Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'investigate'

English Word: investigate

Key Russian Translations:

• расследовать (/rəsˈlʲedəvətʲ/) - [Formal, Used in legal or official contexts]
• исследовать (/ɪsˈslʲedəvətʲ/) - [Informal to Formal, Used for general research or scientific inquiry]

Frequency: Medium (Common in professional, legal, and academic contexts, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual usage; for "расследовать", it may be slightly more advanced due to its formal connotations)

Pronunciation (Russian):

расследовать: /rəsˈlʲedəvətʲ/

исследовать: /ɪsˈslʲedəvətʲ/

Note on расследовать: The stress is on the second syllable, and the 'лʲ' sound is a palatalized 'l', which can be challenging for English speakers. Pronounce it with a soft, almost 'ly' sound.

Note on исследовать: Similar palatalization in 'лʲ'; the initial 'и' is pronounced like 'ee' in "see".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To conduct a systematic inquiry into something, often to uncover facts or solve a problem.

Translation(s) & Context:

• расследовать - Used in formal or legal contexts, such as police investigations or official probes.
• исследовать - Used in broader contexts like scientific or academic research, where the focus is on exploration rather than detection.

Usage Examples:

• Расследованием этого дела занимается специальная комиссия. (Rassledovaniem etogo dela zanimaetsya spetsial'naya komissiya.)

  The investigation of this case is being handled by a special commission.

• Полиция расследует кражу, произошедшую ночью. (Politsiya rassleduyet krazhu, proisshedshuyu noch'yu.)

  The police are investigating the theft that occurred at night.

• Ученые исследуют влияние климата на экосистемы. (Uchenyye issleduyut vliyaniye klimata na ekosistemy.)

  Scientists are investigating the impact of climate on ecosystems.

• Чтобы расследовать инцидент, нам нужно собрать все доказательства. (Chtoby rassledovat' intsident, nam nuzhno sobrat' vse dokazatel'stva.)

  To investigate the incident, we need to gather all the evidence.

• Исследовать древние руины – это увлекательное занятие. (Issledovat' drevniye ruiny – eto uvlekatel'noye zanatiye.)

  Investigating ancient ruins is a fascinating activity.

Secondary Meaning: To examine something closely or scrutinize it.

Translation(s) & Context:

• расследовать - In contexts involving detailed examination, often with implications of suspicion.
• исследовать - For neutral or exploratory scrutiny, such as in education or personal inquiry.

Usage Examples:

• Журналист решил расследовать коррупцию в правительстве. (Zhurnalist reshil rassledovat' korruptsiyu v pravitel'stve.)

  The journalist decided to investigate corruption in the government.

• Исследовать эту теорию поможет новый эксперимент. (Issledovat' etu teoriyu pomozhet novyy eksperiment.)

  Investigating this theory will be aided by a new experiment.

• Расследовать причины аварии – это приоритет для команды. (Rassledovat' prichiny avarii – eto prioritet dlya komandy.)

  Investigating the causes of the accident is a priority for the team.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "расследовать" and "исследовать" are verbs in Russian, belonging to the first conjugation group. They follow regular patterns but require attention to aspect (perfective and imperfective forms). "Расследовать" is imperfective, while its perfective counterpart is "расследовать" in certain contexts, but more commonly paired with "провести расследование".

These verbs are conjugated based on person, number, and tense. They do not have irregular forms, but aspect changes (e.g., perfective "расследовать" might use "расследовать" in compounds) are common in Russian.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • проверять (/prɐˈvʲerʲɪtʲ/) - More general checking, often less formal than расследовать.
  • анализировать (/ənəlʲɪˈzɪrəvətʲ/) - Focuses on analysis, suitable for scientific contexts like исследовать.
• Antonyms:
  • игнорировать (/ɪɡnəˈrʲɪrəvətʲ/)
  • сокрывать (/sɐˈkrɨvətʲ/) - To hide or conceal.

Related Phrases:

• Провести расследование (/prɐˈvʲestʲɪ rəsˈlʲedəvənʲɪje/) - To conduct an investigation; used for formal inquiries.
• Исследовать проблему (/ɪsˈslʲedəvətʲ prɐˈblʲemə/) - To investigate a problem; common in problem-solving contexts.
• Расследовать дело (/rəsˈlʲedəvətʲ ˈdʲelə/) - To investigate a case; typical in legal settings.

Usage Notes:

"Расследовать" is the more precise translation for "investigate" in contexts involving crime or official scrutiny, while "исследовать" is better for academic or exploratory uses. English speakers should note that Russian verbs often require aspect specification (imperfective for ongoing actions, perfective for completed ones). Choose based on context: use "расследовать" for formal/legal scenarios and "исследовать" for neutral research. Always consider the subject-verb agreement in Russian sentences.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "расследовать" in everyday contexts where "исследовать" is more appropriate, e.g., saying "Я расследую книгу" instead of "Я исследую книгу" (I am investigating a book, which should be research, not a formal probe).

  Correct: Я исследую книгу. (I am researching the book.)

  Explanation: This confuses formal investigation with general study, leading to unnatural language.

• Error: Neglecting verb aspect, e.g., using the imperfective form where a perfective is needed for a completed action.

  Correct Example: Instead of just "расследовать", use "провести расследование" for a finished investigation.

  Explanation: Russian requires aspect to convey action completion, which English speakers might overlook.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "расследовать" often evoke images from literature and media, such as in classic detective stories by authors like Dostoevsky or modern TV series. It reflects a societal emphasis on thoroughness in uncovering truth, rooted in historical contexts like the Soviet-era investigations, which can add a layer of intensity to its usage.

Related Concepts:

• доказательство (/dɐkəˈzətelʲstvə/)
• анализ (/ənəˈlʲiz/)
• обследование (/ɐbˌslʲedəˈvənʲɪje/)