Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'peculate'

English Word: peculate

Key Russian Translations:

• хищение [xʲɪˈʂːenʲɪje] - [Formal, Legal context, often used in official or financial discussions]
• растрата [rɐˈstrətə] - [Formal, Legal, Plural forms possible, commonly used in contexts involving public funds or accounting]

Frequency: Low (This term and its translations are not everyday vocabulary but appear in legal, financial, or news contexts.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of formal language and legal nuances. For 'хищение', it's B2; for 'растрата', it's also B2 due to irregular inflections.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

хищение: [xʲɪˈʂːenʲɪje]

Note on хищение: The initial 'х' is a voiceless velar fricative, which can be challenging for English speakers; it sounds like a strong 'h' in "loch". Variations in stress may occur in rapid speech.

растрата: [rɐˈstrətə]

Note on растрата: The 'р' is a rolled 'r', and the word has a consistent stress on the second syllable; be mindful of vowel reductions in casual speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To embezzle or misappropriate funds, especially in a professional or official capacity.

Translation(s) & Context:

• хищение - Used in contexts involving theft of assets, often with a connotation of stealth or betrayal in financial settings (e.g., corporate or government embezzlement).
• растрата - Applied specifically to the squandering or misallocation of entrusted resources, such as public money, in legal or administrative scenarios.

Usage Examples:

• Он был осуждён за хищение средств из компании. (He was convicted of embezzling funds from the company.)

  English Translation: He was convicted of peculating funds from the company. This example shows 'хищение' in a formal legal context.

• Руководитель обвиняется в растрате государственных денег. (The manager is accused of embezzling state funds.)

  English Translation: The manager is accused of peculating state funds. Here, 'растрата' highlights misuse of public resources in an official setting.

• В отчёте указано, что хищение произошло через поддельные документы. (The report states that the embezzlement occurred through forged documents.)

  English Translation: The report states that the peculation occurred through forged documents. This demonstrates 'хищение' in a investigative context.

• Растрата бюджетных средств привела к финансовому кризису. (The embezzlement of budgetary funds led to a financial crisis.)

  English Translation: The peculation of budgetary funds led to a financial crisis. This example illustrates 'растрата' in a broader economic impact scenario.

• Сотрудник уличён в систематическом хищении корпоративных активов. (The employee was caught in systematic embezzlement of corporate assets.)

  English Translation: The employee was caught in systematic peculation of corporate assets. This shows 'хищение' with a sense of ongoing behavior.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'хищение' and 'растрата' are neuter nouns in Russian, which follow standard declension patterns. 'Хищение' is a third-declension noun and can have irregularities, while 'растрата' is more regular. Below is a table for each:

Note: These nouns do not change in gender but vary by case and number as shown. 'Растрата' is more predictable, while 'хищение' may have slight irregularities in plural forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • воровство (theft, with a broader sense of stealing; differs from 'хищение' by lacking the embezzlement nuance)
  • мошенничество (fraud, often used for deceptive schemes; more general than 'растрата')
• Antonyms:
  • честность (honesty, directly opposite in ethical contexts)
  • благотворительность (charity, contrasting with misuse of funds)

Related Phrases:

• хищение средств - Embezzlement of funds; commonly used in financial crime reports.
• растрата бюджета - Squandering of the budget; refers to mismanagement in governmental or organizational contexts.
• систематическое хищение - Systematic embezzlement; implies ongoing illegal activity.

Usage Notes:

In English, 'peculate' specifically implies the misappropriation of entrusted funds, often in a professional setting. For Russian translations, choose 'хищение' for general embezzlement scenarios and 'растрата' for cases involving public or official resources. Both are formal and should be avoided in casual conversation; use them in legal, journalistic, or academic contexts. Grammatically, these nouns require appropriate case agreement with prepositions (e.g., "из-за хищения" for "because of embezzlement"). When selecting between translations, consider the context: 'растрата' emphasizes wastefulness, while 'хищение' focuses on theft.

Common Errors:

• Confusing 'хищение' with simple 'воровство': Learners might use 'воровство' (theft) interchangeably, but it's less specific. Error: "Он сделал воровство денег." Correct: "Он сделал хищение денег." Explanation: 'Хищение' conveys embezzlement's betrayal aspect, while 'воровство' is more about general stealing.

• Incorrect case usage: Forgetting to decline the noun, e.g., saying "в хищение" instead of "в хищении". Error: "Он участвовал в хищение." Correct: "Он участвовал в хищении." Explanation: Russian requires genitive or prepositional cases in such phrases for grammatical accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and media, terms like 'хищение' and 'растрата' are frequently associated with corruption scandals, especially in post-Soviet contexts. They often appear in discussions of government officials or business leaders, reflecting historical issues with economic transparency and anti-corruption efforts in Russia.

Related Concepts:

• коррупция (corruption)
• мошенничество (fraud)
• финансовые преступления (financial crimes)