Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'recall'

English Word: recall

Key Russian Translations:

• вспомнить /vspɐˈmnʲitʲ/ - [Informal, Verb; used for remembering something suddenly]
• отозвать /ɐtɐzˈvatʲ/ - [Formal, Verb; used for calling back, e.g., a product or an order]
• воспоминание /vəspəmʲɪˈnanʲɪjə/ - [Neutral, Noun; refers to a memory or recollection]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday conversation and formal contexts, but not as frequent as basic verbs like "сказать")

Difficulty: B1 for 'вспомнить' and 'отозвать' (Intermediate level, requiring understanding of verb conjugations); A2 for 'воспоминание' (Basic level, as it's a straightforward noun)

Pronunciation (Russian):

вспомнить: /vspɐˈmnʲitʲ/ (The 'м' is palatalized, and stress falls on the third syllable; pronounce with a soft 'н')

Note on вспомина́ть (imperfective form): Often confused with perfective 'вспомнить'; the imperfective is /vspɐmʲɪˈnatʲ/, used for ongoing remembering.

Audio: Listen to 'вспомнить'

отозвать: /ɐtɐzˈvatʲ/ (Stress on the second syllable; the 'з' is voiced and can vary slightly in rapid speech)

Note on отзыва́ть: Imperfective form is /ɐtɐzˈvatʲ/ as well, but context determines usage; watch for vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.

Audio: Listen to 'отозвать'

воспоминание: /vəspəmʲɪˈnanʲɪjə/ (Stress on the fourth syllable; the ending changes in different cases, affecting pronunciation)

Note on воспоминание: The soft sign 'ь' in 'мь' indicates palatalization, which is a common challenge for English speakers.

Audio: Listen to 'воспоминание'

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To remember or bring something to mind (Verb, as in recalling a memory)

Translation(s) & Context:

• вспомнить - Used in informal or everyday contexts for sudden recollection, e.g., in conversations or personal narratives.

Usage Examples:

• Я вдруг вспомнил, где оставил ключи. (Ya vdrug vspomnil, gde ostavil klyuchi.)

  I suddenly recalled where I left the keys. (Demonstrates use in a simple past context for a sudden memory.)

• Когда я увидел фото, я сразу вспомнил наше путешествие. (Kogda ya uvidel foto, ya srazu vspomnil nashe puteshestvie.)

  When I saw the photo, I immediately recalled our trip. (Shows use with visual triggers in narrative speech.)

• Она не может вспомнить имена всех гостей. (Ona ne mozhet vspomnit' imena vsekh gostey.)

  She can't recall the names of all the guests. (Illustrates negative form in everyday forgetfulness.)

• Вспомни, что мы обещали друг другу! (Vspomni, chto my obeshchali drug drugu!)

  Recall what we promised each other! (Used imperatively to urge memory in emotional contexts.)

Meaning 2: To call back or withdraw something (Verb, as in a product recall)

Translation(s) & Context:

• отозвать - Used in formal or official contexts, such as business or legal settings, for revoking or recalling items.

Usage Examples:

• Компания отозвала дефектные товары из магазинов. (Kompaniya otozvala defektnye tovary iz magazinov.)

  The company recalled the defective products from stores. (Demonstrates use in a commercial context.)

• Правительство отозвало посла из-за дипломатического конфликта. (Pravitel'stvo otozvalo posla iz-za diplomaticheskogo konflikta.)

  The government recalled the ambassador due to a diplomatic conflict. (Shows use in international relations.)

• Ему пришлось отозвать своё заявление. (Yemu prishlos' otozvat' svoyo zayavlenie.)

  He had to recall his statement. (Illustrates use in personal or professional corrections.)

Meaning 3: A memory or act of remembering (Noun)

Translation(s) & Context:

• воспоминание - Used in neutral contexts for nostalgic or reflective discussions.

Usage Examples:

• Это воспоминание всегда вызывает улыбку. (Eto vospominanie vsegda vyzyvaet ulibku.)

  This recollection always brings a smile. (Demonstrates use in emotional, positive contexts.)

• В её дневнике полны воспоминаний о детстве. (V yeyo dnevike polny vospominaniy o detstve.)

  Her diary is full of recollections from childhood. (Shows use in literary or personal writing.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'вспомнить' (perfective verb), it follows irregular patterns based on Russian verb conjugation. The imperfective form is 'вспоминать'.

Form	вспомнить (Perfective)	вспоминать (Imperfective)
Infinitive	вспомнить	вспоминать
Past (m/f/n)	вспомнил / вспомнила / вспомнило	вспоминал / вспоминала / вспоминало
Future	вспомню, вспомнишь, etc.	буду вспоминать

For 'отозвать' (perfective verb), it is conjugated regularly as a first-conjugation verb.

Form	отозвать
Infinitive	отозвать
Past (m/f/n)	отозвал / отозвала / отозвало
Imperative	отзови

For 'воспоминание' (neuter noun, 2nd declension), it changes by case and number but is regular:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	воспоминание	воспоминания
Genitive	воспоминания	воспоминаний

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms for вспомнить: припомнить (to call to mind), вспоминать (to remember ongoingly)
• Synonyms for отозвать: вернуть (to return), забрать (to take back; slight nuance in formality)
• Synonyms for воспоминание: память (memory; more general), реминисценция (reminiscence; literary context)
• Antonyms for вспомнить: забыть (to forget)
• Antonyms for отозвать: выпустить (to release)
• Antonyms for воспоминание: забвение (oblivion)

Related Phrases:

• Вспомнить прошлое - To recall the past (Used in reflective or nostalgic contexts.)
• Отозвать товар - To recall a product (Common in consumer safety discussions.)
• Сладкое воспоминание - A sweet recollection (Often in romantic or sentimental phrases.)

Usage Notes:

'Вспомнить' directly corresponds to the English 'recall' in memory contexts but is perfective, implying completion, unlike the more ongoing 'вспоминать'. Choose 'отозвать' for formal recalls, such as in business, to match precise English usage. Be mindful of aspect in Russian verbs, as English 'recall' can be ambiguous. In informal speech, 'вспомнить' is versatile but avoid it in legal documents where 'отозвать' is preferred.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'вспомнить' interchangeably with 'вспоминать' without considering aspect. Incorrect: Я вспоминаю вчера. Correct: Я вспомнил вчера (for a completed action). Explanation: Russian verbs have perfective and imperfective forms; mix-ups can alter the meaning.
• Error: Misconjugating 'отозвать' in past tense. Incorrect: Он отозвала. Correct: Он отозвал. Explanation: Gender agreement is crucial; use masculine form for male subjects.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'воспоминание' often carries emotional weight, especially in literature and folklore, where recalling the past (e.g., in works by Pushkin) symbolizes nostalgia or loss. This reflects Russia's historical emphasis on memory and heritage, such as in Victory Day celebrations where personal recollections are shared.

Related Concepts:

• память (memory)
• забыть (to forget)
• восстановление (restoration, as in recalling data)