Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'immobilize'

English Word: immobilize

Key Russian Translations:

• обездвижить [ɐbʲɪzˈdvʲiʐʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, used in general and medical contexts]
• иммобилизовать [ɪməbʲɪlʲɪzɐˈvatʲ] - [Formal, Technical, often borrowed from English in specialized fields like medicine or engineering]

Frequency: Medium - This verb is not everyday vocabulary but appears regularly in contexts like medical reports, accidents, or technical discussions.

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) - Requires familiarity with Russian verb conjugations and perfective/imperfective aspects; for 'обездвижить', it's perfective, while 'иммобилизовать' follows similar patterns but may be easier for English speakers due to its borrowed nature.

Pronunciation (Russian):

обездвижить: [ɐbʲɪzˈdvʲiʐʲɪtʲ]

иммобилизовать: [ɪməbʲɪlʲɪzɐˈvatʲ]

Note on обездвижить: The stress is on the third syllable ('dvʲiʐʲ'), which can be tricky for beginners; pronounce it with a soft 'zh' sound. For иммобилизовать, it's a more straightforward borrowing, but ensure the final 'tʲ' is softened.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To prevent something from moving, especially in medical, mechanical, or emergency contexts.

Translation(s) & Context:

• обездвижить – Typically used for immobilizing body parts in medical scenarios or objects in accidents; context: formal writing or speech, e.g., in hospitals.
• иммобилизовать – Used in technical or professional settings, such as engineering or advanced medical procedures; context: more precise for borrowed terminology, e.g., in surgical reports.

Usage Examples:

• Врачи обездвижили переломанную ногу пациента, чтобы предотвратить дальнейшие повреждения.

  Doctors immobilized the patient's broken leg to prevent further damage.

• В аварии автомобиль был обездвижен, и никто не мог его сдвинуть с места.

  In the accident, the car was immobilized, and no one could move it from the spot.

• Иммобилизовать конечность — стандартная процедура в ортопедии для быстрого восстановления.

  Immobilizing a limb is a standard procedure in orthopedics for quick recovery.

• Во время операции хирург иммобилизовал область, чтобы обеспечить точность движений.

  During the surgery, the surgeon immobilized the area to ensure precise movements.

• Спасатели обездвижили пострадавшего, прежде чем транспортировать его в больницу.

  Rescuers immobilized the victim before transporting them to the hospital.

To render something inactive or unable to function, in a metaphorical sense (e.g., in military or strategic contexts).

Translation(s) & Context:

• обездвижить – Applied metaphorically, such as in warfare; context: formal or military discussions.
• иммобилизовать – Less common in metaphorical use, but possible in strategic planning; context: technical reports.

Usage Examples:

• Войска обездвижили вражеские танки, блокировав их маршруты.

  The troops immobilized the enemy tanks by blocking their routes.

• Санкции иммобилизовали экономику страны, заморозив её активы.

  Sanctions immobilized the country's economy by freezing its assets.

• Обездвижить оппонента в дебатах — ключ к победе.

  Immobilizing an opponent in debates is key to victory.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'обездвижить' and 'иммобилизовать' are perfective verbs in Russian, meaning they express a completed action. Russian verbs inflect based on tense, aspect, person, number, and gender. 'Обездвижить' is irregular in some forms due to its prefix, while 'иммобилизовать' follows more standard patterns as a borrowed verb.

Note: These verbs do not change in gender for the infinitive but inflect in the past tense. They are aspectually perfective, so they pair with imperfective forms like 'обездвиживать' for ongoing actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • парализовать (paralizovat') - Similar but implies complete paralysis; often used in medical contexts.
  • зафиксировать (zafiksirovat') - Means to fix or secure, less intense than immobilize.
• Antonyms:
  • двигать (dvigat') - To move or activate.
  • освободить (osvobodit') - To free or release from immobilization.

Related Phrases:

• Обездвижить конечность – To immobilize a limb; used in medical contexts to describe injury treatment.
• Иммобилизовать активы – To immobilize assets; common in financial or legal discussions, implying freezing resources.
• Обездвижить противника – To immobilize the opponent; a phrase in strategic or military contexts.

Usage Notes:

Choose 'обездвижить' for everyday or general Russian contexts, as it feels more native and is widely understood. 'Иммобилизовать' is better for technical English-influenced environments, like medical journals, to maintain precision. Be aware of aspect: use perfective for completed actions (e.g., "I immobilized it") and pair with imperfective forms for ongoing ones. In formal writing, these verbs often appear in passive constructions, such as "был обездвижен" (was immobilized). English learners should note that Russian verbs require agreement in person and number, which can affect sentence structure.

Common Errors:

• Conjugating incorrectly: English speakers might say "обездвижить я" instead of "я обездвижу" for "I will immobilize." Correct: Use the future form "обездвижу" for first person. Error example: "Обездвижить я ногу" (wrong); Correct: "Я обездвижу ногу."

• Mixing with imperfective: Using 'обездвижить' for ongoing actions, e.g., "Я обездвижить ногу каждый день" (wrong, as it's perfective). Correct: Use 'обездвиживать' for habitual actions.

• Overusing the borrowed form: Beginners might default to 'иммобилизовать' everywhere, but it's less common in spoken Russian. Error: "Иммобилизовать машину в повседневном разговоре"; Correct: Use 'обездвижить' for natural speech.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and media, terms like 'обездвижить' often appear in contexts related to emergency services or military history, reflecting Russia's emphasis on resilience and preparedness (e.g., in WWII narratives). It can carry connotations of survival and control, symbolizing the need for stability in challenging situations, which aligns with broader themes in Russian literature and folklore.

Related Concepts:

• травма (travma) - Injury
• фиксация (fikatsiya) - Fixation
• паралич (paralich) - Paralysis