Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'partake'

English Word: partake

Key Russian Translations:

• участвовать [ʊʂɐstvɐˈtʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Used in contexts involving participation in activities or events]
• принимать участие [prʲɪˈnʲimatʲ ʊʂɐstʲvʲɪˈje] - [Formal, Phrase, Often used interchangeably but emphasizes active involvement]
• попробовать [pəprɐˈbavatʲ] - [Informal, Verb, Specifically for partaking in food or experiences, e.g., tasting]

Frequency: Medium (Common in formal writing, discussions, and everyday conversations about events, but not as frequent as basic verbs in casual speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contexts. For 'попробовать', it may be A2 for beginners due to its simpler form.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

участвовать: [ʊʂɐstvɐˈtʲ] (The 'щ' sound is a soft, palatalized 'sh', which can be challenging for English speakers.)

принимать участие: [prʲɪˈnʲimatʲ ʊʂɐstʲvʲɪˈje] (Stress on the third syllable of 'принимать'; practice the soft 'н' sound.)

попробовать: [pəprɐˈbavatʲ] (A quicker, more fluid pronunciation; the 'о' is reduced in casual speech.)

Note on участвовать: This verb has a rolling 'р' in some regional accents, but standard pronunciation avoids it. Pay attention to the infinitive ending for verb forms.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To take part in an activity or event

Translation(s) & Context:

• участвовать - Used in formal or semi-formal contexts, such as meetings, sports, or social events, to indicate active involvement.
• принимать участие - Similar to участвовать but often in more official settings, like conferences or volunteering.

Usage Examples:

• Я всегда участвую в ежегодных спортивных соревнованиях. (Ya vsegda uchastvuyu v yezhegodnykh sportivnykh sorevnovaniyakh.)

  I always partake in the annual sports competitions.

• Молодежь активно принимает участие в экологических кампаниях. (Molodyezh' aktivno prinimaet uchastie v ekologicheskikh kampaniyakh.)

  The youth actively partake in environmental campaigns.

• Если вы хотите участвовать, пожалуйста, зарегистрируйтесь заранее. (Yesli vy khotite uchastvovat', pozhaluysta, zaregistriruytes' zaranee.)

  If you want to partake, please register in advance.

• Они принимают участие в дискуссии о политике. (Oni prinimayut uchastie v diskussii o politike.)

  They partake in the discussion about politics.

• Многие люди участвуют в празднованиях Нового года. (Mnogie lyudi uchastvuyut v prazdnovaniyakh Novogo goda.)

  Many people partake in New Year's celebrations.

Meaning 2: To consume or taste something, often food or drink

Translation(s) & Context:

• попробовать - Informal and common in everyday situations, like trying a new dish, but can imply partaking in a limited way.

Usage Examples:

• Хотите попробовать этот суп? (Khotite poprobovat' etot sup?)

  Do you want to partake of this soup?

• Я решил попробовать местную кухню во время поездки. (Ya reshil poprobovat' mestnuyu kukhnyu vo vremya poezdki.)

  I decided to partake in the local cuisine during the trip.

• Не стесняйтесь попробовать вина на дегустации. (Ne stesnyaytes' poprobovat' vina na degustatsii.)

  Don't hesitate to partake of the wines at the tasting.

• Дети любят попробовать новые фрукты. (Deti lyubyat poprobovat' novyye frukty.)

  Children love to partake of new fruits.

• Мы попробовали десерт после обеда. (My poprobovali desert posle obeda.)

  We partook of dessert after lunch.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Most key translations like 'участвовать' and 'принимать участие' are verbs, which follow standard Russian conjugation patterns. 'Участвовать' is an imperfective verb and can be conjugated irregularly in some forms. 'Попробовать' is a perfective verb.

Note: 'Принимать участие' is a phrase and does not inflect as a single word; its components follow standard rules.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • вовлекаться (vovlekat'sya) - More emphasis on being drawn into an activity.
  • заниматься (zanimat'sya) - Often used for engaging in hobbies or work.
• Antonyms:
  • воздерживаться (vozderzhivat'sya) - To abstain or refrain from partaking.
  • избегать (izbegat') - To avoid participation.

Related Phrases:

• участвовать в мероприятии (uchastvovat' v meropriyatii) - To partake in an event; used for organized gatherings.
• принять участие в обсуждении (prinimat' uchastie v obsuzhdenii) - To partake in a discussion; common in professional settings.
• попробовать на вкус (poprobovat' na vkus) - To partake of something by tasting; literal for food experiences.

Usage Notes:

'Участвовать' is the most direct translation for 'partake' in the sense of joining activities and is preferred in formal contexts, similar to how 'partake' is used in English formal writing. Choose 'принимать участие' for emphasis on active engagement. For food-related meanings, 'попробовать' is more idiomatic and less formal. Be mindful of verb aspect: use imperfective forms like 'участвовать' for ongoing actions and perfective like 'попробовать' for completed ones. In Russian, these verbs often require prepositions, such as 'в' for events, which has no direct English equivalent.

Common Errors:

• Mistaking aspect: English learners often use 'участвовать' when 'попробовать' is needed for a one-time action, e.g., saying "Я участвую суп" instead of "Я попробовал суп" (Correct: "Я попробовал суп" - I partook of the soup). Explanation: 'Участвовать' implies ongoing participation, while 'попробовать' is for trying once.
• Overusing in informal speech: Beginners might say 'принимать участие' in casual conversations, which sounds overly formal; opt for 'участвовать' instead. Error example: "Я принимаю участие в игре" in a friendly chat (Better: "Я участвую в игре").
• Conjugation errors: Forgetting to change endings, e.g., saying "Я участвую в" without the object, or incorrectly conjugating as "Я участвуюет" (Correct: "Я участвую").

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'участвовать' in community events or festivals reflects the value of collective participation, as seen in traditions like May Day parades or local holidays. 'Попробовать' is often tied to hospitality, where offering and partaking in food symbolizes warmth and sharing, a key aspect of Russian social interactions.

Related Concepts:

• соревнование (sorevnovaniye) - Competition
• мероприятие (meropriyatiye) - Event
• дегустация (degustatsiya) - Tasting