Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'mobilize'

English Word: mobilize

Key Russian Translations:

• мобилизовать (/mɐ.bʲɪ.lʲɪ.zɐˈvatʲ/) - [Formal, Used in military, social, or organizational contexts]
• организовать (/ɐ.rɡɐ.nʲɪˈzɔ.vatʲ/) - [Semi-formal, More general mobilization or organization, often interchangeable in non-military settings]

Frequency: Medium (Common in news, military discussions, and formal writing, but less frequent in everyday casual conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate for 'мобилизовать' due to its conjugation and formal usage; A2 for 'организовать' as it's more straightforward)

Pronunciation (Russian):

мобилизовать: /mɐ.bʲɪ.lʲɪ.zɐˈvatʲ/

организовать: /ɐ.rɡɐ.nʲɪˈzɔ.vatʲ/

Note on мобилизовать: The stress is on the penultimate syllable (-za-), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the soft consonants (e.g., 'бʲ' and 'лʲ'). Pronunciation may vary slightly in rapid speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To organize or prepare resources, people, or forces for a specific purpose, often in a military or urgent context.

Translation(s) & Context:

• мобилизовать - Used in formal or official contexts, such as military operations or national emergencies, to imply a structured and rapid response.
• организовать - Applied in broader contexts like events or campaigns, where the focus is on coordination rather than urgency.

Usage Examples:

• Правительство решило мобилизовать войска для защиты границы.

  The government decided to mobilize troops to defend the border.

• Во время кризиса волонтёры мобилизовали ресурсы для помощи пострадавшим.

  During the crisis, volunteers mobilized resources to help the victims.

• Компании часто организуют команды для мобилизации усилий в проектах.

  Companies often organize teams to mobilize efforts in projects.

• Активисты мобилизовали общественность через социальные сети.

  Activists mobilized the public through social media.

Secondary Meaning: To activate or stimulate something, such as energy or support, in a non-literal sense.

Translation(s) & Context:

• организовать - More common here, in motivational or social contexts, to mean rallying support without military connotations.

Usage Examples:

• Тренер организовал игроков, чтобы мобилизовать их энергию перед матчем.

  The coach organized the players to mobilize their energy before the match.

• Кампания по сбору средств мобилизовала тысячи доноров онлайн.

  The fundraising campaign mobilized thousands of donors online.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'мобилизовать' and 'организовать' are verbs of the first conjugation in Russian, which means they follow regular patterns but have specific inflections based on tense, aspect, and person. 'Мобилизовать' is imperfective, while its perfective counterpart is 'мобилизовать' (wait, actually, 'мобилизовать' can be used in both, but commonly paired with perfective forms like 'собрать'). Here's a conjugation table for 'мобилизовать' in the present tense:

For 'организовать', it has a perfective aspect: Present tense conjugations are similar:

These verbs do not change irregularly, but pay attention to the aspect (imperfective vs. perfective) when using in sentences.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • собрать (sober') - To gather, often quickly; more neutral and less formal.
  • активизировать (aktivizirovat') - To activate or energize; used in motivational contexts.
• Antonyms:
  • размобилизовать (razmobilizovat') - To demobilize or disband.
  • распустить (raspusit') - To disperse or dissolve, implying the opposite of organization.

Related Phrases:

• мобилизация войск (mobilization of troops) - Refers to the process of preparing military forces, often in times of conflict.
• организовать кампанию (to organize a campaign) - Used for coordinating efforts in advertising or social movements.
• мобилизовать ресурсы (to mobilize resources) - A common phrase for gathering financial or human assets in emergencies.

Usage Notes:

'Мобилизовать' directly corresponds to the English 'mobilize' in formal contexts, especially military or governmental ones, and should be used when emphasizing urgency and structure. In contrast, 'организовать' is more versatile and can replace 'mobilize' in everyday scenarios to avoid overly formal language. Always consider the aspect of the verb in Russian sentences; for example, use perfective forms for completed actions. English learners should note that Russian verbs require agreement with the subject in person and number, which can affect sentence flow.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'мобилизовать' in casual conversations where 'организовать' is more appropriate, e.g., saying "Я мобилизую друзей на вечеринку" instead of "Я организую друзей на вечеринку".
  Correct: "Я организую друзей на вечеринку" (I am organizing friends for the party). Explanation: 'Мобилизовать' implies a serious, often official mobilization, which sounds out of place in social settings.
• Mistake: Forgetting verb conjugation, e.g., saying "Он мобилизовать" instead of "Он мобилизует".
  Correct: "Он мобилизует" (He mobilizes). Explanation: Russian verbs must be conjugated based on the subject; this is a common oversight for English speakers used to less inflection.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'мобилизовать' carry historical weight due to events like World War II, where mass mobilization was a key strategy. It often evokes themes of national unity and resilience, so using it in modern contexts can imply a sense of patriotism or emergency response, which might not translate directly in English usage.

Related Concepts:

• война (war)
• кампания (campaign)
• ресурсы (resources)