Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'quell'

English Word: quell

Key Russian Translations:

• Подавить [pə.dɐˈvʲitʲ] - [Formal, often used in contexts of suppression or control]
• Успокоить [us.pɐˈko.itʲ] - [Informal, typically for emotional or situational calming]

Frequency: Medium (The verb 'quell' and its Russian equivalents are commonly used in news, literature, and everyday discussions, but not as ubiquitous as basic verbs like 'to be' or 'to go').

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and context-specific usage in Russian. For 'Подавить', it may lean towards B2 due to its formal connotations, while 'Успокоить' is more straightforward at B1.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Подавить: [pə.dɐˈvʲitʲ] (Stress on the third syllable; the 'вʲ' sound is a soft 'v', which can be challenging for English speakers due to its palatalization.)

Note on Подавить: Be mindful of the soft sign (ʲ) which affects the preceding consonant, making it sound more like a 'v' followed by a subtle 'y' glide. Practice with native speakers to master this.

Успокоить: [us.pɐˈko.itʲ] (Stress on the third syllable; the final 'tʲ' is also palatalized, similar to a soft 't'.)

Note on Успокоить: This word often involves a smooth flow in spoken Russian; the 'o' sounds are more open, and it's commonly used in everyday speech.

Audio: []

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To suppress or crush, often referring to rebellion, protests, or strong opposition (e.g., in political or social contexts).

Translation(s) & Context:

• Подавить - Used in formal or serious contexts, such as quelling a riot or suppressing dissent.

Usage Examples:

• Правительство быстро подавило восстание, чтобы восстановить порядок в городе.

  The government quickly quelled the uprising to restore order in the city.

• Полиция вмешалась и подавила беспорядки на улицах.

  The police intervened and quelled the riots on the streets.

• Власти подавили любые попытки протеста во время выборов.

  The authorities quelled any attempts at protest during the elections.

• Чтобы подавить мятеж, армия была мобилизована в кратчайшие сроки.

  To quell the rebellion, the army was mobilized in the shortest time possible.

Meaning 2: To calm or pacify, especially emotions, fears, or excitement (e.g., in personal or psychological contexts).

Translation(s) & Context:

• Успокоить - Applied in informal settings, like soothing someone's nerves or quieting a crowd.

Usage Examples:

• Она успокрила своих детей, рассказав им успокаивающую историю перед сном.

  She quelled her children's fears by telling them a soothing story before bed.

• Доктор успокил пациента, объяснив, что операция прошла успешно.

  The doctor quelled the patient's anxiety by explaining that the surgery went well.

• Музыка помогла мне успокоить мысли после напряженного дня.

  Music helped me quell my thoughts after a stressful day.

• Он успел успокоить толпу, прежде чем ситуация вышла из-под контроля.

  He managed to quell the crowd before the situation got out of hand.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'Подавить' and 'Успокоить' are Russian verbs, which follow the standard conjugation patterns for imperfective and perfective aspects. 'Подавить' is a perfective verb (indicating completion), while 'Успокоить' can be both perfective and imperfective in derived forms. Russian verbs inflect based on tense, aspect, mood, person, and number.

Note: These verbs do not have irregular inflections but follow the first conjugation group. For 'Успокоить', the imperfective form 'успокаивать' is often used for habitual actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Подавить: Угасить (to extinguish, especially for fires or passions)
  • Успокоить: Утишить (to quieten, with a nuance of making something less intense)
• Antonyms:
  • Подавить: Разжечь (to ignite or stir up)
  • Успокоить: Возбудить (to excite or agitate)

Related Phrases:

• Подавить восстание - To quell a rebellion; used in historical or political contexts to describe suppressing uprisings.
• Успокоить нервы - To quell nerves; a common phrase for calming anxiety in everyday situations.
• Подавить эмоции - To quell emotions; refers to suppressing feelings, often in professional settings.

Usage Notes:

'Quell' corresponds closely to 'Подавить' in formal contexts like law enforcement or politics, where a sense of force is implied. For emotional calming, 'Успокоить' is more appropriate and aligns with informal English uses. Be cautious with aspect in Russian: use perfective forms like 'Подавить' for completed actions and imperfective for ongoing ones. In spoken Russian, these verbs often appear in narratives or advice, but avoid overusing them in casual conversation to prevent sounding overly dramatic.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing 'Подавить' with 'Успокоить' and using 'Подавить' for emotional contexts. Incorrect: "Я подавил свой страх" (implies forcefully suppressing, which sounds unnatural). Correct: "Я успокоил свой страх" (more natural for calming fears). Explanation: 'Подавить' connotes suppression with effort, while 'Успокоить' is gentler.
• Error: Incorrect verb conjugation in past tense. Incorrect: "Он подавить вчера" (missing past tense form). Correct: "Он подавил вчера" (proper past tense). Explanation: Russian verbs must agree in gender, number, and tense, which English learners often overlook.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'Подавить' often evoke historical contexts, such as the suppression of revolutions in the 20th century (e.g., under Soviet rule). This can carry a connotation of state control, making it sensitive in discussions about politics. Conversely, 'Успокоить' is more neutral and reflects the Russian emphasis on emotional resilience in daily life, as seen in literature like Tolstoy's works where characters strive to quell inner turmoil.

Related Concepts:

• Восстание (uprising)
• Эмоции (emotions)
• Контроль (control)