Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'encircle'

English Word: encircle

Key Russian Translations:

• окружить [ɐˈkruʐɨtʲ] - [Formal; Used in contexts involving surrounding or enclosing]
• обоить [ɐˈbojtʲ] - [Informal; Less common, used metaphorically for encircling in everyday speech]

Frequency: Medium (The word is encountered in standard Russian texts, literature, and conversations, but not as ubiquitous as basic verbs like "идти").

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; Requires understanding of verb conjugations and perfective aspects in Russian, suitable for learners with basic grammar knowledge. For "окружить", it's B1; for "обоить", it's B2 due to its metaphorical usage.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

окружить: [ɐˈkruʐɨtʲ]

обоить: [ɐˈbojtʲ]

Note on окружить: The stress is on the second syllable, and the 'ж' sound (like 'zh' in 'measure') can be challenging for English speakers; practice with native audio for the palatalized 'тʲ' ending.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To surround or enclose something or someone, often implying a circular formation.

Translation(s) & Context:

• окружить - Used in formal or descriptive contexts, such as military strategies or geographical descriptions.
• обоить - Applied in informal or metaphorical settings, like encircling in a social or emotional sense.

Usage Examples:

• Войска окружили город за несколько часов. (The troops encircled the city within a few hours.)

  English Translation: The troops encircled the city within a few hours. (This example shows the verb in a perfective aspect, common in narrative contexts.)

• Дети обоили дерево, чтобы спрятаться от дождя. (The children encircled the tree to hide from the rain.)

  English Translation: The children encircled the tree to hide from the rain. (Illustrates informal, everyday usage with a metaphorical touch.)

• Полиция окружила дом подозреваемого для проведения операции. (The police encircled the suspect's house for the operation.)

  English Translation: The police encircled the suspect's house for the operation. (Demonstrates use in law enforcement contexts with imperative connotations.)

• В парке люди обоили статую, устраивая пикник. (In the park, people encircled the statue while having a picnic.)

  English Translation: In the park, people encircled the statue while having a picnic. (Shows a casual, social gathering scenario.)

• Чтобы защитить посевы, фермеры окруживают поля заборами. (To protect the crops, farmers encircle the fields with fences.)

  English Translation: To protect the crops, farmers encircle the fields with fences. (Highlights practical, agricultural usage in imperfective contexts.)

Secondary Meaning: To metaphorically surround or overwhelm, e.g., with emotions or ideas.

Translation(s) & Context:

• окружить - In abstract contexts, such as feelings overwhelming someone.

Usage Examples:

• Воспоминания окружили его, не давая сосредоточиться. (Memories encircled him, preventing him from focusing.)

  English Translation: Memories encircled him, preventing him from focusing. (This example uses the verb metaphorically in psychological contexts.)

• Страх обоил её во время путешествия. (Fear encircled her during the trip.)

  English Translation: Fear encircled her during the trip. (Illustrates informal emotional usage.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

"Окружить" is a perfective verb, while "обоить" is less common and also perfective. Russian verbs undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number. "Окружить" follows the first conjugation pattern with irregularities in some forms.

For "обоить", it has similar conjugations but is less frequently used and does not inflect irregularly. Note: As perfective verbs, they are not used in the present tense for ongoing actions; use imperfective forms like "окружать" for that.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • обвести (obvesti) - To outline or draw around, with a more visual connotation.
  • окружать (okruzhat') - Imperfective form, implying ongoing surrounding.
• Antonyms:
  • освободить (osvobodit') - To free or release from enclosure.
  • распространиться (rasprosttranit'sya) - To spread out, opposite in the sense of expansion.

Related Phrases:

• окружить врага (okruzhit' vraga) - To encircle the enemy; Common in military or strategic contexts.
• окружить заботой (okruzhit' zabotoy) - To surround with care; Means to provide affectionate attention.
• обоить кругом (oboit' krugom) - To encircle completely; Used for thorough enclosure in informal speech.

Usage Notes:

Russian translations like "окружить" directly correspond to "encircle" in literal senses, such as physical surrounding, but English speakers should note the perfective aspect, which emphasizes completion. Use "окружить" in formal writing or narratives, and opt for "обоить" in casual, metaphorical contexts. Be mindful of verb aspect: pair with imperfective forms for ongoing actions. When choosing between translations, select based on context—military or descriptive for "окружить", emotional for "обоить".

Common Errors:

• Confusing aspect: English learners often use "окружить" for ongoing actions, e.g., saying "Я окружу дом" to mean "I am encircling the house" (incorrect; use "окружаю"). Correct: "Я окружу дом" means "I will encircle the house".
• Mispronouncing endings: Forgetting palatalization, e.g., pronouncing "окружить" as [ɐˈkruʐit] instead of [ɐˈkruʐɨtʲ], which alters the verb's grammatical form. Explanation: Always soften the final 'т' in certain conjugations for accuracy.
• Overusing in metaphors: Beginners might apply "окружить" too broadly, like in emotional contexts where "обoить" fits better, leading to unnatural phrasing.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, verbs like "окружить" often appear in historical or literary contexts, such as in descriptions of battles in Tolstoy's "War and Peace", symbolizing strategic encirclement in warfare. This reflects Russia's vast geography and military history, where enclosing enemies was a common tactic, adding a layer of cultural weight to the word beyond its literal meaning.

Related Concepts:

• защитить (zashchitit') - To protect.
• блокировать (blokirovat') - To block or blockade.
• охватить (okhatit') - To encompass or cover.