Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'predispose'

English Word: predispose

Key Russian Translations:

• предрасполагать (/prʲɪdrəspɐˈɫaɡətʲ/) - [Formal, used in medical or psychological contexts]

Frequency: Low (This word is not commonly used in everyday Russian conversation; it's more prevalent in specialized fields like medicine or psychology.)

Difficulty: B2 (Upper Intermediate; requires familiarity with complex verb conjugations and formal vocabulary, making it challenging for beginners but manageable for those with intermediate Russian skills.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

предрасполагать: /prʲɪdrəspɐˈɫaɡətʲ/

Note on предрасполагать: The stress falls on the fourth syllable (-ga-), which is a common point of difficulty for English speakers due to Russian's variable stress patterns. The initial 'prʲ' sound involves a palatalized 'r', which may require practice.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To make someone more likely or inclined to something, often in a medical or psychological sense (e.g., predisposing to a disease).

Translation(s) & Context:

• предрасполагать - Used in formal contexts, such as medical discussions, to indicate a factor that increases susceptibility.

Usage Examples:

• Этот ген может предрасполагать к развитию рака. (This gene may predispose to the development of cancer.)

  English: This gene may predispose to the development of cancer.

• Стресс часто предрасполагает людей к депрессии. (Stress often predisposes people to depression.)

  English: Stress often predisposes people to depression.

• Неправильное питание предрасполагает к сердечным заболеваниям. (Poor nutrition predisposes to heart diseases.)

  English: Poor nutrition predisposes to heart diseases.

• Генетические факторы предрасполагают к аллергиям в раннем возрасте. (Genetic factors predispose to allergies at an early age.)

  English: Genetic factors predispose to allergies at an early age.

Meaning 2: To influence or prepare someone in advance for a particular attitude or action.

Translation(s) & Context:

• предрасполагать - Applied in psychological or social contexts, emphasizing predisposition through external influences.

Usage Examples:

• Её опыт предрасполагает её к осторожности в отношениях. (Her experience predisposes her to caution in relationships.)

  English: Her experience predisposes her to caution in relationships.

• Образование предрасполагает молодёжь к инновационному мышлению. (Education predisposes youth to innovative thinking.)

  English: Education predisposes youth to innovative thinking.

• Семейные традиции предрасполагают детей к определённым ценностям. (Family traditions predispose children to certain values.)

  English: Family traditions predispose children to certain values.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

предрасполагать is a verb of the first conjugation in Russian, which means it follows regular patterns for most forms but can have irregularities in certain aspects. It is imperfective and requires the perfective counterpart for completed actions (e.g., предрасположить for a one-time event). Below is a table outlining its key inflections:

Note: This verb does not change for gender in the past tense except in agreement with the subject.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: склонять (/sklɐˈnʲatʲ/) - Often used interchangeably but implies more active persuasion; располагать (/rəspɐˈɫaɡətʲ/) - Suggests arranging or making favorable.
• Antonyms: защищать (/zɐʂɕɪˈʂatʲ/) - To protect or shield against; предотвращать (/prʲɪdbrʲeˈtaɕɪtʲ/) - To prevent or avert.

Related Phrases:

• предрасположенность к болезни - (Predisposition to illness; refers to inherent susceptibility in medical contexts.)
• предрасполагать к риску - (To predispose to risk; used in discussions about hazards or probabilities.)
• генетическая предрасположенность - (Genetic predisposition; a common phrase in health and genetics.)

Usage Notes:

предрасполагать directly corresponds to the English "predispose" in formal contexts, particularly in medicine and psychology, where it highlights factors that increase likelihood without implying certainty. Be mindful of its formal tone; in everyday speech, Russians might opt for simpler phrases like "делать склонным" (make inclined). When choosing between translations, use предрасполагать for precise, technical discussions. Grammatically, it must agree with the subject in number and gender in the past tense, and it's often paired with prepositions like "к" (to) for indicating the object of predisposition.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing предрасполагать with предрасположить (the perfective form), leading to misuse of aspect. For example, an English learner might say "Я предрасположил к болезни" when meaning an ongoing state, but it implies a completed action.
  Correct: Use предрасполагать for imperfective (ongoing) contexts, e.g., "Этот фактор предрасполагает к болезни."
• Error: Omitting the preposition "к" in phrases, e.g., saying "предрасполагать болезнь" instead of "предрасполагать к болезни."
  Correct: Always include "к" to indicate what the predisposition is towards, as in "предрасполагать к развитию."

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and language, words like предрасполагать are heavily influenced by scientific and medical discourse, reflecting Russia's strong emphasis on health and genetics in public education. For instance, discussions around genetic predispositions are common in media, often tied to historical events like the Soviet-era focus on biology, which can add a layer of scientific authority to conversations.

Related Concepts:

• риск (/rʲisk/)
• склонность (/sklɐnʲnɐsʲtʲ/)
• предрасположенность (/prʲɪdrəspɐlɐʐɛnʲnɐsʲtʲ/)