Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'repel'

English Word: repel

Key Russian Translations:

• отталкивать [ɐtɐlʲˈkʲivətʲ] - [Informal, used for physical or metaphorical repulsion]
• отпугивать [ɐtpʊˈɡʲivətʲ] - [Formal, often in contexts involving fear or deterrence]
• отбивать [ɐtˈbʲivətʲ] - [Informal, primarily in military or defensive scenarios]

Frequency: Medium (Common in everyday language, especially in scientific, military, or interpersonal contexts, but not as frequent as basic verbs like "идти" or "говорить")

Difficulty: B1 Intermediate (Requires understanding of verb conjugation; for "отталкивать", it may vary slightly by context, making it intermediate; for learners at A2, focus on basic forms first)

Pronunciation (Russian):

отталкивать: [ɐtɐlʲˈkʲivətʲ]

отпугивать: [ɐtpʊˈɡʲivətʲ]

отбивать: [ɐtˈbʲivətʲ]

Note on отталкивать: The stress falls on the third syllable ("ки"), which can be tricky for English speakers due to Russian's mobile stress patterns; pronounce with a soft "л" sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To drive back or fend off an attack (e.g., in military or defensive contexts)

Translation(s) & Context:

• отбивать - Used in situations involving active defense, such as repelling invaders; common in formal and informal military discussions.
• отталкивать - Less common here, but can imply pushing away in a physical sense during an attack.

Usage Examples:

• Солдаты отбили атаку противника под покровом ночи.

  The soldiers repelled the enemy's attack under the cover of night.

• Во время штурма защитники отбивали волну за волной нападающих.

  During the assault, the defenders repelled wave after wave of attackers.

• Эти укрепления предназначены для того, чтобы отбивать любые попытки вторжения.

  These fortifications are designed to repel any attempts at invasion.

• Городские власти отбили атаку хакеров на систему безопасности.

  The city authorities repelled a hacker attack on the security system.

Meaning 2: To push away or reject something physically or emotionally (e.g., magnets or interpersonal repulsion)

Translation(s) & Context:

• отталкивать - Ideal for physical repulsion, like magnets, or metaphorical rejection in relationships; versatile in everyday informal speech.
• отпугивать - Used when repulsion involves fear or discouragement, such as deterring animals or people.

Usage Examples:

• Два магнита отталкивают друг друга, если они имеют одинаковые полюса.

  Two magnets repel each other if they have the same poles.

• Его грубое поведение отталкивает друзей и коллег.

  His rude behavior repels friends and colleagues.

• Этот запах отпугивает насекомых от сада.

  This smell repels insects from the garden.

• Она старается отталкивать негативные мысли, чтобы сохранить спокойствие.

  She tries to repel negative thoughts to maintain her calm.

• Сильный ветер отталкивает листья от дома.

  The strong wind repels leaves from the house.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations ("отталкивать", "отпугивать", "отбивать") are verbs, which follow imperfective aspect patterns in Russian. They are imperfective verbs and conjugate based on tense, person, and number. Russian verbs have regular conjugations but can vary by stem changes.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • отпугивать (similar to отталкивать but emphasizes deterrence)
  • отгонять (more about driving away animals or objects)
• Antonyms:
  • привлекать (to attract, opposite in physical or emotional contexts)
  • притягивать (to pull towards, as in magnetism)

Related Phrases:

• отталкиваться от чего-то - To push away from something; used in physics or metaphorical scenarios, e.g., "отталкиваться от реальности" (to distance oneself from reality).
• отпугивать кого-то - To scare someone off; often in social contexts, implying avoidance.
• отбивать атаки - To fend off attacks; a common phrase in military or cybersecurity discussions.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "repel" often corresponds to imperfective verbs like отталкивать, which emphasize ongoing action, whereas perfective forms (e.g., оттолкнуть) indicate completion. Choose отталкивать for informal, everyday repulsion and отпугивать for formal or fear-related contexts. Be mindful of aspect: use imperfective for descriptions and perfective for results. In sentences, these verbs must agree with the subject in person and number, and they often require prepositions like "от" (from) for direction.

Common Errors:

• English learners often confuse aspect: Using отталкивать when a perfective verb is needed, e.g., saying "Я отталкиваю врага" for a completed action instead of "Я оттолкнул врага." Correct: Use perfective оттолкнуть for finished events to avoid implying ongoing action.
• Mixing up synonyms: Substituting отпугивать for отталкивать in non-fear contexts, e.g., "Магниты отпугивают" (incorrectly implying fear) instead of "Магниты отталкивают." Explanation: отпугивать connotes emotional deterrence, so reserve it for appropriate scenarios.
• Neglecting conjugation: Forgetting to change endings, e.g., saying "Я отталкивать" instead of "Я отталкиваю." Correct: Always conjugate based on subject for grammatical accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like отбивать often carry historical connotations from military history, such as the defense of Moscow in WWII. This can add a layer of patriotism or resilience in usage, making it more than just a literal term—it's tied to narratives of endurance in literature and media.

Related Concepts:

• защищать (to protect)
• привлекать (to attract)
• отражать (to reflect or ward off)