Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'evade'

English Word: evade

Key Russian Translations:

• уклоняться /ʊkɫɐˈnʲit͡sə/ - [Formal, Verb; often used in legal or official contexts]
• избегать /ɪzˈbʲeɡətʲ/ - [Informal, Verb; commonly used in everyday conversations]

Frequency: Medium (The verb is encountered regularly in Russian media, literature, and daily speech, but not as ubiquitous as basic verbs like "идти" (to go).)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and aspectual pairs in Russian, which can be challenging for learners beyond beginner level. For "уклоняться", it's B2; for "избегать", it's slightly easier at B1 due to its imperfective aspect.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

уклоняться: /ʊkɫɐˈnʲit͡sə/ (The stress is on the third syllable; note the soft 'н' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers due to the palatalization.)

избегать: /ɪzˈbʲeɡətʲ/ (Stress on the second syllable; pay attention to the voiced 'з' and the soft 'г', common in Russian verbs.)

Note on уклоняться: This word has a rolling 'л' sound that may vary regionally; in standard Russian, it's lightly rolled. For избегать, the 'б' is fully voiced.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To avoid or escape from something, often deliberately (e.g., evading responsibility, taxes, or danger)

Translation(s) & Context:

• уклоняться - Used in formal or written contexts, such as legal documents or discussions about ethics.
• избегать - Applied in informal, everyday situations, like personal avoidance in social interactions.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда уклоняется от ответов на сложные вопросы во время интервью.

  He always evades answering difficult questions during interviews.

• Чтобы избежать проблем, она избегает встреч с бывшими коллегами.

  To evade problems, she avoids meetings with former colleagues.

• Компании часто уклоняются от уплаты налогов путём использования офшорных счетов.

  Companies often evade paying taxes by using offshore accounts.

• Избегать прямого конфликта — это стратегия, которую многие используют в повседневной жизни.

  Evading direct conflict is a strategy that many use in everyday life.

• В военных ситуациях солдаты учатся уклоняться от вражеского огня.

  In military situations, soldiers learn to evade enemy fire.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "уклоняться" and "избегать" are imperfective verbs in Russian, which means they express ongoing or repeated actions. Russian verbs conjugate based on tense, aspect, person, number, and gender. These verbs follow standard conjugation patterns but have irregularities in certain forms.

For "уклоняться" (to evade, imperfective):

For "избегать" (similarly imperfective):

Note: These verbs do not change in the future tense without additional particles, but they pair with perfective forms like "уклониться" and "избежать" for completed actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: избегать (similar to evade, but more neutral), уклоняться (exact match, formal), обходить (to bypass or circumvent)
• Antonyms: стремиться (to strive or pursue, often used for direct engagement), сталкиваться (to confront)

Related Phrases:

• уклоняться от ответственности - Evading responsibility; commonly used in professional or ethical discussions.
• избегать конфликта - Avoiding conflict; refers to strategies in interpersonal relationships.
• уклоняться от прямого ответа - Evading a direct answer; typical in debates or interviews.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "уклоняться" is more formal and implies a deliberate, often strategic avoidance, making it a closer match to the nuanced English "evade" in legal contexts. "Избегать" is broader and informal, suitable for everyday evasion like avoiding people or situations. Choose based on context: use "уклоняться" for official scenarios and "избегать" for casual ones. Remember, Russian verbs have aspects—imperfective for ongoing actions—so pair with perfective forms (e.g., "уклониться") for completed evasion. Grammatically, these verbs govern the genitive case in some constructions, e.g., "уклоняться от чего-то" (evade something).

Common Errors:

• English learners often confuse "уклоняться" with "уклоняться от" and omit the preposition, saying just "уклоняться налогов" instead of "уклоняться от налогов" (evading taxes). Correct: Always use the genitive case with the preposition "от" for the object being evaded.
• Another error is mixing up aspects: Using "уклоняться" for a one-time action, e.g., "Я уклоняюсь налог" (incorrect for a completed evade); instead, use the perfective "уклонился". Explanation: Russian requires aspect agreement for accurate tense portrayal.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, evading concepts like taxes or military service ("уклоняться от армии") often carry strong negative connotations due to historical emphasis on collective responsibility in Soviet times. This can imply not just avoidance but moral cowardice, influencing how these words are used in modern media and literature.

Related Concepts:

• бежать (to run away or flee)
• прятаться (to hide)
• изменять (to alter or evade in a deceptive way)