Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'notify'

English Word: notify

Key Russian Translations:

• уведомлять [ʊˈvʲedəmlʲɪtʲ] - [Informal, Verb; commonly used in everyday and official contexts]
• сообщать [səˈmɐɕtʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, Verb; preferred in professional or neutral settings]
• оповещать [ɐpɐˈvʲeʂtʲɪtʲ] - [Semi-formal, Verb; often used for mass notifications, e.g., public announcements]

Frequency: Medium (Common in administrative, digital, and interpersonal communication, but not as frequent as basic verbs like "сказать")

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb aspects and inflections, though basic forms are accessible to learners at A2 level)

Pronunciation (Russian):

уведомлять: [ʊˈvʲedəmlʲɪtʲ]

сообщать: [səˈmɐɕtʲɪtʲ]

оповещать: [ɐpɐˈvʲeʂtʲɪtʲ]

Note on уведомлять: The stress falls on the second syllable ("ve-"), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the soft 'v' sound; pronunciation may vary slightly in fast speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To inform someone officially or formally about something

Translation(s) & Context:

• уведомлять - Used in informal or routine notifications, such as emails or personal updates.
• сообщать - Applied in formal contexts, like business reports or official documents.
• оповещать - Common in contexts involving public or widespread alerts, such as emergency notifications.

Usage Examples:

• Я уведомляю вас о предстоящем собрании.

  I am notifying you of the upcoming meeting. (Demonstrates imperfective aspect in a professional setting.)

• Пожалуйста, сообщите мне, если произойдут изменения.

  Please notify me if any changes occur. (Shows polite, formal request in everyday communication.)

• Система оповещает пользователей о новых обновлениях.

  The system notifies users of new updates. (Illustrates use in technological or digital contexts.)

• Мы уведомляем клиентов по электронной почте.

  We notify clients via email. (Highlights plural subject and routine action.)

Meaning 2: To give advance warning or alert

Translation(s) & Context:

• уведомлять - In casual warnings, like notifying friends about events.
• оповещать - For urgent or public alerts, such as in safety protocols.

Usage Examples:

• Я уведомляю вас заранее о возможных задержках.

  I am notifying you in advance about possible delays. (Emphasizes proactive communication.)

• Приложение оповещает о погодных изменениях.

  The app notifies about weather changes. (Shows application in modern tech scenarios.)

• Сотрудники должны сообщать о любых инцидентах.

  Employees must notify about any incidents. (Demonstrates obligatory context.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are primarily verbs, which in Russian undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number. "уведомлять" and "сообщать" are imperfective verbs, while "оповещать" can have perfective counterparts like "уведомить" or "оповестить". Below is a sample conjugation table for "уведомлять" in the present tense:

For "сообщать", the conjugation follows a similar pattern but with irregularities in some forms. It is also imperfective. "оповещать" has regular verb endings. Note: These verbs do not change for gender but must agree in number and person.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: сообщать (more neutral), информировать (formal, often in educational contexts), извещать (official notifications) - "информировать" is preferred in written media for its precision.
• Antonyms: скрывать (to hide), умалчивать (to withhold information)

Related Phrases:

• уведомить заранее - To notify in advance; used for scheduling or warnings, implying proactive communication.
• сообщать новости - To notify about news; common in media or daily updates.
• оповестить общественность - To notify the public; often in emergency or governmental contexts.

Usage Notes:

Russian verbs like "уведомлять" are imperfective, focusing on ongoing actions, while their perfective counterparts (e.g., "уведомить") emphasize completion. When translating "notify", choose based on context: use "уведомлять" for processes and "уведомить" for one-time events. Be mindful of formality; "сообщать" is safer in professional settings. In spoken Russian, these verbs often pair with prepositions like "о" (about) or "в" (in), e.g., "уведомить о проблеме". Learners should practice aspect differences to avoid confusion with English's simpler tense system.

• Tip: In digital contexts, "оповещать" is increasingly used for app notifications, reflecting modern Russian language evolution.

Common Errors:

One common error is confusing imperfective and perfective aspects, e.g., using "уведомлять" when "уведомить" is needed for a completed action. Incorrect: "Я уведомляю письмо" (implies ongoing action, which is awkward). Correct: "Я уведомил о письме" (perfective for completion). Another mistake is overusing formal verbs in casual speech, like saying "сообщать" instead of "уведомлять" in friendly chats, which can sound stiff. Always check the context for appropriate register.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, notifications often carry a bureaucratic connotation due to the historical emphasis on official communications in Soviet and post-Soviet systems. For instance, "уведомлять" might evoke images of government letters or workplace memos, reflecting a society where formal documentation is prevalent. This can add layers of politeness or caution in everyday use.

Related Concepts:

• информация
• сообщение
• предупреждение