Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'molest'

English Word: molest

Key Russian Translations:

• домогаться /də.mə.ˈɡa.tʲsə/ - [Formal, Legal contexts]
• травить /ˈtra.vʲitʲ/ - [Informal, General harassment]

Frequency: Medium (Common in legal and social discussions, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of nuanced verbs and contexts; for 'домогаться', it's B2; for 'травить', it's B1)

Pronunciation (Russian):

домогаться: /də.mə.ˈɡa.tʲsə/

Note on домогаться: This verb has stress on the third syllable ('ga'), which can be tricky for learners due to Russian's mobile stress patterns. It is often pronounced with a soft 'tʲ' in informal speech.

Audio: []

травить: /ˈtra.vʲitʲ/

Note on травить: The initial 'tr' sound is a voiceless alveolar trill, similar to English 'tr' in 'train', but with a more rolled 'r'. Stress is on the first syllable.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To sexually harass or assault (the primary and most direct sense of 'molest')

Translation(s) & Context:

• домогаться - Used in formal, legal, or serious discussions, often implying persistent unwanted advances.
• травить - Less common for sexual contexts; better for general emotional harassment, but can overlap in informal settings.

Usage Examples:

• Он постоянно домогался своей соседки, что привело к судебному разбиратству.

  He kept molesting his neighbor, which led to a court case.

• В офисе она столкнулась с домогательствами со стороны начальника.

  At the office, she faced molestation from her boss.

• Домогаться кого-то в общественном месте — это серьезное нарушение закона.

  Molesting someone in a public place is a serious legal violation.

• Иногда травить кого-то эмоционально может перерасти в более серьезные формы домогательств.

  Sometimes emotionally molesting someone can escalate into more serious forms of harassment.

Meaning 2: To harass or annoy in a non-sexual way (a broader, less common sense of 'molest')

Translation(s) & Context:

• травить - Used for persistent annoyance or bullying, in everyday or informal contexts.
• домогаться - Rarely used here; prefer for sexual connotations.

Usage Examples:

• Дети в школе начали травить его из-за его акцента.

  The kids at school started molesting him because of his accent.

• Он травил собаку, чтобы она не лаяла, но это было жестоким.

  He molested the dog to make it stop barking, but it was cruel.

• В интернете люди часто травят других анонимно.

  Online, people often molest others anonymously.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'домогаться' and 'травить' are verbs, so they follow Russian verb conjugation patterns. Russian verbs are conjugated based on tense, aspect, mood, person, and number. 'Домогаться' is an imperfective verb, while 'травить' can be both imperfective and perfective (e.g., 'потравить' as perfective).

For 'домогаться' (imperfective):

For 'травить' (imperfective):

These verbs do not have irregular forms but follow standard patterns for first-conjugation verbs.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • преследовать (presledovat') - Similar to 'harass', but more about pursuit; often used in stalking contexts.
  • надоедать (nadoedat') - For annoying; less severe than 'домогаться'.
• Antonyms:
  • защищать (zashchishchat') - To protect or defend.
  • уважать (uvazhat') - To respect.

Related Phrases:

• Сексуальные домогательства - Sexual harassment; used in legal and social contexts to describe ongoing molestation.
• Травить в соцсетях - To cyberbully or online molest; refers to digital harassment scenarios.
• Домогаться власти - To abuse power through harassment; implies molestation in professional settings.

Usage Notes:

'Домогаться' is the most precise translation for the sexual connotation of 'molest' and should be used in formal or legal English-Russian contexts, as it carries a similar weight. Avoid 'травить' for sexual harassment, as it leans toward general annoyance and might understate severity. In Russian, these verbs often require a direct object and are aspect-sensitive; use imperfective for ongoing actions. For English learners, choose based on context: formal vs. informal. Be cautious with gender implications, as Russian verbs don't change for gender in the infinitive form.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing 'домогаться' with 'догонять' (dogonyat', meaning to catch up), leading to misuse like saying "Он домогался автобуса" instead of "Он догонял автобус". Correct: Use 'домогаться' only for harassment, not pursuit.
• Error: Overusing 'травить' in sexual contexts, e.g., saying "Он травил свою коллегу" when 'домогаться' is more appropriate. Explanation: This dilutes the meaning; correct usage is "Он домогался своей коллеги" to convey sexual intent accurately.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and media, terms like 'домогательства' are increasingly discussed due to global movements like #MeToo, highlighting issues of gender inequality and workplace harassment. Historically, such topics were taboo, so modern usage reflects evolving social awareness, but reporting remains challenging in some regions.

Related Concepts:

• насилие (nasilie) - Violence
• буллинг (buling) - Bullying
• дискриминация (diskriminatsiya) - Discrimination