Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'reimburse'

English Word: reimburse

Key Russian Translations:

• возмещать [IPA: vɐzmʲɪˈʂatʲ] - [Formal, commonly used in business and legal contexts]
• компенсировать [IPA: kəmpʲɪnsʲɪˈravatʲ] - [Formal, often in financial or insurance settings]

Frequency: Medium (Frequently encountered in professional, financial, and administrative contexts, but less common in everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate for возмещать due to verb conjugation; B1 for компенсировать, as it follows more regular patterns, per CEFR standards)

Pronunciation (Russian):

возмещать: vɐzmʲɪˈʂatʲ

Note on возмещать: The 'щ' sound (as in ʂ) is a soft, palatalized 'sh' that can be challenging for English speakers; it sounds like a blend of 'sh' and 'ch'. Pronounce it with the tongue closer to the palate than in English 'sh'.

компенсировать: kəmpʲɪnsʲɪˈravatʲ

Note on компенсировать: The 'р' (r) is rolled, which is standard in Russian; focus on the soft 'н' (nʲ) for accurate pronunciation.

Audio: []

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To repay or compensate for expenses incurred

Translation(s) & Context:

• возмещать - Used in formal contexts such as business reimbursements, insurance claims, or official transactions.
• компенсировать - Applied in scenarios involving financial compensation, like workplace expenses or damages, often in written agreements.

Usage Examples:

• Компания возмещает сотрудникам командировочные расходы. (Kompaniya vozmeshchaet sotrudnikam komandirovochnyye rashody.)

  The company reimburses employees for business trip expenses. (This example shows возмещать in a corporate setting, highlighting its use with direct objects.)

• Я попрошу вас возмещать затраты на лечение. (Ya poproshu vas vozmeshchat' zatraty na lecheniye.)

  I will ask you to reimburse the medical costs. (Demonstrates возмещать in a personal or health-related context, with imperative implications.)

• Страховая компания компенсирует ущерб от аварии. (Strakhovaya kompaniya kompensiruet ushcherb ot avarii.)

  The insurance company will reimburse the damage from the accident. (Illustrates компенсировать in an insurance context, emphasizing financial recovery.)

• Мы должны компенсировать потерю времени. (My dolzhny kompensirovat' poteryu vremeni.)

  We need to reimburse for the lost time. (Shows компенсировать in a broader sense, including non-monetary compensation like time or effort.)

• Он возмещает долг через банк. (On vozmeshchaet dolg cherez bank.)

  He reimburses the debt through the bank. (This example uses возмещать with financial instruments, demonstrating its versatility in debt repayment.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs and follow Russian conjugation patterns. "возмещать" is an imperfective verb, while "компенсировать" is also imperfective but more regular. Below are key inflections:

Note: "возмещать" has irregular aspects in some forms due to its root, while "компенсировать" is more predictable. These verbs do not change for number in the infinitive but conjugate fully in tenses.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • вернуть (vernuty) - More literal for "return," often used interchangeably in simple repayment contexts.
  • оплатить (oplatit') - Emphasizes payment, with subtle differences in implying full settlement.
• Antonyms:
  • не платить (ne platit') - Simply means "not to pay," contrasting with any form of reimbursement.
  • отказать (otkazat') - Means "to refuse," often in the context of denying compensation.

Related Phrases:

• возмещение расходов (vozmeshcheniye rashodov) - Reimbursement of expenses; commonly used in business or travel contexts to refer to cost recovery.
• компенсировать убытки (kompensirovat' ubytki) - To compensate for losses; applied in legal or financial scenarios involving damages.
• возврат средств (vozvrat sredstv) - Return of funds; a related phrase for refunding money, often in retail or banking.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "возмещать" is the most direct equivalent to "reimburse" in formal settings, such as corporate policies or legal documents, where it implies a systematic repayment. "Компенсировать" is preferred when emphasizing compensation for losses or inconveniences, like in insurance. English speakers should note that Russian verbs require agreement in tense, aspect, and subject, so always conjugate based on the sentence structure. For example, use the imperfective aspect for ongoing actions. When choosing between translations, opt for "возмещать" in financial reimbursements and "компенсировать" in broader compensatory scenarios to ensure precision.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using "возмещать" interchangeably with "вернуть" without considering context. For instance, learners might say "Я верну расходы" instead of "Я возмещу расходы."
  Correct: "Я возмещу расходы" (Ya vozmeshchu rashody) - Explanation: "Вернуть" implies simply returning an item, while "возмещать" specifically means reimbursing money or value.
• Mistake: Forgetting to conjugate properly, e.g., saying "возмещать" in the infinitive where a conjugated form is needed.
  Correct: Use "возмещаю" for first person present; incorrect: "возмещать я" - Explanation: Russian verbs must be conjugated to match the subject, unlike English infinitives.
• Mistake: Overusing "компенсировать" in everyday speech.
  Correct: Reserve it for formal contexts; in casual talk, simpler synonyms like "вернуть" might suffice - Explanation: This can make speech sound overly bureaucratic.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and business practices, reimbursement processes, such as "возмещение расходов," are highly formalized, often involving detailed documentation due to historical influences from Soviet-era bureaucracy. This reflects a cultural emphasis on accountability in financial matters, which can differ from more casual approaches in some English-speaking countries.

Related Concepts:

• страхование (strakhovaniye) - Insurance
• командировка (komandirovka) - Business trip (often involves reimbursements)
• финансовые операции (finansovyye operatsii) - Financial operations