Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'impoverish'

English Word: impoverish

Key Russian Translations:

• обеднять [ɐbʲɪdʲnʲatʲ] - [Formal, used in economic or social contexts]
• обнищать [ɐbʲnʲɪʂʲatʲ] - [Informal, often implies a gradual process]

Frequency: Medium (Common in formal writing, news, and economic discussions, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; involves understanding verb conjugations and nuanced contexts; for 'обеднять', it's B2, while 'обнищать' may be B1 for simpler uses)

Pronunciation (Russian):

обеднять: [ɐbʲɪdʲnʲatʲ]

обнищать: [ɐbʲnʲɪʂʲatʲ]

Note on обеднять: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the soft 'н' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. Pronunciation may vary slightly in rapid speech.

Note on обнищать: The 'щ' sound is a soft, hissing 'sh' combined with 'ch'; practice with native audio for accuracy.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To make someone or something poor, especially in a financial or economic sense.

Translation(s) & Context:

• обеднять - Used in formal contexts like economics, politics, or social commentary to describe deliberate impoverishment.
• обнищать - Applied in informal or narrative contexts to indicate a gradual decline into poverty.

Usage Examples:

• Война обеднила многие семьи в регионе.

  The war impoverished many families in the region. (Shows 'обеднять' in a historical or conflict-related context.)

• Экономический кризис обнищал население маленького города.

  The economic crisis impoverished the population of the small town. (Illustrates 'обнищать' in a modern, everyday economic scenario.)

• Плохие сельскохозяйственные практики обеднили почву, сделав её бесплодной.

  Poor agricultural practices impoverished the soil, making it barren. (Demonstrates 'обеднять' with a non-human subject, emphasizing depletion.)

• Годы безработицы обнищали его, но он не потерял надежду.

  Years of unemployment impoverished him, but he didn't lose hope. (Highlights 'обнищать' in a personal, emotional narrative.)

• Политика правительства обеднила средний класс, вызвав социальные протесты.

  The government's policies impoverished the middle class, sparking social protests. (Shows 'обеднять' in a political context with broader implications.)

2. To deprive of richness or quality (e.g., soil or resources).

Translation(s) & Context:

• обеднять - Common in environmental or scientific discussions, focusing on depletion.
• обнищать - Less common here; might be used metaphorically in informal speech.

Usage Examples:

• Переизбыток химикатов обеднил плодородные земли фермы.

  The overuse of chemicals impoverished the farm's fertile lands. (Example of 'обеднять' in an agricultural context.)

• Глобальное потепление обнищает биоразнообразие лесов.

  Global warming is impoverishing the biodiversity of forests. (Uses 'обнищать' metaphorically for environmental decline.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'обеднять' and 'обнищать' are verbs, so they follow Russian verb conjugation patterns. 'Обеднять' is a first-conjugation verb, while 'обнищать' is imperfective. Russian verbs change based on tense, aspect, mood, and person. Below is a table for 'обеднять' in the present tense; 'обнищать' follows similar patterns but is often used in imperfective aspects.

For past tense: 'обеднил' (masc.), 'обеднила' (fem.), etc. It is regular but requires attention to gender and number. 'Обнищать' is imperfective and conjugates similarly: e.g., present: 'я обнищаю'. These verbs do not have irregular forms but must agree with the subject.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • разорить (to ruin financially; more dramatic and sudden)
  • обездолить (to deprive of means; often emotional)
• Antonyms:
  • обогащать (to enrich)
  • процветать (to prosper)

Related Phrases:

• обеднить народ - To impoverish the people (Used in political rhetoric to describe economic policies.)
• обнищать из-за инфляции - To become impoverished due to inflation (Common in economic discussions, highlighting gradual decline.)
• экономически обеднить регион - To economically impoverish a region (Formal phrase in policy or news contexts.)

Usage Notes:

'Обеднять' directly corresponds to the transitive sense of 'impoverish' and is preferred in formal English-to-Russian translations for its precision. Use it when the action is deliberate, as in policy or environmental contexts. 'Обнищать' is more reflexive or intransitive, suitable for personal narratives. Be mindful of aspect: Russian verbs often require perfective forms (e.g., 'обеднить' for completed action). In formal writing, pair with adverbs like 'экономически' for clarity. Choose between translations based on context—'обеднять' for active impoverishment, 'обнищать' for passive decline.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'обеднять' in the wrong tense, e.g., saying 'я обедняю' when 'я обеднил' is needed for past actions. Correct: Learn to conjugate properly; for example, incorrect: 'Я обедняю вчера' (wrong tense). Correct: 'Я обеднил вчера' (I impoverished yesterday). Explanation: Russian verbs must match the time frame accurately to avoid confusion.
• Mistake: Confusing 'обеднять' with 'обнищать' in formal contexts. Correct: Use 'обеднять' for direct actions; e.g., incorrect: 'Война обнищала страну' in a report (too informal). Correct: 'Война обеднила страну'. Explanation: 'Обнищать' implies a process, while 'обеднять' is more immediate.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'обеднять' often evoke themes from history, such as the economic hardships during the Soviet era or post-Soviet transitions. They carry a connotation of resilience against poverty, reflecting Russia's literary traditions in works by authors like Tolstoy, who depicted social inequality. Understanding these terms can deepen appreciation for Russian discussions on social justice and economic disparity.

Related Concepts:

• бедность (poverty)
• экономический кризис (economic crisis)
• социальное неравенство (social inequality)