Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'reduce'

English Word: reduce

Key Russian Translations:

• сократить [sɐˈkratʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, commonly used in official or business contexts]
• уменьшить [uˈmʲenʲɪʂʲɪtʲ] - [Common, versatile for everyday situations]
• снизить [snʲɪˈzʲɪtʲ] - [Informal, especially for quantities or levels]

Frequency: Medium (The verb 'reduce' and its Russian equivalents are frequently encountered in discussions about economics, health, and daily life, but not as common as basic verbs like 'eat' or 'go').

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; learners at this level can grasp basic conjugations, but irregular aspects may require practice. For 'сократить', it's B1; for 'уменьшить', it's A2 due to its regularity).

Pronunciation (Russian):

сократить: [sɐˈkratʲɪtʲ]

уменьшить: [uˈmʲenʲɪʂʲɪtʲ]

снизить: [snʲɪˈzʲɪtʲ]

Note on сократить: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the palatalized 'тʲ' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. Variations in fast speech may soften the consonants.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To make something smaller in size, amount, or degree (e.g., reducing costs or quantities).

Translation(s) & Context:

• сократить - Used in formal contexts like business reports or official documents to indicate cutting back.
• уменьшить - Common in everyday conversations, such as discussing diet or expenses.
• снизить - Often applied to levels, like prices or temperatures, in informal settings.

Usage Examples:

• Мы сократили бюджет на 20%, чтобы сэкономить ресурсы.

  We reduced the budget by 20% to save resources.

• Она уменьшила порцию еды, чтобы похудеть.

  She reduced the portion of food to lose weight.

• Правительство снизило налоги для стимулирования экономики.

  The government reduced taxes to stimulate the economy.

• Врач посоветовал сократить потребление сахара для здоровья.

  The doctor advised reducing sugar intake for health reasons.

Meaning 2: To simplify or bring to a more basic form (e.g., reducing a complex idea).

Translation(s) & Context:

• сократить - In academic or technical contexts, implying condensation without losing essence.
• уменьшить - Less common here; used if emphasizing scale reduction.

Usage Examples:

• Ученый сократил сложную теорию до простого объяснения.

  The scientist reduced the complex theory to a simple explanation.

• В отчете мы уменьшили текст, чтобы он был более лаконичным.

  In the report, we reduced the text to make it more concise.

• Этот метод позволяет сократить уравнение до базовой формы.

  This method allows reducing the equation to its basic form.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are primarily verbs, which in Russian undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number. 'Сократить' and 'снизить' are perfective verbs, while 'уменьшить' can be used in both perfective and imperfective forms. Russian verbs often have imperfective counterparts for ongoing actions.

Note: These verbs do not change in a highly irregular way, but pay attention to gender agreement in past tense.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • урезать (urézáť) - More abrupt reduction, often for budgets.
  • сокращать (sokrášćát') - Imperfective form, implying ongoing process.
• Antonyms:
  • увеличить (uvelíčit') - To increase.
  • повысить (povysít') - To raise or elevate.

Related Phrases:

• сократить расходы - To cut expenses; commonly used in financial planning.
• уменьшить дозу - To reduce the dose; relevant in medical contexts.
• снизить скорость - To lower speed; often in driving or safety discussions.

Usage Notes:

'Reduce' in English often corresponds to 'сократить' for formal, one-time actions, while 'уменьшить' is more general and can replace it in casual speech. Be mindful of aspect in Russian: use perfective forms like these for completed actions. In formal writing, 'сократить' pairs well with nouns like 'бюджет' (budget). English learners should note that Russian verbs require agreement with subject gender in the past tense, which has no direct equivalent in English.

• Avoid overusing 'снизить' for non-quantitative reductions, as it implies a decrease in level.
• When choosing between translations, consider context: 'сократить' for textual or structural reduction, 'уменьшить' for physical quantities.

Common Errors:

One common mistake is confusing aspect: English speakers might use the imperfective form incorrectly. For example, saying "Я сокращаю еду" (I am reducing food) when intending a completed action; correct is "Я сократил еду" for past completion. Another error is gender agreement: "Она сократить" instead of "Она сократила" – the correct past form must match the subject's gender. Explanation: Russian verbs in the past tense inflect for gender, unlike English, so always check the subject.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, phrases like 'сократить расходы' are prevalent in discussions about economic hardships, reflecting historical contexts like the Soviet era's resource constraints. This can carry connotations of necessity and resilience, emphasizing practicality over excess.

Related Concepts:

• экономия (ékonomíja) - Economy or savings.
• понизить (panízit') - To lower, related to reduction in status or value.
• сжать (sžát') - To compress, often metaphorical for reducing space or time.