Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'meet'

English Word: meet

Key Russian Translations:

• Встретить [fsʲtrʲeˈtʲitʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Used in contexts of encountering someone]
• Встреча [ˈfstrʲeʧə] - [Informal, Noun, Plural: Встречи]

Frequency: High - The word "meet" and its Russian equivalents are commonly used in everyday conversations, business, and social interactions.

Difficulty: B1 for "Встретить" (as it involves verb conjugation), A2 for "Встреча" (basic noun usage) - Based on CEFR standards, suitable for intermediate learners with some practice in Russian grammar.

Pronunciation (Russian):

Встретить: [fsʲtrʲeˈtʲitʲ]

Note on Встретить: The stress is on the third syllable; be cautious with the soft consonants (e.g., 'т' is palatalized). This verb often has variations in fast speech.

Встреча: [ˈfstrʲeʧə]

Note on Встреча: The 'ч' sound is like the 'ch' in "church"; in plural forms, pronunciation may soften slightly.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To encounter or come across someone (as a verb)

Translation(s) & Context:

• Встретить - Used in formal or everyday situations when referring to meeting someone unexpectedly or by arrangement, such as in social or professional settings.

Usage Examples:

• Я встретил старого друга на улице. (Ya vstretill starogo druga na ulitse.)

  I met an old friend on the street. (This example shows the verb in past tense, common in narrative contexts.)

• Мы встретимся в кафе в пять часов. (My vstreтимся v kafe v pyat' chasov.)

  We will meet at the cafe at five o'clock. (Illustrates future tense usage in planning scenarios.)

• Она всегда встречает гостей с улыбкой. (Ona vsegda vstrechaet gostey s ulibkoy.)

  She always meets guests with a smile. (Demonstrates habitual action in a social context.)

• Встретить нового коллегу на конференции. (Vstretit' novogo kollegu na konferentsii.)

  To meet a new colleague at the conference. (Shows infinitive form in instructional or descriptive contexts.)

Meaning 2: A gathering or appointment (as a noun)

Translation(s) & Context:

• Встреча - Refers to a planned meeting, such as a business appointment or social gathering, often in informal contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Эта встреча была очень продуктивной. (Eta vstrecha byla ochen' produktivnoy.)

  This meeting was very productive. (Example in a professional context, using the noun in singular form.)

• У нас запланированы встречи на всю неделю. (U nas zaplanirovany vstrechi na vsyu nedelyu.)

  We have meetings planned for the whole week. (Shows plural form in scheduling contexts.)

• Встреча с друзьями – это всегда радость. (Vstrecha s druz'yami – eto vsegda radost'.)

  A meeting with friends is always a joy. (Illustrates the noun in a personal, emotional context.)

• Я опоздал на встречу из-за пробок. (Ya opozdal na vstrechu iz-za probok.)

  I was late for the meeting because of traffic. (Demonstrates usage in everyday excuses or narratives.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For "Встретить" (verb, imperfective aspect: an infinitive form of "встречать"):

This is a first-conjugation verb with regular patterns, but it has imperfective and perfective aspects. The imperfective form is "встречать" (vstrechat'). Below is a conjugation table for the imperfective form in present tense:

For "Встреча" (noun, feminine, 1st declension):

It follows standard noun declension patterns. It is invariable in gender but changes by case and number.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Встретить: повстречать (povstreat') - Similar but more casual, used for accidental meetings.
  • Встреча: собрание (sobraniye) - Formal synonym for organized meetings.
• Antonyms:
  • Встретить: расстаться (rasstatsya) - To part ways.
  • Встреча: расставание (rasstavaniye) - A parting or separation.

Related Phrases:

• Встретить с распростертыми объятиями (Vstretit' s raspostertymi ob'yatiyami) - To welcome with open arms; a warm reception in social contexts.
• Назначить встречу (Naznachit' vstrechu) - To schedule a meeting; used in professional or personal planning.
• Случайная встреча (Sluchaynaya vstrecha) - A chance encounter; implies informality and unpredictability.

Usage Notes:

"Meet" corresponds closely to "встретить" as a verb and "встреча" as a noun, but Russian often requires specifying the aspect (imperfective for ongoing actions, perfective for completed ones). Use "встретить" for one-time events and consider formal contexts where politeness is key. For multiple translations, choose based on context: verbs for actions, nouns for events. Grammar note: Verbs like "встретить" must agree with subject in person and number.

Common Errors:

• Confusing verb aspects: English learners often use the imperfective "встречать" when a perfective like "встретить" is needed for completed actions. Incorrect: "Я встречаю друга вчера" (wrong tense). Correct: "Я встретил друга вчера" – Explanation: Russian verbs require the correct aspect to convey time accurately.
• Misdeclining nouns: Forgetting case changes, e.g., saying "Я иду на встреча" instead of "Я иду на встречу". Incorrect: "на встреча". Correct: "на встречу" (accusative case) – This error stems from not adapting to Russian's grammatical cases.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, meetings like "встреча" often involve hospitality, such as offering tea or conversation, reflecting the value of personal connections. The phrase "встретить с распростертыми объятиями" embodies the warmth of Russian social norms, where first impressions and greetings are highly ritualized.

Related Concepts:

• Приветствие (Privetstviye) - Greeting
• Свидание (Svidaniye) - Date (romantic meeting)
• Конференция (Konferentsiya) - Conference