Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'levy'

English Word: levy

Key Russian Translations:

• налог [ˈnalək] - [Formal, Noun]
• сбор [ˈsbor] - [Formal, Noun, Used in administrative or financial contexts]
• взимать [vzʲiˈmatʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Used for the action of imposing]

Frequency: Medium (Common in legal, financial, and governmental discussions, but not everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian noun declensions and verb conjugations; for 'налог', it's straightforward, but 'взимать' may vary by context)

Pronunciation (Russian):

налог: [ˈnalək]

сбор: [ˈsbor]

взимать: [vzʲiˈmatʲ]

Note on налог: The stress is on the first syllable; the 'г' is a voiced velar fricative, which can be challenging for English speakers.

Note on взимать: The soft sign (ʲ) indicates palatalization; practice with native speakers for accurate pronunciation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. A tax or compulsory charge imposed by authority (Noun form).

Translation(s) & Context:

• налог - Used in formal contexts like government policies or financial documents.
• сбор - Applied in specific scenarios, such as administrative fees or collections.

Usage Examples:

• Правительство ввело новый налог на недвижимость.

  The government introduced a new levy on real estate.

• Этот сбор используется для финансирования общественных услуг.

  This levy is used to fund public services.

• Налог на доходы граждан вырос в прошлом году.

  The income levy for citizens increased last year.

• Местные власти собирают сбор за парковку в центре города.

  Local authorities collect a parking levy in the city center.

• Налог на товары и услуги влияет на цену продуктов.

  The goods and services levy affects product prices.

2. To impose or collect a tax or charge (Verb form).

Translation(s) & Context:

• взимать - Used in official or legal contexts when describing the action of enforcing a levy.

Usage Examples:

• Банк имеет право взимать штраф за просрочку платежа.

  The bank has the right to levy a fine for late payment.

• Правительство взимает налог с каждой транзакции.

  The government levies a tax on every transaction.

• Власти взимают сбор за въезд в национальный парк.

  Authorities levy a fee for entry into the national park.

• Компания взимает дополнительный налог за международные переводы.

  The company levies an extra charge for international transfers.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

'налог' is a masculine noun of the second declension. It follows regular patterns for Russian nouns.

'сбор' follows a similar pattern as a masculine noun.

'взимать' is a verb of the first conjugation. It is irregular in some forms:

These words do not have highly irregular forms, making them relatively straightforward for learners.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • пошлина (poshlina) - Similar to 'sbor', but often for customs duties; more specific to trade.
  • обложение (oblozhenie) - Used for the act of imposing, akin to 'levy' as a verb.
• Antonyms:
  • освобождение (osvobozhdenie) - Exemption from taxes or levies.

Related Phrases:

• налоговый сбор - A phrase meaning 'tax collection'; used in fiscal policy discussions.
• взимать налог - Literally 'to levy a tax'; common in legal contexts for enforcement.
• налоговое обложение - Refers to 'taxation system'; implies broader levy structures.

Usage Notes:

'Levy' as 'налог' directly corresponds to taxes in English, but in Russian, it's more formal and often appears in official documents. Use 'сбор' for fees that are not strictly taxes. For the verb form, 'взимать' is preferred in professional settings, while everyday speech might simplify to phrases like 'вводить налог'. Be cautious with declensions—always adjust for case to fit sentence structure. When choosing between translations, opt for 'налог' in general tax contexts and 'взимать' for actions.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'налог' without proper declension, e.g., saying "платить налог" instead of "платить за налог" in some contexts. Correct: In genitive case, it should be "платить налог" for direct objects, but ensure context fits. Explanation: Russian requires case agreement, so learners often overlook this, leading to grammatical errors.

• Error: Confusing 'взимать' with 'платить' (to pay). Example of error: "Я взимать налог" (incorrect). Correct: "Я плачу налог" if paying, or "Власти взимают налог" if imposing. Explanation: 'Взимать' means to collect/enforce, not to pay, which is a common mix-up for English speakers.

Cultural Notes:

In Russia, terms like 'налог' carry historical significance due to the country's complex tax history, including reforms under Soviet and post-Soviet eras. Levies are often associated with state control, reflecting a cultural emphasis on collective fiscal responsibility rather than individual taxation as in some Western countries.

Related Concepts:

• бюджет (budget)
• финансы (finances)
• экономика (economy)