Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'mend'

English Word: mend

Key Russian Translations:

• починить [pɐˈt͡ɕinʲitʲ] - [Informal, commonly used in everyday contexts]
• ремонтировать [rʲɪmɐnˈtʲirəvətʲ] - [Formal, technical or professional settings]

Frequency: Medium (The verb forms are frequently used in daily conversations and technical discussions, but not as common as basic verbs like "делать").

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate for починить; B2 for ремонтировать, as they involve understanding verb conjugations and context-specific usage in Russian).

Pronunciation (Russian):

починить: [pɐˈt͡ɕinʲitʲ]

ремонтировать: [rʲɪmɐnˈtʲirəvətʲ]

Note on починить: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the palatalized 'н' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. It has imperfective aspect in its base form.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To repair or fix something (e.g., clothes, objects)

Translation(s) & Context:

• починить - Used in informal, everyday situations, such as fixing household items.
• ремонтировать - Applied in more formal or extensive contexts, like professional repairs.

Usage Examples:

• Я могу починить твою куртку за несколько минут. (I can mend your jacket in a few minutes.)

  English: I can mend your jacket in a few minutes.

• Механик ремонтирует машину в гараже. (The mechanic is mending the car in the garage.)

  English: The mechanic is mending the car in the garage.

• Она всегда починяет сломанные игрушки для детей. (She always mends broken toys for the children.)

  English: She always mends broken toys for the children.

• В мастерской они ремонтируют электронику профессионально. (In the workshop, they mend electronics professionally.)

  English: In the workshop, they mend electronics professionally.

As a noun, referring to the act of repair (less common)

Translation(s) & Context:

• ремонт - Used for the process or result of mending, in contexts like home improvements.

Usage Examples:

• Этот ремонт обошёлся нам недорого. (This mend didn't cost us much.)

  English: This mend didn't cost us much.

• После ремонта дом выглядит как новый. (After the mend, the house looks like new.)

  English: After the mend, the house looks like new.

• Мы наняли специалиста для ремонта мебели. (We hired a specialist for the mend of the furniture.)

  English: We hired a specialist for the mend of the furniture.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For the verb починить (perfective aspect), it follows standard Russian verb conjugation patterns. It is irregular in some forms due to its perfective nature. Here's a table for its key inflections:

For ремонтировать (imperfective), it conjugates regularly: e.g., ремонтирую (I mend), ремонтирует (he/she mends). Nouns like ремонт are masculine and decline as follows:

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: чинить (to fix, similar to починить but more general), налаживать (to adjust or mend)
• Antonyms: ломать (to break), разрушать (to destroy; note: this is more formal and implies complete destruction)

Related Phrases:

• починить одежду - (To mend clothing; used in everyday tailoring contexts)
• ремонт в квартире - (Home mend or apartment repair; common in housing discussions)
• быстрый ремонт - (Quick mend; implies urgent fixes, often in mechanical contexts)

Usage Notes:

The English word "mend" most closely aligns with починить for simple, informal repairs, while ремонтировать is better for ongoing or professional processes. In Russian, always consider the aspect: use perfective for completed actions (e.g., починить for "I mended it") and imperfective for ongoing ones. Be mindful of context—починить is casual and common in spoken language, whereas ремонтировать suits formal writing or technical fields. If the object is specified, use appropriate cases (e.g., починить машину - accusative case).

Common Errors:

• Error: Using починить in formal contexts where ремонтировать is expected, e.g., saying "Я починил компьютер" in a professional report instead of "Я отремонтировал компьютер." Correct: Opt for ремонтировать for precision in technical scenarios to avoid sounding too casual.
• Error: Forgetting verb aspects, e.g., using починить for ongoing actions like "I am mending" (should be imperfective like чинить). Correct example: "Я чищу" vs. incorrect "Я починил" for present continuous.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, DIY mending (e.g., using починить) is highly valued, reflecting a tradition of resourcefulness from Soviet times when professional repairs were scarce. Terms like ремонт often evoke communal apartment fixes, symbolizing resilience and practicality in everyday life.

Related Concepts:

• инструмент (tool)
• мастерская (workshop)
• сломанный (broken)