Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'entrust'

English Word: entrust

Key Russian Translations:

• поручить [pɐˈrut͡ɕɪtʲ] - [Formal, used in official or professional contexts]
• доверить [dɐˈvʲerʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, implies a sense of trust and confidence]

Frequency: Medium (These verbs are commonly used in formal writing, business, and everyday conversations involving responsibility, but less frequent in casual speech.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; involves understanding verb conjugations and contexts of trust, which may vary slightly between translations.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

поручить: [pɐˈrut͡ɕɪtʲ]

Note on поручить: The stress falls on the second syllable ("ru"), and the 'ч' sound is a soft palatal fricative, which can be challenging for English speakers. Pronounce it with a quick, sharp 'ch' as in "church."

доверить: [dɐˈvʲerʲɪtʲ]

Note on доверить: Stress on the second syllable ("ve"), with a soft 'в' sound; the 'е' is pronounced like the 'e' in "yes." This verb often has a more emotional connotation of faith.

Audio: []

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To give someone a task or responsibility (primary meaning of 'entrust')

Translation(s) & Context:

• поручить - Used in formal settings, such as assigning duties in a workplace or official instructions.
• доверить - Applied when emphasizing personal trust, like in relationships or confidential matters.

Usage Examples:

• Директор поручил мне важный проект.

  The director entrusted me with an important project.

• Я доверил другу свои секреты.

  I entrusted my friend with my secrets.

• Родители поручили детям убрать дом.

  The parents entrusted the children with cleaning the house.

• Компания доверила ему управление финансами.

  The company entrusted him with managing the finances.

• Врач поручил медсестре мониторить пациента.

  The doctor entrusted the nurse with monitoring the patient.

To imply confidence in someone for a specific purpose (secondary nuance)

Translation(s) & Context:

• доверить - Often used in contexts involving emotional or personal trust, such as in friendships or family.
• поручить - More neutral, focused on task delegation without deep emotional ties.

Usage Examples:

• Она доверила мне свой план на будущее.

  She entrusted me with her plan for the future.

• Босс поручил ассистенту подготовить отчет.

  The boss entrusted the assistant with preparing the report.

• Друзья доверили друг другу тайны.

  Friends entrusted each other with secrets.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "поручить" and "доверить" are verbs of the first conjugation in Russian, which means they follow regular patterns but have specific inflections based on tense, aspect, and person. They are imperfective verbs, often used with perfective counterparts like "поручить" (imperfective) and "поручить" can pair with "поручить" in perfective sense, but "доверить" is typically imperfective with "доверить" as its perfective form in some contexts.

For "поручить" (to entrust, imperfective):

For "доверить" (to entrust, imperfective):

These verbs do not have irregular forms but require attention to aspect (imperfective vs. perfective) in Russian sentences.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • передать (peredat') - To hand over, often in a literal sense, with a slight difference in implying transfer without deep trust.
  • вверять (vverjat') - To entrust in a more poetic or literary context.
• Antonyms:
  • отобрать (otobrat') - To take away or confiscate.
  • запретить (zapretit') - To forbid or prohibit.

Related Phrases:

• поручить задание - To entrust a task (used in professional settings to delegate work).
• доверить тайну - To entrust a secret (implies confidentiality in personal relationships).
• поручить заботу - To entrust care (common in family or childcare contexts).

Usage Notes:

Use "поручить" when the focus is on assigning a responsibility in a formal or professional environment, similar to "entrust" in English business contexts. "Доверить" is better for situations involving personal trust, like sharing sensitive information. Be mindful of the verb aspect in Russian; always pair with appropriate perfective forms for completed actions. In formal writing, these verbs often appear in the past tense to describe events.

Common Errors:

• Confusing "поручить" and "доверить": English learners might use "поручить" interchangeably with "доверить," but the latter emphasizes emotional trust. Incorrect: "Я поручил тайну" (implies just assigning, not trusting). Correct: "Я доверил тайну" – Explanation: Use "доверить" for trust-based scenarios to avoid sounding mechanical.
• Incorrect conjugation: Forgetting gender agreement in past tense, e.g., saying "поручила" for a male subject. Correct: "Он поручил" – Explanation: Past tense verbs in Russian agree with the subject's gender.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, entrusting tasks or secrets (as with "доверить") often reflects deep interpersonal trust, which is highly valued in social and professional relationships. This can stem from historical contexts like the Soviet era, where personal loyalty was crucial, influencing modern usage in everyday life.

Related Concepts:

• доверие (doverie) - Trust
• ответственность (otvetstvennost') - Responsibility
• делегирование (delegirovanie) - Delegation