Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'imprison'

English Word: imprison

Key Russian Translations:

• заключить [zəklʲutʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, used in legal contexts]
• посадить в тюрьму [pəsəˈdʲitʲ f tʲʊˈrʲmu] - [Informal, everyday speech]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in legal, news, or literary contexts, but not in casual conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate, as it involves understanding verb aspects and legal vocabulary; for 'заключить', it's more advanced due to perfective aspect)

Pronunciation (Russian):

заключить: [zəklʲutʲɪtʲ]

Note on заключить: The stress falls on the last syllable ('-тить'). Be mindful of the palatalized 'л' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers.

Audio: []

посадить в тюрьму: [pəsəˈdʲitʲ f tʲʊˈrʲmu]

Note on посадить в тюрьму: The phrase has multiple syllables with stress on 'са' in 'посадить' and 'тю' in 'тюрьму'. The 'р' in 'тюрьму' is rolled, common in Russian pronunciation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The act of putting someone in prison, often as a form of punishment or detention.

Translation(s) & Context:

• заключить - Used in formal or legal contexts, such as court decisions or official documents, to denote the action of imprisoning someone.
• посадить в тюрьму - Applied in informal or narrative contexts, like storytelling or news reports, to describe the process more vividly.

Usage Examples:

• Судья решил заключить преступника в тюрьму на десять лет за серьёзные нарушения закона.

  The judge decided to imprison the criminal for ten years for serious violations of the law.

• Власти посадили активиста в тюрьму, обвинив его в подстрекательстве к протестам.

  The authorities imprisoned the activist, accusing him of inciting protests.

• После суда его заключили в тюрьму, где он провёл несколько месяцев в ожидании апелляции.

  After the trial, he was imprisoned and spent several months awaiting an appeal.

• Правительство посадило оппозиционного лидера в тюрьму, что вызвало волну общественного недовольства.

  The government imprisoned the opposition leader, sparking a wave of public discontent.

• В исторических романах часто описывается, как царя заключали в тюрьму за измену.

  In historical novels, it's often described how tsars were imprisoned for treason.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'заключить': This is a perfective verb (from the imperfective 'заключать'). Russian verbs change based on tense, aspect, person, and number. It follows the first conjugation pattern with irregularities in some forms.

For 'посадить в тюрьму': 'Посадить' is also a perfective verb. The phrase as a whole doesn't inflect, but 'посадить' follows similar patterns to 'заключить'. It is irregular in some aspects due to its prefix.

Note: Phrases like this are invariant in structure but can vary with case in full sentences (e.g., 'в тюрьму' changes with preposition).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • задержать (zaderzhat') - More general, meaning to detain, often temporarily.
  • арестовать (arestovat') - Specifically for arrest leading to imprisonment.
• Antonyms:
  • освободить (osvobodit') - To release or free from imprisonment.
  • выпустить (vypustit') - To let out, as from prison.

Related Phrases:

• заключение под стражу - Imprisonment or detention under guard; used in legal contexts to mean formal custody.
• посадить за решётку - To put behind bars; an idiomatic expression for imprisoning someone, often in metaphorical or dramatic narratives.
• лишение свободы - Deprivation of liberty; a broader phrase encompassing imprisonment and other restrictions.

Usage Notes:

'Заключить' is the more precise and formal equivalent of 'imprison' in Russian, often used in legal documents, while 'посадить в тюрьму' is conversational and vivid. Choose 'заключить' for official contexts to match the English verb's gravity. Be aware of Russian verb aspects: 'заключить' is perfective (completed action), so pair it with past or future tenses accordingly. In everyday use, Russians might opt for synonyms like 'арестовать' if the imprisonment follows an arrest.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'заключить' interchangeably with 'заключать' without considering aspect. For example, learners might say "Я заключаю его в тюрьму" to mean ongoing imprisonment, but this implies a contract; correct is "Я заключу его в тюрьму" for future action. Explanation: Russian verbs have perfective and imperfective pairs; always match the aspect to the context.
• Mistake: Omitting prepositions, e.g., saying "заключить тюрьму" instead of "заключить в тюрьму". Correct: The preposition 'в' is essential for meaning. Explanation: Prepositions define relationships in Russian sentences, and errors here can change the entire sense.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and history, imprisonment often carries connotations of political repression, as seen in the Soviet-era gulags or modern dissident cases. Terms like 'заключить' evoke this legacy, reminding users of Russia's complex history with justice and human rights, which can add emotional weight to discussions of imprisonment in literature or media.

Related Concepts:

• тюрьма (tyur'ma) - Prison
• свобода (svoboda) - Freedom
• аресты (aresty) - Arrests