Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'fertilise'

English Word: fertilise

Key Russian Translations:

• удобрять /u.dɐ.'brʲæt/ - [Formal, Used in agricultural contexts]
• оплодотворять /ɐ.plə.dɐ.'tva.rʲɪt/ - [Formal, Used in biological or scientific contexts]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in specialized fields like agriculture or biology, but not in everyday casual conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian verb conjugations and context-specific vocabulary; for 'удобрять', it is straightforward, but 'оплодотворять' may be more challenging due to its length and scientific nuance)

Pronunciation (Russian):

удобрять: /u.dɐ.'brʲæt/

Note on удобрять: The stress falls on the second syllable ('brʲæt'). Pay attention to the soft 'r' sound, which is a common challenge for English speakers.

Audio: []

оплодотворять: /ɐ.plə.dɐ.'tva.rʲɪt/

Note on оплодотворять: This word has multiple syllables with stress on the third syllable ('tva.rʲɪt'). The 'щ' sound in related forms can be tricky, as it combines 'sh' and 'ch' elements.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To add fertilizer to soil or promote growth (agricultural sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• удобрять - Typically used in formal or technical discussions about farming, gardening, or environmental science; implies the process of enriching soil.

Usage Examples:

• Фермеры обычно удобряют поля осенью, чтобы повысить урожайность.

  Farmers usually fertilise the fields in the autumn to increase the yield.

• В саду мы удобряем растения натуральными удобрениями для лучшего роста.

  In the garden, we fertilise the plants with natural fertilisers for better growth.

• Если вы удобряете почву регулярно, цветы будут цвести ярче.

  If you fertilise the soil regularly, the flowers will bloom brighter.

• Современные методы удобрения помогают предотвратить эрозию почвы.

  Modern fertilising methods help prevent soil erosion.

• Не забывайте удобрять огород перед посадкой овощей.

  Don't forget to fertilise the vegetable garden before planting the vegetables.

To cause fertilization in a biological sense, such as in reproduction (scientific sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• оплодотворять - Used in formal scientific, medical, or educational contexts; refers to the process of combining gametes, often in biology or human reproduction discussions.

Usage Examples:

• В процессе оплодотворения яйцеклетка соединяется с спермой.

  In the process of fertilization, the egg cell combines with sperm.

• Ученые изучают, как оплодотворять растения для повышения генетической устойчивости.

  Scientists study how to fertilise plants to increase genetic resilience.

• В лабораторных условиях можно оплодотворять эмбрионы для исследований.

  In laboratory conditions, embryos can be fertilised for research purposes.

• Оплодотворение происходит только при определенных условиях в естественной среде.

  Fertilization occurs only under specific conditions in the natural environment.

• Медицина позволяет оплодотворять яйцеклетки in vitro для лечения бесплодия.

  Medicine allows fertilising egg cells in vitro to treat infertility.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'удобрять' and 'оплодотворять' are Russian verbs of the first conjugation, which means they follow regular patterns but can have irregularities in certain forms. They are imperfective verbs, indicating ongoing or repeated actions.

For 'удобрять' (to fertilise, agricultural):

Note: This verb is regular but softens consonants in some forms.

For 'оплодотворять' (to fertilise, biological):

This verb is also regular but longer, making it prone to mispronunciation. It does not change in imperative forms without additional prefixes.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • удобрять: обогащать (obogashchat' - to enrich, with a focus on soil nutrients)
  • оплодотворять: фертилизировать (fertillizirovat' - a borrowed term, more scientific)
• Antonyms:
  • For удобрять: истощать (istoshchat' - to deplete, as in soil exhaustion)
  • For оплодотворять: стерилизовать (sterilizovat' - to sterilize, preventing fertilization)

Related Phrases:

• Удобрение почвы - Fertilising the soil; a common phrase in gardening contexts.
• Искусственное оплодотворение - Artificial insemination; used in medical or veterinary discussions.
• Естественное удобрение - Natural fertiliser; refers to organic methods in agriculture.

Usage Notes:

'Удобрять' directly corresponds to the agricultural meaning of 'fertilise' and is preferred in formal Russian texts, while 'оплодотворять' aligns with biological contexts. Choose based on context: use 'удобрять' for environmental or farming scenarios and 'оплодотворять' for scientific ones. Both verbs require agreement with subject gender in past tense, which is a key grammatical note for English learners. Avoid using these interchangeably, as they imply different processes.

Common Errors:

• Confusing conjugation: English learners often say 'удобрят' instead of 'удобряют' for third-person plural. Correct: Use 'удобряют' for "they fertilise".
• Mispronouncing 'оплодотворять': Beginners might omit syllables, saying 'оплодотворить'. Error example: "Я оплодотворить яйцеклетку" (incorrect). Correct: "Я оплодотворяю яйцеклетку". Explanation: The full form is essential for clarity in scientific Russian.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'удобрять' is often linked to traditional agriculture, reflecting Russia's vast rural heritage and emphasis on self-sufficiency in farming. Historically, during Soviet times, large-scale fertilisation campaigns were part of collectivized agriculture, symbolizing state-driven productivity.

Related Concepts:

• урожай (urozhai - harvest)
• почва (pochva - soil)
• репродукция (reproduktsiya - reproduction)