Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'gulp'

English Word: gulp

Key Russian Translations:

• глоток [ɡlɐˈtok] - [Informal, Noun, Used in everyday contexts like drinking]
• проглотить [prəɡlɐˈtʲitʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Used for swallowing food or liquid quickly]
• глотнуть [ɡlɐtˈnutʲ] - [Informal, Verb, Used in casual settings for taking a quick sip]

Frequency: Medium (The word and its translations are commonly used in daily conversations but not as ubiquitous as basic vocabulary like "eat" or "drink").

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; learners at this level can grasp the basic forms, but mastering inflections and contexts requires practice. For 'глоток' as a noun: B1; for verbs like 'проглотить': B2 due to aspect variations).

Pronunciation (Russian):

глоток: [ɡlɐˈtok]

проглотить: [prəɡlɐˈtʲitʲ]

глотнуть: [ɡlɐtˈnutʲ]

Note on проглотить: The stress is on the third syllable; be careful with the soft 'тʲ' sound, which is a common challenge for English speakers due to its palatalization.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

As a noun: A large swallow of liquid or air.

Translation(s) & Context:

• глоток - Used in informal contexts for describing a quick intake, such as drinking water hurriedly.
• проглотить - Less common as a direct noun equivalent but can imply the action in phrases; contextually for emphasis in formal writing.

Usage Examples:

• Он сделал большой глоток воды после пробежки.

  He took a big gulp of water after his run.

• После долгого дня она выпила глоток чая, чтобы успокоиться.

  After a long day, she took a gulp of tea to calm down.

• В жару я всегда беру глоток из бутылки.

  In the heat, I always take a gulp from the bottle.

• Глоток свежего воздуха помог ему сосредоточиться.

  A gulp of fresh air helped him focus.

As a verb: To swallow something quickly or greedily.

Translation(s) & Context:

• проглотить - Used in formal or narrative contexts, often implying a full swallow, like eating hastily.
• глотнуть - Informal, for liquids, in everyday speech like at a meal or social gathering.

Usage Examples:

• Он проглотил еду, не жуя, из-за спешки.

  He gulped down his food without chewing, due to the rush.

• Она быстро проглотила таблетку с водой.

  She gulped the pill down with water quickly.

• Дети глотнули сок и побежали играть.

  The kids gulped their juice and ran off to play.

• В ресторане он глотнул вино, чтобы попробовать.

  At the restaurant, he gulped the wine to taste it.

• После тренировки я проглотил стакан воды за раз.

  After the workout, I gulped a glass of water in one go.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'глоток' (noun, masculine): It follows the standard third-declension pattern for masculine nouns ending in a consonant. It is inflected based on case and number.

For 'проглотить' and 'глотнуть' (verbs, perfective and imperfective aspects): These are first-conjugation verbs with irregular aspects. 'Проглотить' is perfective; its imperfective counterpart is 'проглатывать'. Example conjugations for 'проглотить' in present tense (though perfective verbs don't have a full present form, here's the imperfective base):

These verbs do not change irregularly but follow standard patterns; 'глотнуть' is mostly invariable in simple forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • глоток - сиплый (for a noisy swallow, with a slight difference in implying sound)
  • проглотить - заглотить (more forceful, used in contexts of greediness)
  • глотнуть - отхлебнуть (specifically for sipping liquids, often in a relaxed setting)
• Antonyms:
  • For глоток: удушье (choking, opposite in the sense of obstruction)
  • For проглотить: выплюнуть (to spit out)

Related Phrases:

• Большим глотком - Big gulp; used for emphasizing quantity in drinking (e.g., in casual meals).
• Проглотить обиду - To swallow one's pride; a fixed phrase implying suppressing emotions.
• Глотнуть воздуха - To take a breath of fresh air; common in outdoor or health contexts.

Usage Notes:

The English word 'gulp' corresponds closely to 'глоток' as a noun and 'проглотить' or 'глотнуть' as verbs, but Russian often emphasizes aspect (perfective vs. imperfective) which English lacks. For example, use 'проглотить' for completed actions and 'глотнуть' for habitual ones. It's informal in daily speech but can be formal in writing; avoid 'глоток' in scientific contexts where precision is needed. When choosing between translations, opt for 'глотнуть' in social scenarios and 'проглотить' for urgency.

Common Errors:

• English learners often confuse 'проглотить' with 'глотнуть' and use them interchangeably; error: "Я проглотнул кофе" (implying a full meal), correct: "Я глотнул кофе" for a quick sip. Explanation: 'Проглотить' suggests completeness, while 'глотнуть' is for partial actions.
• Another mistake is incorrect inflection, e.g., using nominative 'глоток' in genitive contexts; error: "Я пью глоток" (wrong), correct: "Я пью глоток воды" with proper case if needed. Always check the case based on sentence structure.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, phrases like 'проглотить обиду' reflect a stoic attitude towards emotions, stemming from historical influences like Soviet-era resilience. It's not just about physical swallowing but emotional suppression, which is a common theme in Russian literature, such as in works by Tolstoy, where characters 'gulp down' their sorrows.

Related Concepts:

• сиплый
• заглотить
• отхлебнуть
• удушье