Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'imperil'

English Word: imperil

Key Russian Translations:

• угрожать [ʊɡrɐˈʐatʲ] - [Formal, commonly used in written and spoken contexts to indicate endangerment]
• опасить [ɐˈpasʲɪtʲ] - [Informal, less frequent and more literary, implying subtle risk]

Frequency: Medium (The verb 'угрожать' is encountered in everyday news, literature, and discussions, but not as ubiquitous as basic verbs like 'быть'.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contexts, with 'угрожать' being straightforward for learners at this level, while 'опасить' may pose slight challenges due to its rarity.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

угрожать: [ʊɡrɐˈʐatʲ]

опасить: [ɐˈpasʲɪtʲ]

Note on угрожать: The stress falls on the second syllable ('ʐatʲ'), and the 'ж' sound is a voiced palatal fricative, which can be tricky for English speakers—similar to the 's' in 'measure'. Variations in regional accents may soften the pronunciation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To put someone or something in danger or at risk

Translation(s) & Context:

• угрожать - Used in formal contexts like politics, environmental discussions, or warnings, e.g., when describing threats to safety or stability.
• опасить - Applied in more poetic or informal settings, such as literature, to convey subtle endangerment without direct confrontation.

Usage Examples:

• Его решение угрожает будущему проекта, так как оно может привести к финансовому краху.

  His decision imperils the project's future, as it could lead to financial collapse.

• Климатические изменения угрожают выживанию многих видов животных в Арктике.

  Climate change imperils the survival of many animal species in the Arctic.

• Этот вирус опасит здоровье целых сообществ, если не принять меры предосторожности.

  This virus imperils the health of entire communities if precautions are not taken.

• Ее слова угрожают нашим отношениям, заставляя меня усомниться в доверии.

  Her words imperil our relationship, making me doubt the trust.

• Небрежное обращение с данными опасит конфиденциальность пользователей в цифровую эпоху.

  Careless handling of data imperils user privacy in the digital age.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs. 'Угрожать' is a first-conjugation verb with regular patterns, while 'опасить' follows imperfective aspects and can be irregular in some forms. Below is a conjugation table for 'угрожать' (imperfective; to threaten) in the present tense, as it is the most common form.

For 'опасить', it is less commonly inflected but follows similar patterns: e.g., present tense: я опашаю (ya opashayu). Note that these verbs do not change in gender or number in their base form but must agree with the subject in person and number.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • рисковать [rʲɪˈskavatʲ] - Often used interchangeably but implies taking a chance, with a subtle difference in proactive risk.
  • подвергать опасности [pɐdʲvʲɪrˈɡatʲ ɐˈpasnəstʲi] - More formal, emphasizing exposure to danger.
• Antonyms:
  • защищать [zaʂɕɪˈtʲatʲ] - To protect or safeguard.
  • оберегать [ɐbʲɪˈrʲeɡatʲ] - To guard or preserve, often in a nurturing context.

Related Phrases:

• угрожать жизни [ʊɡrɐˈʐatʲ ʐɨzʲnʲi] - Meaning: To threaten life; used in emergency or medical contexts to indicate mortal danger.
• угрожать безопасности [ʊɡrɐˈʐatʲ bʲezɐˈpasnəstʲi] - Meaning: To imperil security; common in discussions about national or digital safety.
• опасить будущее [ɐˈpasʲɪtʲ bʊˈʐnəe] - Meaning: To endanger the future; often appears in environmental or long-term planning scenarios.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'угрожать' directly corresponds to 'imperil' in contexts involving imminent danger, but it is more commonly used as a transitive verb requiring an object (e.g., угрожать чему-то). Choose 'угрожать' for formal or serious situations, while 'опасить' is better for literary or subtle nuances. Be mindful of aspect: 'угрожать' is imperfective, implying ongoing threat, whereas a perfective form like 'угрожу' might be used for future actions. English learners should note that Russian verbs often require prepositions, such as 'угрожать [dat. case]', to specify what is being imperiled.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'угрожать' without the correct case for the object, e.g., saying "угрожать проект" instead of "угрожать проекту" (dative case). Correct: "Его действия угрожают проекту" should be "Его действия угрожают проекту" (wait, correction: it's already correct, but learners might forget the dative). Explanation: In Russian, the object of 'угрожать' typically takes the dative case to indicate the thing at risk.

• Error: Confusing 'угрожать' with 'угрожать' in the wrong tense, e.g., using present for a completed action. Correct: For a one-time event, use a perfective form like 'угрозить'. Explanation: This can lead to timeline confusion in narratives.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'угрожать' often carry a weighty connotation due to historical contexts such as the Cold War era, where threats to security were prevalent in media and literature. This can add a layer of intensity to its usage, making it more emotive than its English counterpart in discussions of national or personal peril.

Related Concepts:

• угроза [ʊɡrɐˈza] - Threat
• опасность [ɐˈpasnəstʲ] - Danger
• риск [rʲɪsk] - Risk