Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'misappropriate'

English Word: misappropriate

Key Russian Translations:

• присвоить [prɪsəˈvɔɪtʲ] - [Formal, often in legal or official contexts]
• растратить [rəstrəˈtʲitʲ] - [Formal, specifically for financial or resource mismanagement]

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

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian verb conjugations and contextual nuances, as per CEFR standards)

Pronunciation (Russian):

присвоить: [prɪsəˈvɔɪtʲ]

Note on присвоить: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the soft 'тʲ' sound, which is a common challenge for English speakers.

растратить: [rəstrəˈtʲitʲ]

Note on растратить: Pronunciation varies slightly in fast speech; the 'р' is rolled, and the 'тʲ' is palatalized.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To take something, especially money or property, for one's own use without the right to do so, often illegally.

Translation(s) & Context:

• присвоить - Used in formal legal contexts, such as misappropriating assets in a corporate setting; implies wrongful possession.
• растратить - Applied in financial scenarios, like embezzling funds; emphasizes waste or improper expenditure.

Usage Examples:

• Директор присвоил средства, предназначенные для проекта.

  The director misappropriated funds intended for the project.

• Сотрудник растратил бюджет на личные расходы.

  The employee misappropriated the budget for personal expenses.

• Во время аудита выяснилось, что менеджер присвоил корпоративные активы.

  During the audit, it was discovered that the manager had misappropriated corporate assets.

• Правительство расследует, как чиновник растратил государственные деньги.

  The government is investigating how the official misappropriated public funds.

• Она была осуждена за то, что присвоила пожертвования благотворительной организации.

  She was convicted for misappropriating donations to the charity organization.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "присвоить" and "растратить" are verbs in Russian, belonging to the first conjugation group. They are imperfective verbs and follow standard patterns for conjugation, with some irregularities in certain forms. Below is a table outlining key inflections for each verb in the present tense, as they are commonly used.

Note: These verbs do not change in gender or number in their infinitive form but must be conjugated based on subject. They are regular in most aspects but may have aspectual pairs (e.g., perfective forms like "присвоить" pairs with "прихватить" in some contexts, though not directly relevant here).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • украсть (steal) - More general and implies theft, but can be used interchangeably in some legal contexts.
  • заменить (misuse) - Subtler, often for substituting resources inappropriately.
• Antonyms:
  • вернуть (return) - Implies giving back what was taken.
  • отдать (hand over) - Used when properly allocating resources.

Related Phrases:

• незаконное присвоение - Illegal misappropriation; used in legal documents to describe wrongful taking.
• растрата государственных средств - Misappropriation of public funds; common in corruption cases.
• присвоить себе - To misappropriate for oneself; emphasizes personal gain in a phrase.

Usage Notes:

"Присвоить" is the most direct translation for "misappropriate" in general contexts, especially when dealing with property or assets, and is preferred in formal writing. "Растратить" is more specific to financial waste and is often used in economic or governmental scenarios. English users should note that Russian verbs require conjugation based on the subject (e.g., person and number), which can affect sentence structure. In informal speech, these words are rare; opt for simpler synonyms like "украсть" in casual contexts. When choosing between translations, consider the context: use "растратить" for monetary issues and "присвоить" for broader appropriation.

Common Errors:

• Confusing "присвоить" with "украсть": English learners often use "украсть" (steal) interchangeably, but it implies a more violent or direct theft. Incorrect: "Он украл деньги" (when misappropriation is non-violent). Correct: "Он присвоил деньги" to better match the legal nuance of "misappropriate".

• Forgetting verb conjugation: Beginners might use the infinitive form incorrectly in sentences, e.g., saying "Он присвоить деньги" instead of "Он присвоил деньги" in the past tense. Always conjugate based on tense and subject for grammatical accuracy.

• Overusing in informal settings: Mistakenly applying these formal verbs in casual talk, which can sound unnatural. For example, in everyday conversation, say "взял без спроса" (took without asking) instead of "присвоил".

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and legal systems, terms like "присвоить" and "растратить" are heavily associated with corruption and economic crimes, which have been prominent issues in post-Soviet history. For instance, high-profile cases of misappropriation in the 1990s privatization era have shaped public distrust of officials, adding a layer of sensitivity to these words in discussions about governance and ethics.

Related Concepts:

• коррупция (corruption)
• эмиссия (embezzlement)
• мошенничество (fraud)