Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'mimic'

English Word: mimic

Key Russian Translations:

• Подражать (/pədrɐˈʐatʲ/) - [Informal, Verb, Used in everyday contexts like imitating behavior]
• Имитировать (/ɪmʲɪtʲɪˈravatʲ/) - [Formal, Verb, Used in professional or technical scenarios]

Frequency: Medium (The word 'mimic' and its Russian equivalents are commonly encountered in literature, media, and daily conversations, but not as frequent as basic verbs.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; involves understanding verb conjugations and context-specific usage. For 'Подражать', it may be slightly easier at A2 for beginners; for 'Имитировать', it aligns with B1 due to more formal structures.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Подражать: /pədrɐˈʐatʲ/

Note on Подражать: The stress is on the second syllable; the 'ж' sound is a soft palatal fricative, which can be challenging for English speakers. Variations in regional accents may soften the 'р' sound.

Имитировать: /ɪmʲɪtʲɪˈravatʲ/

Note on Имитировать: This word has a palatalized 'т' in some contexts, making it sound like 'tʲ'; practice with native speakers for accurate emphasis on the 'и' vowel.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To imitate or copy someone's actions, speech, or behavior for entertainment or mockery.

Translation(s) & Context:

• Подражать - Used in informal, everyday situations, such as mimicking a friend's gestures in a social setting.
• Имитировать - Applied in more formal contexts, like imitating sounds in theater or acting.

Usage Examples:

• Он подражал голосу известного актёра на вечеринке. (He mimicked the voice of a famous actor at the party.)

  English Translation: He mimicked the voice of a famous actor at the party.

• Дети любят подражать родителям в их повседневных привычках. (Children love to mimic their parents in their everyday habits.)

  English Translation: Children love to mimic their parents in their everyday habits.

• В театре актёры имитируют исторические фигуры с большой точностью. (In the theater, actors mimic historical figures with great accuracy.)

  English Translation: In the theater, actors mimic historical figures with great accuracy.

• Она имитировала акцент иностранца, чтобы развлечь друзей. (She mimicked a foreigner's accent to entertain her friends.)

  English Translation: She mimicked a foreigner's accent to entertain her friends.

Meaning 2: To resemble or replicate something closely, often in a non-human context (e.g., animals or technology).

Translation(s) & Context:

• Подражать - Informal usage, such as animals mimicking sounds in nature.
• Имитировать - Formal, technical contexts like software mimicking human behavior.

Usage Examples:

• Птица подражала звукам леса, чтобы замаскировать своё присутствие. (The bird mimicked the sounds of the forest to conceal its presence.)

  English Translation: The bird mimicked the sounds of the forest to conceal its presence.

• Этот робот может имитировать человеческие эмоции в экспериментах. (This robot can mimic human emotions in experiments.)

  English Translation: This robot can mimic human emotions in experiments.

• В фильме животные подражали человеческим действиям для комического эффекта. (In the film, animals mimicked human actions for a comedic effect.)

  English Translation: In the film, animals mimicked human actions for a comedic effect.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'Подражать' and 'Имитировать' are verbs, which follow Russian conjugation patterns. Russian verbs are conjugated based on tense, aspect, person, and number. These are imperfective verbs, meaning they describe ongoing or repeated actions.

For 'Подражать' (imperfective):

For 'Имитировать' (imperfective), it follows a similar pattern but with more regular changes:

These verbs do not have irregular forms but require attention to aspect (e.g., perfective counterparts like 'Подражать' might use 'Подражить' in some contexts).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Копировать (to copy; more literal, often used for replication)
  • Повторять (to repeat; emphasizes iteration over imitation)
• Antonyms:
  • Оригинализировать (to originalize; rare, means to create originally)
  • Игнорировать (to ignore; implies not mimicking at all)

Related Phrases:

• Подражать кому-то (To mimic someone) - A common phrase for imitating individuals, often in social or performance contexts.
• Имитировать поведение (To mimic behavior) - Used in psychological or animal studies to describe replication of actions.
• Подражать голосу (To mimic a voice) - Refers to imitating speech patterns, common in comedy or voice acting.

Usage Notes:

'Mimic' in English often carries a connotation of playful or satirical imitation, which aligns closely with 'Подражать' in informal Russian settings. However, 'Имитировать' is preferred in formal or technical contexts, such as science or art, where precision is key. Choose 'Подражать' for everyday conversations to sound more natural, but avoid it in professional writing. Grammatically, both verbs require the dative case for the object (e.g., Подражать кому-то), so pay attention to case endings when constructing sentences.

Common Errors:

• Confusing 'Подражать' with 'Имитировать': English learners might use 'Подражать' in formal contexts, which sounds too casual. Correct usage: Instead of saying "Я подражал в лаборатории" (incorrect for scientific imitation), say "Я имитировал в лаборатории".
• Misconjugating verbs: Forgetting gender agreement in past tense, e.g., saying "Она подражал" instead of "Она подражала". Explanation: Russian past tense verbs agree with the subject's gender, so always adjust based on who is performing the action.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, mimicking (e.g., through 'Подражать') is often linked to folklore and theater traditions, such as in puppet shows or satirical performances like those in Moscow's Taganka Theater. It can carry a humorous or critical undertone, reflecting Russia's rich history of social commentary through imitation, dating back to 19th-century literature by authors like Gogol.

Related Concepts:

• Копирование (Copying)
• Повторение (Repetition)
• Пародия (Parody)