Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'pay'

English Word: pay

Key Russian Translations:

• платить (/ˈplatʲɪtʲ/) - [Informal, Verb; Used in everyday contexts for making payments]
• оплата (/ɐˈplata/) - [Formal, Noun; Used in official or transactional contexts]
• уплачивать (/ʊˈplaʧʲɪtʲ/) - [Formal, Verb; Used in legal or financial documents]

Frequency: High - The word 'платить' is commonly used in daily conversations, while 'оплата' appears frequently in business and administrative contexts.

Difficulty: B1 for 'платить' and 'уплачивать' (Intermediate, as they involve verb conjugation); A2 for 'оплата' (Beginner, as it's a straightforward noun with minimal inflection).

Pronunciation (Russian):

платить: /ˈplatʲɪtʲ/ - The 'тʲ' sound is palatalized, which can be challenging for English speakers; it sounds like "pla-teet" with a soft 't'.

оплата: /ɐˈplata/ - Stress on the second syllable; the 'a' sounds are open, similar to "ah" in English.

уплачивать: /ʊˈplaʧʲɪtʲ/ - Note on уплачивать: The 'чʲ' is a soft 'ch' sound, as in "church," but palatalized; practice with native audio for accuracy.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To give money in exchange for goods or services (Verb form)

Translation(s) & Context:

• платить - Used in informal daily transactions, such as paying for food or services.
• уплачивать - Used in formal contexts, like paying taxes or bills.

Usage Examples:

• Я плачу за обед в ресторане. (Ya plachu za obed v restorane.)

  I am paying for lunch at the restaurant. (Shows present tense in a casual dining scenario.)

• Он всегда платит наличными, чтобы избежать комиссий. (On vsegda platit nalichnymi, chtoby izbezhat komissiy.)

  He always pays in cash to avoid fees. (Illustrates habitual action with an adverbial phrase.)

• Мы платим за квартиру ежемесячно. (My platim za kvartiru ezhemesyachno.)

  We pay for the apartment monthly. (Demonstrates plural subject and regular obligation.)

• Она платит кредит онлайн. (Ona platit kredit onlayn.)

  She pays the loan online. (Highlights modern digital payment contexts.)

• Дети платят за мороженое из своих карманных денег. (Deti platjat za morozhenoe iz svoikh karmanikh deneg.)

  The children pay for ice cream with their pocket money. (Shows plural form and possessive structures.)

Meaning 2: The act of payment or settlement (Noun form)

Translation(s) & Context:

• оплата - Used in contexts involving receipts, invoices, or formal agreements.

Usage Examples:

• Оплата услуг производится наличными или картой. (Oplata uslug proizvoditsya nalichnymi ili kartoy.)

  Payment for services is made in cash or by card. (Emphasizes options in a service industry setting.)

• Без оплаты билета вход запрещен. (Bez oplaty bileta vkhod zapreshchen.)

  Entry is prohibited without payment of the ticket. (Illustrates a conditional or regulatory context.)

• Он проверил оплату по чеку. (On proveril oplatu po cheku.)

  He checked the payment on the receipt. (Shows verification in a transactional scenario.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'платить' (a verb), it follows the first conjugation pattern with regular inflections. Below is a table of its key forms:

For 'оплата' (a feminine noun), it is invariable in the nominative singular but changes by case: Nominative - оплата; Genitive - оплаты; Dative - оплате; etc. It has no irregular forms.

For 'уплачивать', similar to 'платить', it is a regular verb with standard conjugations.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • уплачивать - More formal than 'платить', often used in official contexts.
  • расплачиваться - Implies settling a debt or multiple payments.
• Antonyms:
  • получать - To receive, as in receiving money.
  • возвращать - To return or refund.

Related Phrases:

• платить наличными - Pay in cash; Used for transactions without digital methods.
• оплата онлайн - Online payment; Common in e-commerce scenarios.
• платить по счету - Pay by invoice; Refers to settling bills in business settings.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'платить' directly corresponds to the English 'pay' as a verb and is versatile for everyday use, but choose 'уплачивать' for formal or legal contexts to sound more professional. 'Оплата' is a noun equivalent to 'payment' and doesn't require a verb in sentences. Be mindful of verb aspects: 'платить' is imperfective (ongoing action), while its perfective counterpart 'заплатить' implies completion. In informal speech, Russians often use 'платить' with prepositions like 'за' (for) to specify what is being paid.

Common Errors:

• Confusing 'платить' with 'заплатить': English learners might overuse 'платить' for completed actions. Error: "Я плачу за билет" (when meaning a finished payment). Correct: "Я заплатил за билет." Explanation: Use the perfective 'заплатить' for actions that are done.
• Misplacing prepositions: Saying "платить деньги" instead of "платить за что-то." Error: "Я плачу деньги." Correct: "Я плачу за товар." Explanation: 'Платить' typically requires 'за' to indicate what is being paid for.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, cash payments ('платить наличными') are still very common due to historical distrust of banks and a preference for tangible money in everyday transactions. However, with digital advancements, phrases like 'оплата онлайн' are becoming more prevalent, reflecting modernization in urban areas.

Related Concepts:

• деньги (money)
• счет (bill or account)
• кредит (credit or loan)