Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'droop'

English Word: droop

Key Russian Translations:

• опускаться [ɐˈpusʲkət͡sə] - [Informal, commonly used for living things or abstract states]
• провисать [prɐˈvʲisətʲ] - [Formal, typically for inanimate objects like wires or fabric]
• вянуть [ˈvʲænʲʊtʲ] - [Informal, often in contexts of plants or energy loss]

Frequency: Medium - The verb 'droop' and its Russian equivalents are moderately common in descriptive language, especially in literature, everyday conversations about fatigue, or physical descriptions, but not as frequent as basic verbs like 'be' or 'go'.

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) - Learners at this level can grasp the basic usage, but mastering inflections and contextual nuances may require practice. For 'опускаться', it's B1; for 'провисать', it's also B1 due to its technical connotations.

Pronunciation (Russian):

опускаться: [ɐˈpusʲkət͡sə]

провисать: [prɐˈvʲisətʲ]

вянуть: [ˈvʲænʲʊtʲ]

Note on опускаться: The stress falls on the second syllable, and the 'к' sound can be softened in fast speech; pay attention to the reflexive ending '-ся' which indicates an involuntary action.

Note on провисать: This word often involves a harder 'в' sound; it's less fluid than 'опускаться' and may vary in regional accents.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To bend or hang downward limply (e.g., physical objects or body parts).

Translation(s) & Context:

• провисать - Used in formal or technical contexts, such as describing sagging structures or fabrics; common in engineering or daily observations.
• опускаться - Informal context for natural drooping, like flowers or shoulders, often implying tiredness or gravity.

Usage Examples:

• Проволока провисает под весом снега.

  The wire droops under the weight of the snow.

• Его плечи опускаются от усталости после долгого дня.

  His shoulders droop from fatigue after a long day.

• Цветок в вазе провисает, потому что ему не хватает воды.

  The flower in the vase is drooping because it lacks water.

• Под ветром ветви дерева опускаются, создавая тень.

  The tree branches droop in the wind, creating shade.

2. To become depressed or disheartened (e.g., emotional state).

Translation(s) & Context:

• опускаться - Informal and metaphorical, often in emotional or psychological descriptions; used in conversations about mood.
• вянуть - Informal, emphasizing a withering or fading spirit, common in literary or poetic contexts.

Usage Examples:

• После неудачи он начал опускаться в депрессию.

  After the failure, he started to droop into depression.

• Ее энтузиазм вянет, когда она сталкивается с критикой.

  Her enthusiasm droops when she faces criticism.

• Дух команды опускается после поражения в матче.

  The team's spirit droops after the match loss.

• В одиночестве он чувствует, как его настроение опускается.

  In solitude, he feels his mood drooping.

• Мечты вянет без поддержки друзей.

  Dreams droop without the support of friends.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are primarily verbs, which in Russian undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number. 'Опускаться' and 'провисать' are imperfective verbs, while 'вянуть' is also imperfective but can imply completion in context.

Note: These verbs are irregular in some aspects; for example, 'вянуть' has a stem change in the past tense. If the word is used as a noun (rare for 'droop'), it might remain uninflected, but that's not common here.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • свисать - Similar to drooping but more about hanging loosely; often used for objects.
  • увядать - A nuanced synonym for 'вянуть', implying a slower process of fading.
• Antonyms:
  • подниматься - Directly opposite, meaning to rise or lift up.
  • взбодриться - Informal antonym for emotional drooping, meaning to perk up.

Related Phrases:

• Опускать голову - A phrase meaning "to droop one's head" in defeat or shame; used in emotional contexts.
• Провисать под грузом - Meaning "to droop under a load," often literally for objects or metaphorically for burdens.
• Вянуть на глазах - Translates to "to droop before one's eyes," indicating rapid decline, like in plants or spirits.

Usage Notes:

'Droop' corresponds most closely to 'опускаться' in everyday English-Russian translation, but choose 'провисать' for physical, inanimate objects to maintain precision. Be mindful of the reflexive '-ся' in 'опускаться', which implies an involuntary action—unlike English, where 'droop' can be active or passive. In formal writing, avoid 'вянуть' for non-plant contexts as it may sound poetic. When selecting among translations, consider the aspect: Russian verbs often distinguish perfective/imperfective, so 'droop' as an ongoing state fits imperfective forms best.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'опускаться' interchangeably with 'провисать' without context. For example, English speakers might say "The flag опускается" when "провисает" is more accurate for a sagging flag. Correct: "Флаг провисает" – This error stems from overlooking the object's nature; 'опускаться' is better for living things.

• Error: Forgetting reflexive endings, e.g., saying "опускать" instead of "опускаться" for involuntary drooping. Correct: Use "опускается" for "it droops." Explanation: Russian requires the '-ся' for reflexive actions, which English doesn't explicitly mark.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian literature, such as in works by Chekhov, words like 'вянуть' are often used metaphorically to depict emotional exhaustion or the passage of time, reflecting a cultural emphasis on introspection and the harshness of Russian winters. This can help English users understand why 'droop' might evoke a deeper sense of melancholy in Russian contexts.

Related Concepts:

• увядать
• сгибаться
• падать духом