Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'foresee'

English Word: foresee

Key Russian Translations:

• предвидеть [prʲɪdˈvʲi.dʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, used in written or predictive contexts]
• предугадать [prʲɪduˈɡatʲ] - [Informal, implies intuitive guessing]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in literature, news, and everyday discussions about planning or prediction)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate level; requires understanding of verb conjugations and formal language structures)

Pronunciation (Russian):

предвидеть: [prʲɪdˈvʲi.dʲɪtʲ]

предугадать: [prʲɪduˈɡatʲ]

Note on предвидеть: The stress falls on the second syllable ("vʲi"), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the palatalized consonants. Pronunciation may vary slightly in rapid speech.

Note on предугадать: The ending "-ать" is pronounced with a soft "tʲ," and the word often has a more casual intonation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To predict or anticipate future events based on current knowledge.

Translation(s) & Context:

• предвидеть - Used in formal contexts, such as scientific discussions or strategic planning, to indicate foresight with certainty.
• предугадать - Applied in informal or everyday situations, often implying intuition rather than logical deduction.

Usage Examples:

• Я предвидел возможные проблемы с проектом и подготовился заранее.

  I foresaw possible problems with the project and prepared in advance.

• Ученые предвидят изменения климата, основываясь на данных.

  Scientists foresee climate changes based on data.

• Она предугадала его реакцию и решила не говорить об этом.

  She foresaw his reaction and decided not to mention it.

• В бизнесе важно предвидеть рыночные тенденции для успеха.

  In business, it's important to foresee market trends for success.

• Он предугадал исход игры по поведению игроков.

  He foresaw the game's outcome based on the players' behavior.

To imagine or expect something in advance, often with uncertainty.

Translation(s) & Context:

• предвидеть - In contexts involving planning or risk assessment, emphasizing proactive thinking.

Usage Examples:

• Родители предвидят трудности, когда ребенок начинает ходить в школу.

  Parents foresee difficulties when a child starts school.

• Предвидя экономический кризис, правительство ввело новые меры.

  Foresensing an economic crisis, the government introduced new measures.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "предвидеть" and "предугадать" are verbs of the first conjugation in Russian, which means they follow regular patterns but have specific inflections based on tense, aspect, and person. "Предвидеть" is imperfective, indicating ongoing or repeated actions, while "предугадать" is perfective, denoting a completed action.

Note: These verbs do not have irregular inflections but require attention to aspect for correct usage.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • предположить (to assume or suppose, often less certain)
  • предчувствовать (to have a premonition, more intuitive)
• Antonyms:
  • не предвидеть (to not foresee, directly opposite)
  • упускать из виду (to overlook, implying failure to anticipate)

Related Phrases:

• предвидеть будущее - To foresee the future (Used in philosophical or planning contexts to discuss long-term predictions.)
• предугадать ситуацию - To anticipate a situation (Common in everyday language for intuitive guesses in social settings.)
• не предвидеть последствий - To not foresee the consequences (Often appears in discussions about decision-making and regrets.)

Usage Notes:

"Предвидеть" directly corresponds to "foresee" in formal English contexts, emphasizing logical prediction, while "предугадать" is better for intuitive or informal anticipation. In Russian, always consider the aspect: use imperfective for ongoing processes and perfective for completed ones. For English learners, choose "предвидеть" in professional or academic writing, but "предугадать" in casual conversations. Be mindful of verb conjugations to match subject gender and number, as Russian verbs agree with the subject in the past tense.

• Restriction: These verbs are more common in written Russian; in spoken language, simpler alternatives like "ожидать" (to expect) might be used.
• Grammar tip: Follow with infinitives or clauses, e.g., "предвидеть, что..." (to foresee that...).

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse the aspect, using "предвидеть" (imperfective) when a perfective like "предугадать" is needed for a one-time event. For example:

• Incorrect: "Я предвидел игру." (This implies an ongoing process, which might not fit if the event is completed.)
• Correct: "Я предугадал исход игры." (Better for a specific, completed anticipation.)
• Explanation: Russian requires precise aspect choice; mixing them can alter the meaning or sound unnatural. Another error is forgetting to conjugate for gender in the past tense, e.g., saying "предвидел" for a female subject when "предвидела" is correct.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "предвидеть" often appear in literature and philosophy, reflecting a historical emphasis on fate and destiny, as seen in works by authors like Dostoevsky. This reflects a cultural inclination towards introspection and long-term thinking, where foreseeing events is linked to wisdom or foresight in folklore and proverbs.

Related Concepts:

• предчувствие (premonition)
• прогноз (forecast)
• интуиция (intuition)