Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'intoxicate'

English Word: intoxicate

Key Russian Translations:

• опьянить [ɐˈpʲjanʲɪtʲ] - [Informal, commonly used in everyday contexts involving alcohol]
• интоксицировать [ɪntɐksʲɪˈtsʲɪrəvətʲ] - [Formal, often in medical or scientific contexts]

Frequency: Medium (The verb is encountered in literature, conversations about substance use, and health discussions, but not as ubiquitous as basic daily verbs.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and context-specific usage. For 'опьянить', it's B1; for 'интоксицировать', it's B2 due to its formal nature.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

опьянить: [ɐˈpʲjanʲɪtʲ]

интоксицировать: [ɪntɐksʲɪˈtsʲɪrəvətʲ]

Note on опьянить: The initial 'o' sound is soft and unstressed, which can be tricky for English speakers; it often blends into the following syllable. Variations may occur in regional dialects.

Note on интоксицировать: This word has a borrowed structure from Latin/Greek roots, so the stress falls on the fourth syllable; practice with native audio for accurate intonation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To make someone drunk or affected by alcohol (Primary meaning)

Translation(s) & Context:

• опьянить - Used in informal, social settings, such as parties or discussions about drinking; implies a pleasurable or excessive state.
• интоксицировать - Rarely used for alcohol; more for broader intoxication, in formal or professional contexts like health reports.

Usage Examples:

• Он опьянил себя вином на вечеринке. (He intoxicated himself with wine at the party.)

  Translation: He got drunk on wine at the party. (This example shows the verb in a reflexive form, common in personal contexts.)

• Алкоголь может опьянить даже в малых дозах. (Alcohol can intoxicate even in small doses.)

  Translation: Alcohol can intoxicate even in small doses. (Illustrates the verb in a general statement, emphasizing effects.)

• Врач объяснил, как интоксицировать пациента для теста. (The doctor explained how to intoxicate the patient for the test.)

  Translation: The doctor explained how to intoxicate the patient for the test. (This uses the formal term in a medical scenario, highlighting controlled contexts.)

• Не опьяняй друзей слишком быстро; это может привести к проблемам. (Don't intoxicate your friends too quickly; it could lead to problems.)

  Translation: Don't intoxicate your friends too quickly; it could lead to problems. (Demonstrates imperative form and cautionary advice.)

• Интоксицировать организм вредными веществами опасно. (Intoxicating the body with harmful substances is dangerous.)

  Translation: Intoxicating the body with harmful substances is dangerous. (Shows broader application beyond alcohol.)

To poison or cause toxicity (Secondary meaning, less common)

Translation(s) & Context:

• интоксицировать - Primarily used in scientific or medical contexts, such as toxicology; avoids casual use.

Usage Examples:

• Химикаты могут интоксицировать воду в реке. (Chemicals can intoxicate the water in the river.)

  Translation: Chemicals can intoxicate the water in the river. (Example in an environmental context.)

• Врачи интоксицировали крыс для эксперимента. (Doctors intoxicated the rats for the experiment.)

  Translation: Doctors intoxicated the rats for the experiment. (Scientific usage with direct object.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs, so they follow Russian conjugation patterns. 'Опьянить' is a perfective verb, while 'интоксицировать' is imperfective in nature and can be conjugated across tenses, aspects, and persons. Russian verbs change based on aspect (perfective/imperfective), tense, mood, and person.

Note: 'Опьянить' is irregular in some aspects due to its root, while 'интоксицировать' follows standard first-conjugation patterns for borrowed verbs.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • напои (napoi) - More casual, specifically for alcohol-induced state.
  • отравить (otravit') - For poisoning aspect, with a subtle difference in implying harm.
• Antonyms:
  • вздохнуть (vzdokhnut') - To sober up or regain composure, often metaphorically.
  • очистить (ochistit') - To detoxify or cleanse, directly opposing intoxication.

Related Phrases:

• Опьянеть от успеха - (To get intoxicated by success; a metaphorical expression for being overly excited by achievement.)
• Интоксикация алкоголем - (Alcohol intoxication; a common medical phrase for describing the state.)
• Опьянить вином - (To intoxicate with wine; used in literary or poetic contexts to describe indulgence.)

Usage Notes:

'Опьянить' directly corresponds to the informal English sense of 'intoxicate' related to alcohol and is preferred in everyday Russian speech, while 'интоксицировать' aligns with more technical uses, such as in medicine or chemistry. Be mindful of context: in formal writing or professional settings, avoid 'опьянить' as it may sound too colloquial. Grammatically, both verbs require agreement with the subject in gender, number, and case when conjugated. When choosing between translations, opt for 'опьянить' for social scenarios and 'интоксицировать' for scientific ones to ensure accuracy.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'опьянить' in a medical context, e.g., saying "Врач опьянил пациента" instead of "Врач интоксицировал пациента". Correct: The former implies drunkenness, which is inappropriate; use 'интоксицировать' for toxicity. Explanation: English learners often overlook the formality distinction, leading to confusion in professional communication.

• Error: Incorrect conjugation, e.g., saying "Я опьяняю" (wrong for perfective verb). Correct: Perfective verbs like 'опьянить' don't have a present tense; use future or past forms instead, e.g., "Я опьяню". Explanation: Russian aspect system differs from English, so learners must identify verb aspects to avoid tense errors.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'опьянить' often carry connotations from literature (e.g., in works by Pushkin or Tolstoy), where intoxication symbolizes excess or escapism. This reflects historical attitudes toward alcohol in Russian society, where it plays a role in social bonding but is also linked to cautionary tales in folklore, emphasizing the need for moderation.

Related Concepts:

• опьянение (opyanenie) - Intoxication state.
• токсичность (tokichnost') - Toxicity.
• алкоголь (alkogol') - Alcohol.