Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'erupt'

English Word: erupt

Key Russian Translations:

• извергаться (/ɪzˈvʲɛrɡət͡sə/) - [Formal, Used in scientific or geological contexts]
• разразиться (/rəzˈrazʲɪt͡sə/) - [Informal, Used for sudden emotional or conflict-based eruptions]
• вспыхнуть (/vspɨxˈnutʲ/) - [Informal, Plural or metaphorical uses, e.g., for emotions]

Frequency: Medium - The word and its translations appear in contexts like news, science, and literature, but not in everyday casual conversation.

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) - Requires understanding of Russian verb conjugations and contextual usage; for 'извергаться', it may be B2 due to its reflexive form.

Pronunciation (Russian):

извергаться: /ɪzˈvʲɛrɡət͡sə/ - Stress on the second syllable; the 'г' is pronounced as a voiced velar fricative.

разразиться: /rəzˈrazʲɪt͡sə/ - Stress on the third syllable; note the palatalized 'з' sound, which can be tricky for learners.

вспыхнуть: /vspɨxˈnutʲ/ - Stress on the third syllable; the 'ы' vowel is a distinct back unrounded sound in Russian.

Note on извергаться: This verb is reflexive, so the pronunciation may vary slightly in different tenses, with emphasis on the ending for imperfective aspects.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To burst forth violently, as a volcano or natural phenomenon.

Translation(s) & Context:

• извергаться - Used in formal, scientific, or descriptive contexts, such as describing geological events.

Usage Examples:

• Вулкан извергался несколько раз за последние сто лет.

  The volcano erupted several times over the last hundred years.

• Гора начала извергаться, извергая лаву и пепел в воздух.

  The mountain began erupting, spewing lava and ash into the air.

• Если вулкан извергается, местные жители должны эвакуироваться немедленно.

  If the volcano erupts, local residents should evacuate immediately.

• Учёные мониторят вулкан, чтобы предсказать, когда он может извергаться.

  Scientists are monitoring the volcano to predict when it might erupt.

2. To break out suddenly, as in emotions, conflicts, or events.

Translation(s) & Context:

• разразиться - Common in informal or narrative contexts, such as describing sudden outbursts of anger or war.
• вспыхнуть - Used for quick, metaphorical eruptions, like a fire or emotional flare-up, in everyday or literary language.

Usage Examples:

• Во время спора он разразился гневом, крича на всех вокруг.

  During the argument, he erupted in anger, shouting at everyone around.

• Конфликт разразился внезапно, как извержение вулкана.

  The conflict erupted suddenly, like a volcanic eruption.

• Её эмоции вспыхнули, и она не смогла сдержать слёз.

  Her emotions erupted, and she couldn't hold back the tears.

• Война вспыхнула из-за незначительного инцидента, эскалировав в полномасштабный конфликт.

  The war erupted from a minor incident, escalating into a full-scale conflict.

• Протесты разразились по всему городу после объявления новых законов.

  Protests erupted across the city after the announcement of new laws.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Most translations of 'erupt' are verbs, which in Russian undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, mood, and person. 'Извергаться' is an imperfective reflexive verb, while 'разразиться' and 'вспыхнуть' are perfective verbs. Russian verbs have imperfective and perfective aspects, and they inflect irregularly in some cases.

Note: These verbs do not change in gender or number in their infinitive forms but inflect accordingly in finite forms. 'Извергаться' is irregular due to its reflexive particle '-ся'.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Вырваться - Similar to bursting out, but often for escape or release.
  • Взорваться - Used for explosions, with a connotation of violence.
  • Всплеснуть - For a sudden surge, like emotions, but less intense.
• Antonyms:
  • Угасать - To fade or die down, opposite of sudden eruption.
  • Успокаиваться - To calm down or subside.

Related Phrases:

• Вулканическое извержение - A volcanic eruption; used in scientific or news contexts to describe natural disasters.
• Разразиться бурей - To erupt into a storm; metaphorically for sudden conflicts or emotional outbursts.
• Вспыхнуть как порох - To erupt like gunpowder; an idiom for something igniting quickly and explosively.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'erupt' translations like 'извергаться' are more common in formal or technical contexts, such as geology, while 'разразиться' fits emotional or social scenarios. Choose based on aspect: use imperfective for ongoing actions (e.g., 'извергаться' for a volcano that's erupting) and perfective for completed ones (e.g., 'разразиться' for a sudden end). Be mindful of reflexive particles like '-ся' in 'извергаться', which indicate the action happens to the subject. In everyday speech, metaphorical uses are preferred over literal ones.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'извергаться' interchangeably with 'взорваться' without considering context. For example, learners might say "Вулкан взорвался" when describing a volcano, but this implies an explosion rather than an eruption.

  Correct: Вулкан извергался (The volcano erupted). Explanation: 'Взорваться' is for bombs or man-made explosions, while 'извергаться' is specific to natural geological events.

• Error: Forgetting verb aspects, e.g., using 'разразиться' in a present tense sentence. Correct: Use perfective for completed actions, like "Конфликт разразился" instead of incorrectly conjugating it as present.

  Explanation: Russian requires aspect agreement; mix-ups can lead to grammatical errors.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, volcanic eruptions like those of Kamchatka's volcanoes hold historical significance, symbolizing unpredictability and the raw power of nature. This ties into Russian literature, such as in works by authors like Chekhov, where eruptions metaphorically represent emotional turmoil, reflecting the vast and often harsh Russian landscape.

Related Concepts:

• Землетрясение (earthquake)
• Цунами (tsunami)
• Вспышка (flare-up or outburst)