Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'infect'

English Word: infect

Key Russian Translations:

• заражать [zɐˈraʐətʲ] - [Informal, Imperfective; used for ongoing or repeated actions]
• заразить [zɐrɐˈzʲitʲ] - [Formal, Perfective; used for completed actions]

Frequency: Medium (Common in medical, scientific, and everyday contexts, especially in discussions about health and epidemics)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; involves understanding aspectual pairs in Russian verbs, which can be challenging for learners beyond basic levels)

Pronunciation (Russian):

заражать: [zɐˈraʐətʲ]

Note on заражать: The 'ж' sound is a voiced palatal fricative, similar to the 's' in 'measure' in English, and the stress is on the second syllable. Be careful with the soft sign (ь) at the end, which affects pronunciation.

заразить: [zɐrɐˈzʲitʲ]

Note on заразить: This is the perfective form; the 'з' is pronounced as a voiced alveolar fricative, and the stress shifts to the third syllable. Pronunciation may vary slightly in fast speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To cause someone or something to become affected by a disease or pathogen (transitive verb)

Translation(s) & Context:

• заражать - Used in informal or descriptive contexts, such as describing the spread of illness in everyday conversation.
• заразить - Preferred in formal, medical, or narrative contexts for a one-time infection event.

Usage Examples:

• Вирус может заражать людей через воздух. (Virus mozhet zarazhat' lyudey cherez vozdukh.)

  The virus can infect people through the air. (This example shows the imperfective aspect in a general statement about potential spread.)

• Доктор предупредил, что бактерия заразит пациентов, если не принять меры. (Doktor predupredil, chto bakteriya zarazit patsientov, yesli ne prinjat' mery.)

  The doctor warned that the bacteria would infect patients if measures aren't taken. (Illustrates the perfective aspect in a hypothetical future scenario.)

• В детском саду дети часто заражают друг друга простудой. (V detskom sadu deti chasto zarazhayut drug druga prostudoy.)

  In kindergarten, children often infect each other with colds. (Demonstrates informal usage in a social context with reciprocal action.)

• Эта инфекция может заразить весь организм. (Eta infektsiya mozhet zarazit' ves organizm.)

  This infection can infect the entire body. (Shows application in a medical context, emphasizing completeness.)

• Во время эпидемии вирусы заражают миллионы людей ежегодно. (Vo vremya epidemii virusy zarazhayut milliony lyudey ezhegodno.)

  During epidemics, viruses infect millions of people annually. (Highlights repeated or ongoing action in a broader statistical context.)

Meaning 2: To contaminate or spread something undesirable, metaphorically (e.g., ideas or emotions)

Translation(s) & Context:

• заражать - Often used metaphorically for spreading emotions or ideas, in informal speech.
• заразить - For more intense or completed metaphorical infection, like in literature or formal discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Его энтузиазм заражает всю команду. (Yego entuziazm zarazhayet vsyu komandu.)

  His enthusiasm infects the whole team. (This example uses the verb metaphorically for positive influence in a group setting.)

• Отрицательные новости могут заразить общество страхом. (Otricatel'nye novosti mogut zarazit' obshchestvo strakhom.)

  Negative news can infect society with fear. (Illustrates metaphorical use in a social or psychological context.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'заражать' and 'заразить' are verbs, with 'заражать' being imperfective and 'заразить' perfective. Russian verbs have aspectual pairs and undergo conjugation based on tense, person, and number. They are first conjugation verbs with some irregularities in stems.

Note: These verbs do not change for gender in the infinitive or past tense beyond agreement with the subject.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • инфицировать [infitsirovat'] - More formal, medical term; implies precise scientific contamination.
  • передавать [peredavat'] - Used for transmitting diseases or ideas, with a neutral connotation.
• Antonyms:
  • вылечить [vylechit'] - To cure or heal.
  • защищать [zashchishchat'] - To protect or immunize.

Related Phrases:

• заразить инфекцией [zarazit' infektsiyey] - To infect with an infection; often used in medical contexts to describe disease transmission.
• заразный вирус [zaraznyy virus] - Infectious virus; refers to something that spreads easily, with implications in epidemiology.
• зараза распространяется [zaraza rasprostranyayetsya] - The infection is spreading; a common phrase for describing outbreaks, with a sense of urgency.

Usage Notes:

• Russian verbs like 'заражать' and 'заразить' must be chosen based on aspect: use imperfective for ongoing processes and perfective for completed ones, unlike English 'infect' which doesn't distinguish aspect.
• In formal writing or medical texts, 'заразить' is preferred for precision, while 'заражать' suits casual conversation.
• Be mindful of subject-verb agreement and context; for example, in metaphorical uses, ensure the phrase fits the emotional tone.
• When translating from English, check if the action is habitual or one-off to select the correct aspect.

Common Errors:

• Mixing aspects: English learners often use 'заражать' when 'заразить' is needed, e.g., saying "Я заразил вирус" (incorrect for ongoing) instead of "Я заражал вирус" for past imperfective. Correct: Use 'заразил' for a single event.
• Overlooking conjugation: Beginners might forget to change endings, e.g., saying "Я заразить" instead of "Я заразил". Explanation: Russian verbs require full conjugation; practice with tables to avoid this.
• Metaphorical misuse: Using 'заражать' for ideas without proper context, e.g., "Это заражать идею" (incorrect form) vs. correct "Это заражает идею". Always ensure verb agreement and aspect fit the sentence.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'зараза' (infection) often carry a metaphorical weight in literature and media, especially in discussions of social issues or historical events like epidemics (e.g., the Black Death or COVID-19). This reflects Russia's history with infectious diseases, emphasizing community resilience and the importance of public health in Slavic traditions.

Related Concepts:

• инфекция [infektsiya] - Infection (noun form)
• эпидемия [epidimiya] - Epidemic
• иммунитет [immunitet] - Immunity