Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'recognise'

English Word: recognise

Key Russian Translations:

• узнавать [ʊznɐˈvatʲ] - [Verb, Imperfective, Informal; used for recognizing people or things in everyday contexts]
• распознавать [rɐspɐˈznavatʲ] - [Verb, Imperfective, Formal; used in technical or analytical contexts, such as recognizing patterns or objects]
• признавать [prʲɪzˈnavatʲ] - [Verb, Imperfective, Formal; used for acknowledging or officially recognizing something, e.g., rights or achievements]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in daily conversations and formal writing, but not as ubiquitous as basic verbs like "to be" or "to have")

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb aspects and conjugations, which can vary by translation—e.g., 'узнавать' is straightforward for intermediates, while 'распознавать' may challenge beginners due to its technical nuance)

Pronunciation (Russian):

узнавать: [ʊznɐˈvatʲ]

распознавать: [rɐspɐˈznavatʲ]

признавать: [prʲɪzˈnavatʲ]

Note on узнавать: The stress falls on the third syllable, and the 'в' sound can soften in casual speech; be cautious with the palatalized 'тʲ' which is a common point of difficulty for English speakers.

Note on распознавать: This word has a rolling 'р' sound, which might require practice; it's often pronounced more deliberately in formal settings.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To identify or know someone or something from previous experience

Translation(s) & Context:

• узнавать - Used in informal, everyday situations, such as recognizing a friend in a crowd.
• распознавать - Used in more analytical contexts, like recognizing a face in software.

Usage Examples:

• Я узнаю его по голосу. (Ya uznavayu ego po golosu.)

  I recognize him by his voice. (This example shows the verb in a simple present context, highlighting auditory recognition.)

• Она всегда узнаёт меня в толпе. (Ona vsegda uznavayet menya v tolpе.)

  She always recognizes me in the crowd. (Demonstrates the verb with a direct object in a social setting.)

• Программа распознаёт лица на фотографиях. (Programma raspoznavaet litsa na fotografiyakh.)

  The program recognizes faces in photos. (Illustrates technical usage, emphasizing pattern recognition.)

• Мы узнаём старых друзей на встречах. (My uznavayem starikh druzey na vstrechakh.)

  We recognize old friends at gatherings. (Shows plural subject and habitual action.)

Meaning 2: To acknowledge or accept something as valid or true

Translation(s) & Context:

• признавать - Used in formal or official contexts, such as recognizing a country's independence.

Usage Examples:

• Правительство признаёт его заслуги. (Pravitelstvo priznavaet ego zaslugi.)

  The government recognizes his achievements. (This example highlights formal acknowledgment in a professional context.)

• Мы признаём ошибки и учимся на них. (My priznayem oshibki i uchimsya na nih.)

  We recognize mistakes and learn from them. (Demonstrates the verb in a reflective, personal development scenario.)

• Международное сообщество признаёт её права. (Mezhdunarodnoye soobshchestvo priznavaet yeyo prava.)

  The international community recognizes her rights. (Shows usage in global or legal contexts.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations are imperfective verbs, which means they describe ongoing or repeated actions. Russian verbs change based on tense, aspect, person, number, and gender. Below is a table for 'узнавать' as an example; similar patterns apply to others with slight variations.

Note: 'распознавать' and 'признавать' follow similar conjugation patterns but may have irregularities in certain forms due to prefixes.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• опознавать (opoznavat') - More specific to identification, e.g., in forensic contexts.
• идентифицировать (identifitsirovat') - Formal synonym, often used in technical fields.

Antonyms:

• забывать (zabyvat') - To forget.
• не признавать (ne priznavat') - To not acknowledge.

Related Phrases:

• узнавать в лицо (uznavat' v litso) - To recognize by face; often used in security or social contexts.
• распознавать речь (raspoznavat' rech') - To recognize speech; refers to voice or language recognition technology.
• признавать вину (priznavat' vinu) - To recognize guilt; common in legal phrases.

Usage Notes:

The English word 'recognise' often corresponds to 'узнавать' in casual settings, but choose 'распознавать' for scientific or technological contexts to maintain precision. Be mindful of aspect in Russian: use imperfective forms like these for ongoing actions, and pair with perfective counterparts (e.g., 'узнать' for a completed recognition). In formal writing, 'признавать' is preferred for official acknowledgment. English speakers should note that Russian verbs conjugate based on subject, so always adjust endings accordingly.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'узнавать' in formal contexts where 'признавать' is more appropriate, e.g., saying "Я узнаваю его права" instead of "Я признаю его права". Correct: The former implies casual identification, while the latter means official recognition. Explanation: This confuses the nuances of context, leading to misunderstandings in professional settings.

• Error: Forgetting verb conjugation, e.g., saying "Я узнавать" instead of "Я узнаю". Correct: "Я узнаю" (I recognize). Explanation: Russian requires subject-verb agreement, which English speakers often overlook due to English's simpler verb system.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'признавать' often carries a deeper connotation of moral or historical acknowledgment, such as recognizing the contributions of historical figures during national holidays. This reflects Russia's emphasis on collective memory and state-endorsed narratives, which can influence how recognition is expressed in everyday language.

Related Concepts:

• памятать (pamyatat') - To remember
• идентификация (identifikatsiya) - Identification
• признание (priznaniye) - Acknowledgment