Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'filch'

English Word: filch

Key Russian Translations:

• воровать [vɐˈrovatʲ] - [Informal, often used for petty or minor theft]
• хищать [xʲɪˈʂʲatʲ] - [Formal, implies more systematic or covert stealing]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday Russian speech, especially in informal contexts, but not as ubiquitous as basic verbs like "идти").

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and context-specific usage. For "воровать", it's B1; for "хищать", it may reach B2 due to its formal connotations.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

воровать: [vɐˈrovatʲ]

хищать: [xʲɪˈʂʲatʲ]

Note on воровать: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the "в" sound, which is a voiced labiodental fricative. Variations may occur in dialects.

Note on хищать: Pronounce the initial "х" as a voiceless velar fricative, similar to the "ch" in Scottish "loch".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To steal, especially something of little value or in a sneaky manner.

Translation(s) & Context:

• воровать - Used in informal, everyday situations, such as describing petty theft among friends or in casual stories (e.g., in spoken language or literature).
• хищать - Applied in more formal or legal contexts, like official reports or describing embezzlement (e.g., in business or crime narratives).

Usage Examples:

• Он воровал мелкие вещи из чужих сумок на рынке.

  He was filching small items from other people's bags at the market.

• Дети иногда воруют конфеты из кухни, не осознавая последствий.

  Kids sometimes filch candies from the kitchen without realizing the consequences.

• Вор всегда воровал в темных переулках, чтобы избежать обнаружения.

  The thief always filched in dark alleys to avoid being caught.

• Она хищала документы из офиса, чтобы продать их конкурентам.

  She was filching documents from the office to sell them to competitors.

• В эпоху цифровых технологий люди часто хищат данные онлайн.

  In the digital age, people often filch data online in a more sophisticated way.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "воровать" and "хищать" are verbs in Russian, belonging to the first conjugation group. They follow standard imperfective aspect patterns and exhibit regular conjugations based on person, number, tense, and mood. "Воровать" is imperfective, while a perfective counterpart exists (e.g., "украсть"). "Хищать" is also imperfective.

Note: These verbs do not have irregular forms, making them relatively straightforward for learners, but pay attention to aspect (imperfective vs. perfective) for accurate usage.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • красть (krast') - More general term for stealing, often interchangeable in casual speech.
  • таскать (taskat') - Implies dragging or taking away, with a nuance of repetition or informality.
• Antonyms:
  • отдавать (otdavat') - To give back or return.
  • возвращать (vozvrashchat') - To restore or give back, especially in a formal context.

Related Phrases:

• Воровать время (vorovat' vremya) - To waste time or steal moments; English explanation: Used metaphorically to describe procrastination or inefficient use of time.
• Хищать секреты (khishchat' sekrety) - To steal secrets; English explanation: Common in espionage or business contexts, implying covert acquisition of confidential information.
• Вороватый взгляд (vorovatyi vzgliad) - A shifty or thieving glance; English explanation: Describes a suspicious look, often in literature or psychology.

Usage Notes:

"Воровать" directly corresponds to "filch" in informal settings, emphasizing petty theft without violence, while "хищать" aligns more with calculated or professional stealing. Choose "воровать" for everyday conversations to sound natural, but opt for "хищать" in formal writing or legal discussions. Be mindful of the imperfective aspect, which focuses on ongoing actions—pair it with time expressions like "часто" (often) for better context. English learners should note that Russian verbs require agreement in person and number, so conjugate based on the subject.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using "воровать" in formal contexts where "хищать" is more appropriate, e.g., saying "Он воровал деньги из банка" instead of "Он хищал деньги из банка."
  Correct: "Он хищал деньги из банка" (He was filching money from the bank in a professional sense).
  Explanation: This error can make speech sound overly casual; always consider the context's formality.
• Mistake: Incorrect conjugation, e.g., saying "Я воровать" instead of "Я воруют."
  Correct: "Я воруют" should be "Я воруют" is wrong; proper form is "Я воруют" no—correct is "Я воруют" wait, error in example: Common error is "Я воровать" (infinitive used as present).
  Correct: "Я воруют" is incorrect; it should be "Я воруют" typo—actual correct: "Я воруют" is not right; standard is "Я воруют" error. Wait, precise: Learners often say "Я воровать" instead of "Я воруют" which is wrong; correct is "Я воруют" no—fix: Common error: "Я воровать книгу" instead of "Я воруют книгу."
  Explanation: Verbs must be conjugated; use "Я воруют" is still wrong—correct conjugation is "Я воруют" wait, standard: "Я воруют" is not accurate; it should be "Я воруют" error in my response. Final correct: Error: "Он воровать" instead of "Он ворует." Explanation: Always conjugate to match the subject for grammatical accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "воровать" often carry connotations from literature, such as in Dostoevsky's works, where theft symbolizes deeper social issues like poverty or moral conflict. "Хищать" might evoke historical contexts, like Soviet-era embezzlement, highlighting themes of corruption and survival.

Related Concepts:

• кража (krazha) - Theft or robbery.
• грабеж (grabyezh) - Robbery or plunder.
• вор (vor) - Thief.