Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'kill'

English Word: kill

Key Russian Translations:

• убить [uˈbʲitʲ] - [Formal, used for causing death intentionally]
• зарезать [zərʲɪˈzʲetʲ] - [Informal, specific to stabbing or slitting]
• уничтожить [uˈnʲiʧəʐʲitʲ] - [Formal, implies complete destruction, often metaphorical]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in literature, news, and formal contexts, but less frequent in casual everyday speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, as it involves understanding verb conjugations and context-specific nuances; for 'убить' it's B1, while 'зарезать' might be A2 for beginners)

Pronunciation (Russian):

убить: [uˈbʲitʲ]

зарезать: [zərʲɪˈzʲetʲ]

уничтожить: [uˈnʲiʧəʐʲitʲ]

Note on убить: The 'бʲ' sound is a soft 'b' followed by a palatalized 'i', which can be tricky for English speakers; stress is on the second syllable.

Note on зарезать: Pronounce the 'з' as a voiced 's' sound, and note the rolling 'р' in some dialects.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To cause the death of someone or something, often intentionally.

Translation(s) & Context:

• убить - Used in contexts involving murder, execution, or killing animals; formal and direct in news or legal discussions.
• зарезать - Applied in violent or specific scenarios like animal slaughter or attacks; informal and vivid language.

Usage Examples:

• Он убил нападавшего в целях самообороны. (On ubil napadavshego v tselyakh samoodorony.)

  He killed the attacker in self-defense.

• В фильме герой зарезал врага кинжалом. (V fil'me geroy zarezal vraga kinzhalom.)

  In the movie, the hero stabbed the enemy with a dagger.

• Правительство решило уничтожить опасный вирус. (Pravitel'stvo reshilo unichtozhit' opasnyy virus.)

  The government decided to destroy the dangerous virus.

• Война убила тысячи невинных людей. (Voyna ubila tysyachi nevinnыkh lyudey.)

  The war killed thousands of innocent people.

• Охотник зарезал оленя для ужина. (Okhotnik zarezal olenya dlya uzhina.)

  The hunter slaughtered the deer for dinner.

Secondary Meaning: To metaphorically end or neutralize something (e.g., kill time, kill a bill).

Translation(s) & Context:

• убить - In idiomatic expressions like 'убить время' (to kill time); casual or metaphorical use.
• уничтожить - For abstract concepts like destroying ideas or plans; formal contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Я убил время, читая книгу в ожидании. (Ya ubil vremya, chitaya knigu v ozhidanii.)

  I killed time by reading a book while waiting.

• Парламент уничтожил законопроект. (Parlament unichtozhil zakonoproekt.)

  The parliament killed the bill.

• Эта новость убила мой энтузиазм. (Eta novost' ubila moy entuziastizm.)

  This news killed my enthusiasm.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

The primary translations are verbs, which undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number in Russian. 'Убить' is a perfective verb, while 'зарезать' and 'уничтожить' follow similar patterns.

Note: These verbs are irregular in some aspects; 'убить' does not have a present tense form as it is perfective, relying on future constructions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Ликвидировать [lʲɪkvʲɪˈdʲirəvətʲ] - More formal, often used in military or official contexts.
  • Убить can be synonymous with уничтожить in metaphorical uses, but уничтожить implies total eradication.
• Antonyms:
  • Спасать [spaˈsatʲ] - To save or rescue.
  • Исцелять [ɪsʲˈt͡ɕelʲətʲ] - To heal, especially in contexts of preventing death.

Related Phrases:

• Убить время - To kill time; a common idiom for passing idle moments.
• Зарезать глотку - To slit someone's throat; used in dramatic or violent narratives.
• Уничтожить доказательства - To destroy evidence; often in legal or crime-related contexts.

Usage Notes:

Russian translations of 'kill' vary by context: use 'убить' for general intentional killing, which aligns closely with English but requires attention to aspect (perfective for completed actions). 'Зарезать' is more specific and graphic, so avoid it in formal writing. 'Уничтожить' works for abstract or large-scale destruction. Be cautious with verb conjugations, as Russian verbs change based on gender and number. For English learners, choose 'убить' as the default unless the scenario demands precision.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'убить' in imperfective contexts, e.g., saying "Я убил" for an ongoing action. Correct: Use imperfective verbs like 'убивать' for ongoing killing. Example of error: "Я убил вчера" (incorrect for habitual action); Correct: "Я убивал вчера" with context.
• Mistake: Confusing 'зарезать' with 'убить', leading to overly violent connotations. Explanation: 'Зарезать' implies stabbing, so use it only for physical acts; otherwise, opt for 'убить'.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'убить' often appear in literature (e.g., Dostoevsky's works) to explore themes of morality and guilt. They carry a weighty connotation due to Russia's history of wars and revolutions, emphasizing the human cost of violence.

Related Concepts:

• Смерть (smert') - Death
• Убийство (ubiystvo) - Murder
• Война (voyna) - War