts like public spaces or libraries.
• Не беспокоить - (Ne bespokoit') Meaning: Do not disturb; a standard sign or phrase for privacy.

Usage Notes:

• беспокоить is the closest match for the interpersonal sense of "disturb" in English, often carrying an emotional connotation, and is preferred in spoken Russian for daily interactions.
• нарушать is better for formal or objective disruptions, such as in legal texts; choose based on context to avoid sounding overly dramatic.
• Be mindful of aspect: Use imperfective forms like these for ongoing actions, and pair with perfective counterparts (e.g., обеспокоить for a completed disturbance) for one-time events.
• In polite speech, Russians might soften these verbs with particles like "не" for negation or in questions to show courtesy.

Common Errors:

• English learners often confuse беспокоить with тревожить, using the latter incorrectly for minor disturbances; correct usage: Say "беспокоить" for everyday bother, as "тревожить" implies deeper worry. Example of error: *Тревожьте меня звонком* (Wrong: Use this for anxiety); Correct: Беспокойте меня звонком if it's just an interruption.
• Another mistake is improper conjugation, e.g., saying *беспокоюте* instead of беспокоите for formal "you"; always check person and number for accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, phrases like "не беспокоить" (do not disturb) are common in personal spaces, reflecting a strong value on privacy and respect for boundaries, especially in urban settings like Moscow. This can stem from historical contexts where interruptions were seen as intrusions in communal living arrangements.

Related Concepts:

• Тревога (trevoga) - Anxiety
• Нарушение (narushenie) - Violation
• Спокойствие (spokoystvo) - Peace