Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'procrastinate'

English Word: procrastinate

Key Russian Translations:

• откладывать (/ɐtkləˈdavətʲ/) - [Informal, Verb]
• прокрастинация (/prəkrastinatsija/) - [Formal, Noun]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday conversations, psychology, and self-improvement contexts, but not as frequent as basic verbs like "делать").

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations for "откладывать" and noun forms for "прокрастинация". For "откладывать", difficulty may vary based on familiarity with imperfective verbs; for "прокрастинация", it's straightforward as a borrowed term.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

откладывать: /ɐtkləˈdavətʲ/

Note on откладывать: The stress falls on the third syllable ("dav-"), which is a common challenge for English speakers due to Russian's mobile stress patterns. Pronounce the "т" as a soft "tʲ" sound, similar to the "t" in "nature".

прокрастинация: /prəkrastinatsija/

Note on прокрастинация: This is a loanword from English, so pronunciation is relatively straightforward, but ensure the final "ja" is soft and palatalized, like the "ya" in "yard".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To delay or postpone action unnecessarily, often due to indecision or laziness.

Translation(s) & Context:

• откладывать - Used in informal, everyday contexts for habitual or ongoing procrastination, such as in personal productivity discussions.
• прокрастинация - Applied in more formal or psychological contexts, like self-help books or therapy, to describe the concept as a noun.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда откладывает важные задачи на потом, потому что не любит начинать работу рано.

  He always procrastinates on important tasks until later because he doesn't like starting work early.

• Не откладывай это решение; лучше сделать всё сразу, чтобы избежать проблем.

  Don't procrastinate on this decision; it's better to do everything at once to avoid problems.

• Прокрастинация часто приводит к стрессу, особенно у студентов во время экзаменов.

  Procrastination often leads to stress, especially among students during exams.

• Она боролась с прокрастинацией, устанавливая ежедневные напоминания в календаре.

  She fought procrastination by setting daily reminders in her calendar.

• Вместо того чтобы откладывать поездку, он решил забронировать билеты немедленно.

  Instead of procrastinating on the trip, he decided to book the tickets immediately.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For "откладывать" (an imperfective verb), it follows standard Russian verb conjugation patterns for first-conjugation verbs. It is irregular in some aspects due to its prefix, but generally predictable.

For "прокрастинация" (a feminine noun, first declension), it is relatively invariable in its base form but changes by case and number as follows:

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: задерживать (to delay, more neutral); медлить (to dawdle, implies slowness); откладывать на потом (a phrase for habitual delay). Note: "задерживать" is often used in formal contexts like scheduling, while "медлить" emphasizes hesitation.
• Antonyms: спешить (to hurry); действовать немедленно (to act immediately).

Related Phrases:

• Откладывать на потом - A common idiom meaning "to put off until later," often used in casual advice about productivity.
• Борьба с прокрастинацией - Refers to "fighting procrastination," typically in self-improvement contexts like motivation seminars.
• Хроническая прокрастинация - Means "chronic procrastination," used in psychological discussions to describe persistent behavior.

Usage Notes:

"Откладывать" directly corresponds to the verb form of "procrastinate" and is ideal for describing ongoing actions, while "прокрастинация" is a noun that matches the conceptual noun form. Use "откладывать" in informal spoken Russian for everyday scenarios, but opt for "прокрастинация" in formal writing or when discussing psychology. Be mindful of aspect: "откладывать" is imperfective, implying repetition, so pair it with contexts involving habits. English speakers should note that Russian often requires specifying the object (e.g., "откладывать задачу" for "procrastinate on a task"). Choose between translations based on context—verb for actions, noun for concepts.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "откладывать" in the wrong tense, e.g., saying "откладывал" (past) when the context is present. Correct: Use "откладываешь" for present informal you. Explanation: Russian verbs must match tense precisely; this mistake can confuse the timeline of procrastination.
• Error: Confusing "прокрастинация" with similar nouns like "задержка" (delay). Correct: "Прокрастинация" specifically implies unproductive delay, while "задержка" is neutral. Explanation: English learners often overlook the psychological connotation, leading to imprecise usage in discussions.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, procrastination ("прокрастинация") is often linked to the concept of "авось" (a folk belief in luck or that things will work out without effort), which can exacerbate delaying behaviors. This reflects a historical reliance on fate in Russian literature and society, as seen in works by Chekhov, where characters frequently postpone decisions, highlighting themes of inertia and missed opportunities.

Related Concepts:

• Ленивость (laziness)
• Медлительность (slowness)
• Самодисциплина (self-discipline)