Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'intimidate'

English Word: intimidate

Key Russian Translations:

• запугивать /zə.puˈɡʲi.vətʲ/ - [Formal, often used in contexts involving psychological or legal pressure]
• пугать /puˈɡatʲ/ - [Informal, everyday situations where fear is induced lightly]

Frequency: Medium (This verb and its forms appear regularly in Russian literature, news, and conversations, but not as commonly as basic verbs like "говорить".)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and nuances in context. For 'запугивать', it may lean towards B2-C1 due to its formal usage, while 'пугать' is more straightforward at B2.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

запугивать: /zə.puˈɡʲi.vətʲ/

Note on запугивать: The stress falls on the third syllable ('ɡʲi'), and the 'г' is palatalized, which can be tricky for English speakers. Practice with native audio for accurate soft consonant sounds.

пугать: /puˈɡatʲ/

Note on пугать: The 'г' is not palatalized here, making it easier to pronounce, but ensure the final 'тʲ' is soft. Common in spoken Russian.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To make someone feel afraid, threatened, or less confident, often to influence their behavior

Translation(s) & Context:

• запугивать - Used in formal or serious contexts, such as workplace bullying or legal threats, where the intimidation is deliberate and sustained.
• пугать - Applied in informal, everyday scenarios, like scaring someone for fun or to warn them mildly.

Usage Examples:

• Босс часто запугивает сотрудников, чтобы они работали сверхурочно.

  The boss often intimidates employees to make them work overtime. (Shows formal, professional context with verb in present tense.)

• Не пытайся пугать меня своими угрозами; это не сработает.

  Don't try to intimidate me with your threats; it won't work. (Illustrates informal denial in a conversational setting.)

• В фильме злодей запугивает героиню, чтобы получить секретный код.

  In the movie, the villain intimidates the heroine to get the secret code. (Demonstrates narrative use in past tense, common in storytelling.)

• Родители иногда пугать детей, чтобы научить их осторожности на улице.

  Parents sometimes intimidate children to teach them caution on the street. (Highlights informal parental guidance, showing imperfective aspect.)

• Политик запугивает оппонентов в дебатах, используя ложные факты.

  The politician intimidates opponents in debates by using false facts. (Exemplifies use in public discourse, emphasizing manipulative intent.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'запугивать' and 'пугать' are imperfective verbs in Russian, meaning they describe ongoing or repeated actions. Russian verbs inflect based on tense, aspect, person, number, and gender. These verbs follow the first conjugation pattern but have irregularities in some forms. Below is a table for present tense inflections; for full paradigms, consult a detailed grammar resource.

Note: These verbs can form perfective aspects (e.g., 'запугать' for запугивать), which change based on context. They do not change for gender in the infinitive form but inflect in past tense (e.g., запугал for masculine, запугала for feminine).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • устрашать (more formal, emphasizing terror)
  • пугать (as above, but can be a synonym in milder contexts; slight difference in intensity)
• Antonyms:
  • успокаивать (to calm, directly opposite in emotional effect)
  • ободрять (to encourage, countering intimidation's discouraging nature)

Related Phrases:

• Запугивание - Intimidation (a noun form, often used in psychological or legal contexts to describe the act.)
• Пугать до смерти - To scare to death (an idiomatic phrase meaning to frighten intensely, equivalent to "to terrify" in English.)
• Запугивать кого-то - To intimidate someone (a direct phrase highlighting the verb in action.)

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'запугивать' is preferred for situations involving sustained or manipulative intimidation, aligning closely with the English 'intimidate' in formal settings like business or politics. 'Пугать' is better for lighter, spontaneous fear induction. Always consider the aspect: use imperfective for ongoing actions and perfective (e.g., 'запугать') for completed ones. English speakers might confuse these with 'пугать', which is less intense, so choose based on context to avoid understatement. Grammatically, these verbs require agreement with the subject in person and number.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'пугать' in formal contexts where 'запугивать' is more appropriate, e.g., saying "Я пугаю коллегу" instead of "Я запугиваю коллегу" in a workplace scenario. Correct: "Я запугиваю коллегу" – Explanation: 'Пугать' sounds too casual and may not convey the deliberate nature of intimidation.
• Mistake: Forgetting verb inflections, such as saying "Он запугивать" (incorrect form) instead of "Он запугивает". Correct: "Он запугивает" – Explanation: Russian verbs must conjugate; this error stems from direct translation without adjusting for grammar.
• Mistake: Confusing with synonyms like 'угрожать' (to threaten), which implies direct verbal threats, whereas 'запугивать' is broader. Correct usage: Use 'запугивать' for psychological pressure without explicit threats.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'запугивать' often carry connotations of authority figures, such as in historical contexts of Soviet-era intimidation tactics or modern workplace dynamics. This reflects a cultural emphasis on hierarchy and resilience, where being 'запугиван' (intimidated) might symbolize resistance against oppression in literature or media.

Related Concepts:

• угрожать
• устрашать
• доминировать