Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'prevent'

English Word: prevent

Key Russian Translations:

• Предотвращать [prʲɪdɐˈtvrascətʲ] - [Formal, often used in contexts involving stopping events or risks]
• Предупреждать [prʲɪduˈprʲɛʐdətʲ] - [Formal, implies preventive action through warning, e.g., in safety or health]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in formal writing, news, and professional contexts, but less frequent in everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of verb conjugations and formal vocabulary; Предотвращать may be B2 due to its complexity, while Предупреждать is more straightforward at B1)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Предотвращать: [prʲɪdɐˈtvrascətʲ]

Note on Предотвращать: This verb has stress on the third syllable ("tvr"), which can be tricky for learners due to the consonant cluster; it often softens in spoken Russian.

Audio: []

Предупреждать: [prʲɪduˈprʲɛʐdətʲ]

Note on Предупреждать: Stress falls on the second syllable ("du"), and the "zh" sound is a soft fricative; common in imperative forms for warnings.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To stop something from happening (primary meaning of 'prevent')

Translation(s) & Context:

• Предотвращать - Used in formal contexts like medicine, law, or disaster prevention, e.g., preventing a crime or disease outbreak.
• Предупреждать - Applied when prevention involves forewarning, such as in safety protocols or everyday precautions.

Usage Examples:

• Правительство должно предотвращать экологические катастрофы с помощью строгих законов.

  The government must prevent ecological disasters through strict laws.

• Врачи рекомендуют предупреждать болезни с помощью вакцинации.

  Doctors recommend preventing diseases through vaccination.

• Эти меры помогут предотвратить финансовый кризис в стране.

  These measures will help prevent a financial crisis in the country.

• Родители должны предупреждать детей о опасностях интернета.

  Parents should prevent children from internet dangers by warning them.

• Система безопасности предотвращает несанкционированный доступ к зданию.

  The security system prevents unauthorized access to the building.

To hinder or obstruct (secondary or contextual meaning)

Translation(s) & Context:

• Предотвращать - In contexts where obstruction is proactive, e.g., preventing progress in a debate.

Usage Examples:

• Его действия предотвратили успешное проведение мероприятия.

  His actions prevented the successful holding of the event.

• Предупреждать проблемы на ранней стадии — ключ к успеху.

  Preventing problems at an early stage is the key to success.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs and follow Russian conjugation patterns. "Предотвращать" and "Предупреждать" are imperfective verbs, which means they express ongoing or repeated actions. Russian verbs change based on tense, aspect, person, number, and mood. Below is a conjugation table for "Предотвращать" in the present tense; "Предупреждать" follows a similar pattern but with its own irregularities.

For "Предупреждать": It is irregular in some forms, e.g., past tense: предупреждал (masc.), предупреждала (fem.). These verbs do not change in aspect without a perfective counterpart (e.g., предотвратить for "prevent" in a completed sense). If the verb is used in other tenses, consult a full conjugation chart.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Мешать (to hinder; less formal, implies interference)
  • Препятствовать (to obstruct; more legalistic)
• Antonyms:
  • Позволять (to allow)
  • Способствовать (to facilitate; often used in positive contexts)

Related Phrases:

• Предотвращать катастрофу (To prevent a catastrophe; used in emergency or disaster contexts)
• Предупреждать о опасности (To warn about danger; common in safety instructions)
• Меры по предотвращению преступности (Measures for preventing crime; formal phrase in law enforcement)

Usage Notes:

Choose "Предотвращать" for actions that actively stop something from occurring, similar to the English "prevent" in proactive contexts like health or security. "Предупреждать" is better when prevention involves notification or early intervention, which may overlap with "warn" in English. Both are formal; avoid in casual speech where simpler verbs like "мешать" might suffice. Grammatically, these are imperfective verbs, so pair them with ongoing actions; for completed actions, use perfective forms like "предотвратить". English learners should note that Russian verbs require agreement in person and number, which can affect sentence structure.

Common Errors:

• Confusing "Предотвращать" with "Предупреждать": Learners often use "Предупреждать" when "Предотвращать" is needed for physical prevention. Error: "Я предупреждал аварию" (incorrect, as it implies only warning). Correct: "Я предотвратил аварию" (using the perfective form). Explanation: "Предупреждать" focuses on warning, not stopping, so choose based on context.

• Overlooking conjugation: Beginners might say "Я предотвращать" instead of "Я предотвращаю". Error: Incorrect infinitive use. Correct: Conjugate properly as above. Explanation: Russian verbs must be inflected; practice with tables to avoid this.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "Предотвращать" are heavily emphasized in contexts such as public health campaigns (e.g., preventing epidemics like COVID-19) or historical events (e.g., preventing wars). This reflects a cultural value on preparedness and collective action, influenced by Russia's history of crises, making these terms not just linguistic but socially significant.

Related Concepts:

• Защита (Protection)
• Профилактика (Prophylaxis or prevention in medical terms)
• Безопасность (Safety)