Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'hail'

English Word: hail

Key Russian Translations:

• гра́д [ɡrɐ́t] - [Noun, Formal; Refers to the weather phenomenon]
• приветствовать [prʲɪvjɛ́tstvəvətʲ] - [Verb, Informal; Used in contexts of greeting or acclaiming someone]

Frequency: Medium (e.g., 'град' is commonly encountered in weather discussions, while 'приветствовать' appears in formal or literary contexts, but not daily casual speech).

Difficulty: A2 for 'град' (basic vocabulary for beginners); B1 for 'приветствовать' (intermediate, due to verb conjugation patterns).

Pronunciation (Russian):

гра́д: [ɡrɐ́t] (Stress on the first syllable; the 'г' is pronounced as a voiced velar fricative.)

приветствовать: [prʲɪvjɛ́tstvəvətʲ] (Stress on the third syllable; note the palatalized 'т' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers.)

Note on приветствовать: This verb has a soft sign (ь) that affects pronunciation, making the preceding consonant palatalized. Variations in informal speech may soften the ending.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Hail as a weather phenomenon (frozen precipitation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• гра́д - Used in meteorological contexts, such as describing storms or weather forecasts; formal and neutral.

Usage Examples:

• Вчера в регионе пошёл гра́д, повредив посевы. (Yesterday, hail fell in the region, damaging the crops.)

  English: Yesterday, hail fell in the region, damaging the crops.

• Гра́д часто сопровождает грозы в летние месяцы. (Hail often accompanies thunderstorms in the summer months.)

  English: Hail often accompanies thunderstorms in the summer months.

• Из-за гра́да пришлось отложить пикник. (Because of the hail, we had to postpone the picnic.)

  English: Because of the hail, we had to postpone the picnic.

• Метеорологи предупредили о возможном гра́де завтра. (Meteorologists warned about possible hail tomorrow.)

  English: Meteorologists warned about possible hail tomorrow.

Meaning 2: Hail as to greet or acclaim (e.g., hailing someone as a hero)

Translation(s) & Context:

• приветствовать - Used in social or ceremonial contexts, such as welcoming or praising; can be formal or enthusiastic.

Usage Examples:

• Толпа приветствовала героя, вернувшегося с войны. (The crowd hailed the hero returning from the war.)

  English: The crowd hailed the hero returning from the war.

• Мы приветствовали нового лидера аплодисментами. (We hailed the new leader with applause.)

  English: We hailed the new leader with applause.

• Журналисты приветствовали актёра как звезду международного уровня. (Journalists hailed the actor as an international star.)

  English: Journalists hailed the actor as an international star.

• Дети приветствовали учителя улыбками по утрам. (Children hailed the teacher with smiles in the mornings.)

  English: Children hailed the teacher with smiles in the mornings.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'гра́д' (a masculine noun):

This noun follows the standard third declension pattern for masculine nouns ending in a consonant. It is invariant in the nominative singular but changes in other cases.

For 'приветствовать' (a verb):

This is a first-conjugation verb with imperfective aspect. It conjugates regularly across tenses and persons.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • град (for weather): ливень (heavy rain, but not exact; used in similar storm contexts)
  • приветствовать: восхвалять (to praise highly; more emphatic)
• Antonyms:
  • For приветствовать: осуждать (to condemn; opposite in acclaiming)

Related Phrases:

• Град размером с яйцо (Hail the size of an egg) - Refers to unusually large hailstones in severe weather.
• Приветствовать овацией (To hail with ovation) - Means to greet or acclaim someone with applause, often in public events.

Usage Notes:

'Град' directly corresponds to the English 'hail' in weather contexts and is used neutrally in scientific or everyday descriptions. For 'приветствовать', it aligns with 'hail' in the sense of greeting but is more formal; English speakers should note that Russian verbs require aspect (imperfective for ongoing actions). Choose 'приветствовать' over synonyms based on the level of formality—e.g., use it in official speeches rather than casual conversations.

Common Errors:

• Error: Misconjugating 'приветствовать' by ignoring aspect (e.g., using it without specifying perfective form).
  Correct: Use приветствовать for imperfective (ongoing greeting); the perfective is приветствовать (in some contexts, but often paired with prefixes like поприветствовать for completion).
  Explanation: English learners often forget that Russian verbs have pairs for aspect, leading to tense confusion.
• Error: Confusing 'град' with 'дождь' (rain).
  Correct: 'Град' specifically means hail, not general precipitation.
  Explanation: This mix-up can occur due to similar weather events, but 'град' implies solid, frozen particles.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'град' is often mentioned in folklore and literature as a symbol of divine punishment or natural wrath, as seen in classic works like those of Pushkin, reflecting historical agricultural dependencies on weather.

Related Concepts:

• гроза (thunderstorm)
• ураган (hurricane)
• восхваление (acclamation)