Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'kindle'

English Word: kindle

Key Russian Translations:

• разжечь [rəˈʒetɕ] - [Informal, used for starting a fire]
• возбудить [vəzˈbudʲitʲ] - [Formal, used for arousing interest or emotions]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday contexts like literature or outdoor activities, but not as frequent as basic verbs)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual usage; for 'возбудить', it might lean towards B2 due to emotional nuances)

Pronunciation (Russian):

разжечь: [rəˈʒetɕ]

Note on разжечь: The 'ж' sound is a voiced palatal fricative, similar to the 's' in 'measure'. Stress falls on the second syllable, and the verb has palatalization in certain forms.

возбудить: [vəzˈbudʲitʲ]

Note on возбудить: The 'дʲ' indicates palatalization, which can be tricky for learners; pronounce it softly as in 'due'. This verb often involves emphatic stress on the root.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To start a fire or ignite something (Literal sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• разжечь - Used in practical, everyday contexts like camping or cooking, often informal.

Usage Examples:

• Он быстро разжёг костёр в лесу. (He quickly kindled the campfire in the forest.)

  He quickly kindled the campfire in the forest.

• Дети научились разжигать огонь с помощью кремня. (The children learned to kindle fire using flint.)

  The children learned to kindle fire using flint.

• В холодную ночь мы разожгли камин, чтобы согреться. (On a cold night, we kindled the fireplace to warm up.)

  On a cold night, we kindled the fireplace to warm up.

• Разжечь небольшой огонь – это искусство выживания. (Kindling a small fire is a survival art.)

  Kindling a small fire is a survival art.

2. To arouse or stir up interest, emotions, or passion (Figurative sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• возбудить - Used in intellectual or emotional contexts, such as literature, speeches, or discussions; more formal and abstract.

Usage Examples:

• Его речь возбудила интерес к истории в аудитории. (His speech kindled interest in history among the audience.)

  His speech kindled interest in history among the audience.

• Книга возбудила в ней страсть к путешествиям. (The book kindled a passion for travel in her.)

  The book kindled a passion for travel in her.

• Этот фильм возбудил общественное возмущение. (This film kindled public outrage.)

  This film kindled public outrage.

• Учитель возбудил в учениках любовь к науке. (The teacher kindled a love for science in the students.)

  The teacher kindled a love for science in the students.

• Музыка возбудила воспоминания о детстве. (The music kindled memories of childhood.)

  The music kindled memories of childhood.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'разжечь' and 'возбудить' are Russian verbs, primarily imperfective in nature, but they can have perfective counterparts. 'Разжечь' is the perfective form of 'разжигать' (to kindle a fire). 'Возбудить' is perfective, with the imperfective 'возбуждать' (to arouse). Russian verbs inflect based on tense, aspect, mood, person, and number. Below is a table for key inflections:

Note: These verbs follow standard conjugation patterns for first conjugation verbs, with irregularities in stems like palatalization in 'возбудить'.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms for разжечь: зажечь (to light), воспламенить (to ignite) - 'воспламенить' is more formal and scientific.
• Synonyms for возбудить: разбудить (to awaken), стимулировать (to stimulate) - 'стимулировать' is used in professional contexts.
• Antonyms: погасить (to extinguish), подавить (to suppress) - Applies to both senses, especially for emotional arousal.

Related Phrases:

• разжечь огонь - To kindle a fire (Used in survival or outdoor contexts; implies starting from nothing).
• возбудить интерес - To kindle interest (Common in educational or motivational settings; evokes curiosity).
• возбудить страсти - To kindle passions (Figurative, often in romantic or dramatic narratives).

Usage Notes:

The English word 'kindle' corresponds closely to 'разжечь' in literal fire-related contexts and 'возбудить' in figurative ones. Choose 'разжечь' for physical actions to avoid sounding overly formal, as it's more colloquial. 'Возбудить' should be used cautiously in emotional contexts due to its potential connotations of intensity or even provocation. In Russian, verb aspect is crucial: perfective forms like these indicate completion, so pair them with situations where an action has an end result. For beginners, note that gender agreement in past tense is essential (e.g., разжёг for masculine subjects).

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'разжечь' interchangeably with 'возбудить' in emotional contexts. For example, an English learner might say "Я разжёг интерес" instead of "Я возбудил интерес". Correct: 'Возбудил' is appropriate for abstract arousal. Explanation: 'Разжечь' is fire-specific, leading to literal misapplications.

• Error: Forgetting gender agreement in past tense, e.g., saying "Она разжёг" (incorrect for feminine) instead of "Она разжгла". Correct: Always match the past tense ending to the subject's gender. Explanation: This is a common pitfall for speakers of gender-neutral languages like English.

• Error: Overusing perfective aspect, e.g., using 'возбудить' for ongoing actions. Correct: Use imperfective 'возбуждать' for processes. Explanation: Russian aspect distinguishes between completed and ongoing actions, which English does not.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'разжечь огонь' often symbolizes warmth, survival, and community, as seen in traditional folktales or during festivals like Maslenitsa, where bonfires are kindled to mark the end of winter. 'Возбудить' in a figurative sense might relate to the passionate rhetoric in Russian literature, such as in works by Dostoevsky, where emotional arousal drives character development.

Related Concepts:

• огонь (fire)
• интерес (interest)
• страсть (passion)