Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'plead'

English Word: plead

Key Russian Translations:

• умолять [ʊmɐˈlʲatʲ] - [Formal, often used in emotional or desperate contexts]
• просить [ˈprosʲitʲ] - [Informal or neutral, commonly used in everyday requests]

Frequency: Medium (The verb and its forms appear regularly in literature, conversations, and legal contexts, but not as frequently as basic verbs like "говорить".)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual usage. For 'умолять', it may be slightly more challenging due to its emotional connotations, while 'просить' is more straightforward.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

умолять: [ʊmɐˈlʲatʲ]

Note on умолять: The stress falls on the second syllable ('-лʲатʲ'), which can be tricky for learners due to Russian's variable stress patterns. Pronounce it with a soft 'л' sound.

просить: [ˈprosʲitʲ]

Note on просить: The stress is on the first syllable ('про-'), and the 'сʲ' is palatalized, making it sound softer. Common in spoken Russian.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To beg or implore earnestly

Translation(s) & Context:

• умолять - Used in situations involving desperation or heartfelt appeals, such as in personal relationships or dramatic scenarios.

Usage Examples:

• Он умолял её не уходить, слезы текли по его щекам.

  He pleaded with her not to leave, tears streaming down his cheeks.

• Дети умоляли родителей купить им мороженое в жаркий день.

  The children pleaded with their parents to buy them ice cream on a hot day.

• В суде обвиняемый умолял суд о снисхождении.

  In court, the defendant pleaded for mercy from the judge.

• Она умоляла друзей помочь ей в трудную минуту.

  She pleaded with her friends to help her in a time of need.

To make a request or appeal, often in a legal context

Translation(s) & Context:

• просить - Applied in formal or informal settings for making appeals, such as in court or daily interactions, without the intensity of 'умолять'.

Usage Examples:

• Адвокат просил суд отложить заседание по причине болезни клиента.

  The lawyer pleaded with the court to postpone the hearing due to the client's illness.

• Она просила начальника дать ей отпуск на следующей неделе.

  She pleaded with her boss to give her leave next week.

• Подсудимый просил о более мягком приговоре, ссылаясь на смягчающие обстоятельства.

  The defendant pleaded for a lighter sentence, citing mitigating circumstances.

• В письме он просил помощи от старых друзей.

  In the letter, he pleaded for help from old friends.

• Жители просили власти улучшить дороги в их районе.

  The residents pleaded with the authorities to improve the roads in their area.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'умолять' and 'просить' are first-conjugation verbs in Russian, which means they follow regular patterns but have some irregularities in certain forms. Russian verbs change based on tense, aspect, person, and number.

Note: These verbs are imperfective by nature. For completed actions, perfective forms like 'умолить' (to have pleaded) or 'попросить' (to have requested) might be used, which have their own conjugations.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: молить (to beg, similar to умолять but more archaic), взмолиться (to implore desperately)
• Antonyms: требовать (to demand, implies insistence rather than pleading)

Explanation: 'Молить' is often used in religious or poetic contexts, making it a nuanced synonym for 'умолять'. 'Требовать' contrasts by conveying authority.

Related Phrases:

• Умолять на коленях - (To plead on one's knees; used for extreme desperation in emotional appeals.)
• Просить пощады - (To plead for mercy; common in legal or conflict scenarios.)
• Просить руки и сердца - (To plead for someone's hand in marriage; a traditional phrase for proposals.)

Usage Notes:

'Plead' in English often carries a sense of urgency or formality, which aligns closely with 'умолять' for emotional contexts and 'просить' for general requests. Choose 'умолять' when the plea is heartfelt and dramatic, as in literature or personal stories, but opt for 'просить' in everyday or legal situations to avoid overstatement. Be mindful of Russian's aspect system: use imperfective forms for ongoing actions and perfective for completed ones. In formal writing, these verbs may require agreement with gender and number.

Common Errors:

• Confusing 'умолять' and 'просить': English learners often use 'умолять' interchangeably with 'просить', but the former implies desperation. Error: "Я прошу тебя вернуться" when meaning a desperate plea. Correct: "Я умоляю тебя вернуться". Explanation: This overgeneralizes; 'просить' is milder.

• Incorrect conjugation: Forgetting gender agreement in past tense, e.g., saying "Она умолял" instead of "Она умоляла". Error: "Она умолял." Correct: "Она умоляла." Explanation: Russian past tense verbs must match the subject's gender.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, pleading (e.g., 'умолять') often appears in literature and folklore as a symbol of humility or desperation, as seen in works by Tolstoy or Dostoevsky. It reflects the cultural value of emotional expressiveness, where such pleas can signify deep personal bonds or societal pleas for justice, contrasting with more reserved Western norms.

Related Concepts:

• просьба (request)
• мольба (supplication or plea)
• заявление (application or formal plea)