Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'reject'

English Word: reject

Key Russian Translations:

• отвергать [ɐtvʲɪrˈɡatʲ] - [Verb, Formal]
• отказываться [ɐtkəˈzɨvət͡sə] - [Verb, Informal]
• отвергнутый [ɐtvʲɪrˈɡnutɨj] - [Adjective, Formal]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in formal writing, legal contexts, and everyday conversations, but less frequent in casual speech).

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and adjective agreements, which can be challenging for beginners).

Pronunciation (Russian):

отвергать: [ɐtvʲɪrˈɡatʲ]

отказываться: [ɐtkəˈzɨvət͡sə]

отвергнутый: [ɐtvʲɪrˈɡnutɨj]

Note on отвергать: The stress falls on the second syllable; be careful with the palatalized 'т' sound, which is a common difficulty for English speakers.

Note on отказываться: This is a reflexive verb, so the '-ся' ending affects pronunciation; practice the soft 'з' sound for accuracy.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Verb meaning: To refuse or decline something

Translation(s) & Context:

• отвергать - Used in formal contexts, such as rejecting proposals or ideas in professional or legal settings.
• отказываться - More informal, often in personal conversations, like refusing an offer or invitation.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда отвергает новые идеи на собраниях. (He always rejects new ideas at meetings.)

  He always rejects new ideas at meetings.

• Я отказываюсь от этого предложения, потому что оно невыгодно. (I reject this offer because it's not beneficial.)

  I reject this offer because it's not beneficial.

• Комитет отвергает все неполные заявки. (The committee rejects all incomplete applications.)

  The committee rejects all incomplete applications.

• Она отказывается помогать, если не видит выгоды. (She rejects helping if she doesn't see any benefit.)

  She rejects helping if she doesn't see any benefit.

• Правительство отвергает любые обвинения в коррупции. (The government rejects any accusations of corruption.)

  The government rejects any accusations of corruption.

Adjective meaning: Something that has been refused or is defective

Translation(s) & Context:

• отвергнутый - Used to describe something or someone that has been rejected, often in emotional or evaluative contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Отвергнутый кандидат решил попробовать снова. (The rejected candidate decided to try again.)

  The rejected candidate decided to try again.

• Эти отвергнутые товары нельзя продавать. (These rejected goods cannot be sold.)

  These rejected goods cannot be sold.

• В истории много отвергнутых гениев. (History is full of rejected geniuses.)

  History is full of rejected geniuses.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'отвергать' (a verb), it follows the first conjugation pattern with irregularities in some forms. It is imperfective and can pair with perfective 'отвергнуть'.

For 'отказываться' (reflexive verb), it conjugates similarly but adds '-ся': e.g., Я отказываюсь, Ты отказываешься.

For 'отвергнутый' (adjective), it declines like other adjectives in Russian, changing by case, number, and gender. It is invariable in form but agrees with the noun it modifies.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: отказывать (more neutral, often used interchangeably), игнорировать (implies ignoring rather than active rejection)
• Antonyms: принимать (to accept), одобрять (to approve; note the subtle difference in formality)

Related Phrases:

• отвергать идею - To reject an idea (used in debates or discussions).
• отказываться от помощи - To reject help (common in personal or emotional contexts).
• отвергнутый вариант - A rejected option (in decision-making or creative processes).

Usage Notes:

'Отвергать' is the most direct equivalent to the English 'reject' in formal contexts, such as business or politics, while 'отказываться' is better for everyday refusals. Be mindful of the verb's aspect: use the imperfective 'отвергать' for ongoing actions and the perfective 'отвергнуть' for completed ones. In Russian, rejection can carry emotional weight, so context matters—e.g., it's often paired with reasons for politeness.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'отвергать' in informal speech where 'отказываться' is more natural. Incorrect: Он отвергает пойти на вечеринку. Correct: Он отказывается пойти на вечеринку. Explanation: 'Отвергать' sounds overly formal and may come across as rude in casual settings.

• Error: Forgetting to conjugate properly, e.g., saying 'отвергать' instead of 'отвергаешь' for 'you reject'. Incorrect: Ты отвергать это. Correct: Ты отвергаешь это. Explanation: Russian verbs must agree with the subject in person and number, unlike English.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, rejection (e.g., using 'отвергать') can be more direct in professional settings but is often softened in personal interactions to maintain harmony, reflecting the value of 'krugovaya poruka' (collective responsibility). Historically, terms like 'отвергнутый' have been used in literature to describe social outcasts, as seen in works by Dostoevsky.

Related Concepts:

• принимать
• игнорировать
• отвержение