Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'intervene'

English Word: intervene

Key Russian Translations:

• вмешаться /vmʲɪˈʂat͡sə/ - [Formal, Verb, Perfective; Used in situations involving interference or mediation]
• вмешиваться /vmʲɪˈʂivət͡sə/ - [Informal, Verb, Imperfective; Used for ongoing or repeated intervention]

Frequency: Medium (Common in discussions of politics, conflicts, or daily interactions, but not as frequent as basic verbs like "to go").

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; Requires understanding of verb aspects and conjugation, which can be challenging for learners beyond A2 level. For 'вмешаться', it's B2 due to perfective aspect; for 'вмешиваться', it's similar but slightly easier as imperfective forms are more straightforward.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

вмешаться: /vmʲɪˈʂat͡sə/ (Note the soft 'ш' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers; it's pronounced like 'sh' in 'she' but with a palatalized effect.)

вмешиваться: /vmʲɪˈʂivət͡sə/ (Emphasize the 'и' vowel for a clear distinction from the perfective form; common variation in fast speech.)

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To become involved in a situation to alter its course, often in a mediating or interfering way.

Translation(s) & Context:

• 'вмешаться' - Used in formal contexts like international affairs or conflicts, implying a decisive action.
• 'вмешиваться' - Used in everyday informal situations, such as family disputes, to indicate ongoing involvement.

Usage Examples:

• Правительство решило вмешаться в конфликт, чтобы предотвратить эскалацию. (The government decided to intervene in the conflict to prevent escalation.)

  English Translation: The government decided to intervene in the conflict to prevent escalation.

• Он всегда вмешивается в чужие дела, что раздражает всех вокруг. (He always intervenes in other people's affairs, which annoys everyone around.)

  English Translation: He always intervenes in other people's affairs, which annoys everyone around.

• Врачи должны вмешаться, если состояние пациента ухудшается. (Doctors must intervene if the patient's condition worsens.)

  English Translation: Doctors must intervene if the patient's condition worsens.

• Не вмешивайся в их разговор; это не твое дело. (Don't intervene in their conversation; it's not your business.)

  English Translation: Don't intervene in their conversation; it's not your business.

• Международное сообщество часто вмешивается в региональные споры. (The international community often intervenes in regional disputes.)

  English Translation: The international community often intervenes in regional disputes.

Secondary Meaning: To occur between two events or things in time or space.

Translation(s) & Context:

• 'вмешаться' - Less common, used metaphorically for interruptions in time or sequence.

Usage Examples:

• В его речи вмешалась пауза, чтобы подчеркнуть важность слов. (A pause intervened in his speech to emphasize the importance of the words.)

  English Translation: A pause intervened in his speech to emphasize the importance of the words.

• Между встречами вмешались непредвиденные события. (Unforeseen events intervened between the meetings.)

  English Translation: Unforeseen events intervened between the meetings.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'вмешаться' (perfective) and 'вмешиваться' (imperfective) are verbs, which in Russian undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number. Russian verbs have regular and irregular patterns; these follow standard patterns for verbs ending in '-аться'.

For 'вмешаться' (perfective, intransitive):

For 'вмешиваться' (imperfective), it has full present tense forms and follows similar conjugation patterns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • вмешательство (intervention, more as a noun)
  • вступать (to enter, in a formal context; implies a milder form of involvement)
  • влиять (to influence; used when intervention is indirect)
• Antonyms:
  • воздерживаться (to refrain)
  • не вмешиваться (not to intervene; direct opposite)

Related Phrases:

• Вмешаться в разговор (To intervene in a conversation) - A common phrase for interrupting discussions, often in social settings.
• Вмешиваться в чужие дела (To intervene in other people's affairs) - Implies meddling, with a negative connotation in personal contexts.
• Международное вмешательство (International intervention) - Used in geopolitical contexts to describe external involvement in conflicts.

Usage Notes:

Russian translations of 'intervene' like 'вмешаться' and 'вмешиваться' emphasize verb aspects: use 'вмешаться' for completed actions and 'вмешиваться' for ongoing ones, which doesn't directly align with English. In formal writing or speech, prefer 'вмешаться' for precision. Be cautious with context—'вмешиваться' can sound intrusive in everyday use. When choosing between translations, select based on the desired aspect to avoid grammatical errors.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Confusing perfective and imperfective forms, e.g., using 'вмешался' (past perfective) when 'вмешиваюсь' (present imperfective) is needed for ongoing action. Correct: "Я вмешиваюсь в спор" instead of "Я вмешался в спор" for "I am intervening in the argument". Explanation: Russian requires aspect agreement with the context; imperfective shows process, perfective shows completion.
• Mistake: Overusing 'вмешаться' in informal settings, which can make speech sound too formal. Correct: Use 'вмешиваться' for casual conversations. Explanation: This mismatch can lead to unnatural language and miscommunication in social interactions.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, intervention (e.g., 'вмешаться') often carries a negative connotation, reflecting historical sensitivities to external interference in affairs, such as during the Cold War. This can influence usage in media or politics, where it's portrayed as a breach of sovereignty.

Related Concepts:

• влияние (influence)
• конфликт (conflict)
• посредничество (mediation)