Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'impregnate'

English Word: impregnate

Key Russian Translations:

• оплодотворить [ɐplədɐˈtvorʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, used in biological or medical contexts]
• пропитать [prɐpʲɪˈtatʲ] - [General use, applicable to non-biological saturation]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in scientific, medical, or technical discussions, but not in everyday casual conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and prefixes, which may vary by context)

Pronunciation (Russian):

оплодотворить: [ɐplədɐˈtvorʲɪtʲ]

Note on оплодотворить: The stress falls on the third syllable; be cautious with the soft 'т' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers.

пропитать: [prɐpʲɪˈtatʲ]

Note on пропитать: Pronounce with a soft 'п' and stress on the second syllable; common in everyday Russian.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To make pregnant (biological sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• оплодотворить - Used in formal medical or scientific contexts, such as discussing fertilization in humans or animals.

Usage Examples:

• В лаборатории ученые оплодотворили яйцеклетку для эксперимента.

  In the laboratory, scientists impregnated the egg cell for the experiment.

• Этот процесс позволяет оплодотворить семя для сельскохозяйственных нужд.

  This process allows for impregnating seeds for agricultural purposes.

• Медицинские технологии помогли оплодотворить яйцеклетку вне тела.

  Medical technologies helped impregnate the egg cell outside the body.

• В природе оплодотворить яйцо может только определенный тип сперматозоида.

  In nature, only a specific type of sperm can impregnate the egg.

To saturate or fill with a substance (non-biological sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• пропитать - Used for materials or objects, such as fabrics or wood, in everyday or technical contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Чтобы защитить дерево, его нужно пропитать специальным раствором.

  To protect the wood, it needs to be impregnated with a special solution.

• Ткань пропитали красителем, чтобы изменить ее цвет.

  The fabric was impregnated with dye to change its color.

• В процессе производства металл пропитывают маслом для предотвращения коррозии.

  During manufacturing, the metal is impregnated with oil to prevent corrosion.

• Еда может пропитаться ароматами специй, если оставить ее на ночь.

  Food can be impregnated with spice aromas if left overnight.

• Грунт пропитали водой, чтобы помочь растениям расти.

  The soil was impregnated with water to help the plants grow.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs, which undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number in Russian. Russian verbs are imperfective or perfective; оплодотворить is perfective, while пропитать can be both depending on context (imperfective: пропитывать).

For оплодотворить (perfective verb):

For пропитать (perfective; imperfective form: пропитывать):

These verbs follow standard conjugation patterns with no irregularities, but aspect changes (perfective vs. imperfective) are key.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • оплодотворить: оплодотворить can be synonymous with зачать (zachat') in reproductive contexts, but зачать is less formal.
  • пропитать: напитать (napitat') – used for absorption of liquids; пронизать (pronizat') – for thorough penetration.
• Antonyms:
  • оплодотворить: стерилизовать (sterilizevat') – to prevent fertilization.
  • пропитать: высушить (vysushit') – to dry out or remove saturation.

Related Phrases:

• оплодотворить яйцеклетку – To impregnate an egg cell; used in fertility discussions.
• пропитать ткань маслом – To impregnate fabric with oil; common in crafting or maintenance contexts.
• химически пропитать материал – To chemically impregnate a material; refers to industrial processes.

Usage Notes:

The English word "impregnate" has two main senses, which align with оплодотворить (for biological impregnation) and пропитать (for saturation). Choose оплодотворить in formal or scientific settings to avoid ambiguity, as it specifically implies fertilization. Пропитать is more versatile for non-living materials and is commonly used in everyday Russian. Be mindful of verb aspects: use perfective forms for completed actions and imperfective for ongoing processes. In conversational Russian, these verbs may vary by regional dialects, so context is crucial for accurate usage.

Common Errors:

• Confusing aspect: English learners often misuse perfective and imperfective forms, e.g., saying "Я пропитываю ткань" (ongoing) when meaning a completed action. Correct: "Я пропитал ткань" for a finished impregnation.
• Incorrect conjugation: Forgetting gender agreement in past tense, e.g., saying "Она оплодотворил" instead of "Она оплодотворила." Explanation: Russian past tense verbs agree with the subject's gender.
• Overgeneralizing translations: Using оплодотворить for non-biological contexts, like "Я оплодотворил дерево" (wrong); use пропитать instead.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, terms like оплодотворить are often associated with scientific advancements in medicine, such as IVF (in vitro fertilization), which has become more prominent since the fall of the Soviet Union. This reflects Russia's emphasis on family and population growth in historical contexts, where fertility themes appear in literature like Tolstoy's works.

Related Concepts:

• зачаток (embryo-related)
• пропитка (impregnation process)
• сатурация (a loanword for saturation)