Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'narrate'

English Word: narrate

Key Russian Translations:

• рассказывать [/rɐˈskɐzɨvətʲ/] - [Informal, Commonly used in everyday storytelling]
• повествовать [/pəvʲɪˈstvəvətʲ/] - [Formal, Often used in literary or historical contexts]

Frequency: Medium (This verb is frequently encountered in spoken and written Russian, especially in narratives and casual conversations.)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of verb conjugation, but the vocabulary itself is not overly complex for learners at this level.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

рассказывать: /rɐˈskɐzɨvətʲ/ (Stress on the third syllable; note the soft 'тʲ' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers.)

повествовать: /pəvʲɪˈstvəvətʲ/ (Stress on the second syllable; the 'вʲ' indicates a palatalized 'v', common in Russian verbs.)

Note on рассказывать: This word has vowel reductions in unstressed syllables, typical in Russian pronunciation—e.g., 'а' becomes more like 'ɐ' in casual speech.

Note on повествовать: It's a more formal variant and may have slight regional variations in speed and emphasis.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To tell a story or describe events in a sequence.

Translation(s) & Context:

• рассказывать - Used in informal settings, such as casual conversations or personal anecdotes.
• повествовать - Applied in formal or literary contexts, like historical accounts or novels.

Usage Examples:

• Он любит рассказывать истории из своего детства. (He loves to narrate stories from his childhood.)

  English Translation: He loves to narrate stories from his childhood.

• В этой книге автор повествует о событиях Второй мировой войны. (In this book, the author narrates events from World War II.)

  English Translation: In this book, the author narrates events from World War II.

• Она всегда рассказывает забавные анекдоты на вечеринках. (She always narrates funny anecdotes at parties.)

  English Translation: She always narrates funny anecdotes at parties.

• Рассказывая эту легенду, дедушка добавляет свои личные детали. (While narrating this legend, grandfather adds his own personal details.)

  English Translation: While narrating this legend, grandfather adds his own personal details.

• Повествуя о приключениях, писатель использует яркий язык. (Narrating the adventures, the writer uses vivid language.)

  English Translation: Narrating the adventures, the writer uses vivid language.

Secondary Meaning: To provide a spoken account, such as in audio guides or documentaries.

Translation(s) & Context:

• рассказывать - In media contexts, like podcasts or tours.

Usage Examples:

• Гид рассказывает о памятниках в музее. (The guide narrates about the monuments in the museum.)

  English Translation: The guide narrates about the monuments in the museum.

• В фильме голос за кадром повествует историю. (In the film, the voice-over narrates the story.)

  English Translation: In the film, the voice-over narrates the story.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "рассказывать" and "повествовать" are imperfective verbs in Russian, which means they express ongoing or repeated actions. Russian verbs conjugate based on tense, aspect, person, number, and gender. "Рассказывать" is a first-conjugation verb with regular patterns, while "повествовать" follows similar rules but is less common in everyday speech.

For "рассказывать" (infinitive):

For "повествовать", the conjugation is similar but less frequently used: e.g., Present: повествует; Past: повествовал.

These verbs do not change in aspect without a perfective counterpart (e.g., "рассказать" for perfective), which is important for expressing completed actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • рассказать (more perfective, meaning to tell once)
  • описывать (to describe, with a focus on details)
  • излагать (to expound, often in a formal manner)
• Antonyms:
  • замолчать (to fall silent, implying stopping narration)
  • сокрыть (to conceal, opposite in the sense of hiding information)

Related Phrases:

• рассказать историю - To narrate a story (Common in oral traditions; used for sharing personal experiences.)
• повествование в книге - Narration in a book (Refers to the storytelling style in literature.)
• рассказывать анекдот - To narrate a joke (Informal, often in social settings for entertainment.)

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "рассказывать" directly corresponds to the English "narrate" in informal contexts, while "повествовать" is better for formal or written narratives. Always consider the aspect: use imperfective for ongoing actions and perfective (e.g., "рассказать") for completed ones. English learners should note that Russian verbs require agreement in person and number, which can affect sentence structure. When choosing between translations, opt for "рассказывать" in everyday speech and "повествовать" in academic or literary scenarios.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using "рассказать" (perfective) when "рассказывать" (imperfective) is needed for ongoing narration. Correct: "Я рассказываю историю" (I am narrating a story). Explanation: This confuses aspect, leading to timeline errors in Russian sentences.
• Mistake: Forgetting gender agreement in past tense, e.g., saying "рассказывал" for a female subject. Correct: "Она рассказывала" (She narrated). Explanation: Russian past tense verbs agree with the subject's gender, unlike English.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, narration plays a significant role in oral traditions, such as "skazki" (folk tales) or family storytelling during holidays like New Year's Eve. Words like "рассказывать" evoke a sense of community and heritage, often tied to historical events or personal anecdotes, reflecting Russia's rich literary history from authors like Pushkin.

Related Concepts:

• легенда (legend)
• анекдот (anecdote)
• сюжет (plot)