Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'exert'

English Word: exert

Key Russian Translations:

• воздействовать /vɐzˈdʲeɪstvəvətʲ/ - [Formal, often used in contexts involving influence or pressure]
• прилагать /prʲɪˈlaɡətʲ/ - [Informal, typically for effort or force, e.g., [Used in everyday language]]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in professional or academic Russian texts, but not in casual conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and nuanced contexts; 'воздействовать' may be C1 due to its formality)

Pronunciation (Russian):

воздействовать: /vɐzˈdʲeɪstvəvətʲ/

прилагать: /prʲɪˈlaɡətʲ/

Note on воздействовать: The stress falls on the third syllable, and the 'й' sound can be challenging for English speakers; it softens to a 'y' glide. Variations in fast speech may reduce the final 'tʲ' sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To apply or bring to bear (e.g., influence, effort, or force)

Translation(s) & Context:

• воздействовать - Used in formal contexts, such as politics or psychology, to describe exerting influence without physical force.
• прилагать - Applied in everyday situations involving physical or mental effort, like in sports or work.

Usage Examples:

• Он воздействовал на ситуацию, чтобы изменить исход.

  He exerted influence on the situation to change the outcome.

• Я прилагаю все усилия, чтобы завершить проект вовремя.

  I am exerting all my efforts to finish the project on time.

• Правительство воздействовало на экономику через новые реформы.

  The government exerted pressure on the economy through new reforms.

• Она прилагала физическую силу, чтобы открыть дверь.

  She exerted physical force to open the door.

• Врач воздействовал на пациента, объясняя важность лечения.

  The doctor exerted influence on the patient by explaining the importance of treatment.

Meaning 2: To make a strenuous effort (e.g., in physical activity)

Translation(s) & Context:

• прилагать - Common in informal or motivational contexts, emphasizing exertion of energy.
• воздействовать - Less common here, but possible in metaphorical senses like mental exertion.

Usage Examples:

• Спортсмен прилагал максимум усилий во время марафона.

  The athlete exerted maximum effort during the marathon.

• Она прилагала волю, чтобы преодолеть страх.

  She exerted her willpower to overcome the fear.

• В этой тренировке вам нужно прилагать больше сил.

  In this workout, you need to exert more strength.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'воздействовать' and 'прилагать' are verbs, so they follow Russian conjugation patterns. 'Воздействовать' is an imperfective verb, while 'прилагать' can be used in both imperfective and perfective forms (e.g., with prefixes). Below is a table for key inflections:

Note: These verbs are regular in most aspects but may have irregularities in perfective forms (e.g., 'воздействовать' can pair with 'воздействовать' as imperfective). They do not change in gender or number in infinitive form.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • воздействовать: влиять (vliyatʲ) - More neutral, used for general influence.
  • прилагать: употреблять (upotrebljatʲ) - Emphasizes application in a broader sense; or прикладывать усилия for effort.
• Antonyms:
  • воздействовать: игнорировать (iɡnoˈrʲirəvətʲ) - To ignore or disregard.
  • прилагать: расслабляться (rɐsˈlablʲətvətʲ) - To relax or not exert effort.

Related Phrases:

• воздействовать на кого-то - To exert influence on someone; often used in psychological or social contexts.
• прилагать усилия - To exert efforts; a common phrase in motivational or work-related discussions.
• воздействовать силой - To exert force; implies physical or coercive action.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'воздействовать' is more formal and abstract, often corresponding to 'exert' in intellectual or influential contexts, while 'прилагать' is versatile for physical or effort-based exertion. Choose 'воздействовать' for non-tangible applications (e.g., ideas), and 'прилагать' for tangible ones. Be mindful of aspect: use imperfective for ongoing actions and perfective (e.g., воздействовать) for completed ones. In spoken Russian, these verbs may vary by region, with more casual synonyms in informal speech.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'воздействовать' interchangeably with 'прилагать' without context. For example, learners might say "Я воздействую усилия" instead of "Я прикладываю усилия".

  Correct: "Я прикладываю усилия" – Explanation: 'Воздействовать' implies influence, not direct effort, so it doesn't fit here.

• Error: Incorrect conjugation, e.g., saying "воздействовать" (wrong form) instead of "воздействовать".

  Correct: "воздействовать" – Explanation: The verb must end in '-ствовать' for this root; check the infinitive form to avoid stem errors.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, phrases like 'прилагать усилия' often reflect the value of perseverance in literature and education, stemming from historical emphasis on collective effort in Soviet times. 'Воздействовать' may carry connotations of authority, as seen in political discourse, highlighting Russia's hierarchical social structures.

Related Concepts:

• влияние (influence)
• усилие (effort)
• давление (pressure)