Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'prosper'

English Word: prosper

Key Russian Translations:

• процветать (/prəˈsvʲe.tətʲ/) - [Formal, often used in contexts of economic or long-term success]
• успевать (/uˈspʲe.vətʲ/) - [Informal, Plural forms possible, used for personal achievements or daily progress]

Frequency: Medium (Common in formal writing, news, and economic discussions, but less frequent in everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate for 'процветать'; A2 for 'успевать' if focusing on basic verb conjugation, as per CEFR standards)

Pronunciation (Russian):

процветать: /prəˈsvʲe.tətʲ/ (Stress on the second syllable; the 'ц' sound is a voiceless alveolar affricate, which may be challenging for English speakers)

Note on процветать: The verb has a soft 'т' sound at the end in some regional dialects, but standard pronunciation maintains /tʲ/. Pay attention to the vowel shifts in inflected forms.

успевать: /uˈspʲe.vətʲ/ (Stress on the second syllable; the initial 'у' is a short vowel, similar to 'oo' in "book")

Note on успевать: This verb often involves aspectual pairs; it's imperfective, so pair it with perfective forms like "успеть" for completed actions.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To succeed or thrive, especially in economic or personal contexts

Translation(s) & Context:

• процветать - Used in formal or professional settings, such as discussing national economies or business growth; implies sustained success.
• успевать - Applied in informal, everyday contexts, like managing time or achieving goals; can imply catching up or keeping pace.

Usage Examples:

• Экономика страны процветает благодаря новым реформам.

  The country's economy is prospering thanks to new reforms. (Demonstrates formal use in economic contexts.)

• Молодой предприниматель успевает развивать свой бизнес в сложных условиях.

  The young entrepreneur is managing to prosper with his business in challenging conditions. (Shows informal use with personal achievement.)

• Город процветает, но жители всё равно жалуются на проблемы.

  The city is prospering, but residents still complain about issues. (Illustrates contrast in a broader societal context.)

• Чтобы успевать в карьере, нужно уметь балансировать между работой и отдыхом.

  To prosper in your career, you need to balance work and rest. (Highlights daily life application with imperative mood.)

• Благодаря инвестициям, компания процветает и расширяется на новые рынки.

  Thanks to investments, the company is prospering and expanding into new markets. (Emphasizes growth in a business scenario.)

To flourish or grow abundantly (e.g., in a metaphorical sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• процветать - Often metaphorical, as in cultural or natural growth; formal and literary.

Usage Examples:

• Цветы в саду процветают под летним солнцем.

  The flowers in the garden are prospering under the summer sun. (Shows metaphorical use for natural growth.)

• Культура процветает в эпоху инноваций.

  Culture is prospering in an era of innovations. (Demonstrates abstract, societal application.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both translations are verbs, with 'процветать' being imperfective and 'успевать' also imperfective. Russian verbs follow patterns of conjugation based on aspect, tense, and person. 'Процветать' is from the first conjugation group and has regular inflections, while 'успевать' is also regular but may vary slightly in aspectual pairs.

Note: These verbs do not have irregular inflections but must agree with subject gender and number in past tense forms.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • развиваться (razvivát'sya) - Implies gradual development; often used for personal or professional growth.
  • преуспевать (preuspevát') - Focuses on achieving success; more formal than успевать.
• Antonyms:
  • страдать (stradát') - Means to suffer or decline.
  • деградировать (degradírovat') - Implies deterioration or regression.

Related Phrases:

• экономически процветать - Economically prosper; used in discussions of financial stability.
• процветать в бизнесе - To prosper in business; a common phrase for entrepreneurial success.
• успевать за временем - To keep up with the times; implies adapting and thriving in modern contexts.

Usage Notes:

'Процветать' is the most direct equivalent to 'prosper' in formal English-Russian translation, often carrying a connotation of long-term, sustainable success, whereas 'успевать' is better for dynamic or time-sensitive scenarios. Use 'процветать' in written or official contexts, like reports, and 'успевать' in spoken language. Be mindful of aspect: pair with perfective verbs (e.g., процвести for completed prosperity) for accurate tense usage. English speakers should note that Russian verbs require agreement in person, number, and gender, which can affect sentence structure.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'процветать' interchangeably with 'успевать' without considering context. Incorrect: "Я успеваю в карьере" when meaning long-term success. Correct: "Я процветаю в карьере" for sustained prosperity. Explanation: 'Успевать' implies ongoing effort, not enduring success, leading to semantic mismatches.
• Mistake: Forgetting aspect pairs. Incorrect: "Я процветаю вчера" (grammatically wrong). Correct: "Я процветал вчера" (past tense). Explanation: Russian verbs must be conjugated properly for time, unlike English 'prosper', which doesn't always specify aspect.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'процветать' often appears in historical or national contexts, such as references to the Soviet era's economic policies or modern discussions of post-Soviet recovery. It carries a subtle patriotic undertone, symbolizing resilience and growth amidst challenges, which reflects Russia's emphasis on collective prosperity over individual success.

Related Concepts:

• успех (úspekh) - Success
• развитие (razvitíye) - Development
• благосостояние (blagosos toyániye) - Well-being or prosperity