Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'sift'

English Word: sift

Key Russian Translations:

• просеивать [prɐˈsʲejɪvətʲ] - [Informal, used for physical sifting or metaphorical examination]
• отсортировать [ɐt sɐrˈtʲirəvətʲ] - [Formal, often in digital or organizational contexts]
• разбирать [rɐzˈbʲirətʲ] - [Informal, emphasizing analysis or detailed separation]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday contexts like cooking or data analysis, but not as frequent as basic verbs)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual usage; for 'просеивать', it's straightforward, but 'отсортировать' may involve loanword familiarity)

Pronunciation (Russian):

просеивать: [prɐˈsʲejɪvətʲ]

отсортировать: [ɐt sɐrˈtʲirəvətʲ]

разбирать: [rɐzˈbʲirətʲ]

Note on просеивать: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the soft 's' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. Variations in informal speech may soften the vowels.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To separate or examine carefully, often by passing through a sieve (e.g., in cooking or filtering information)

Translation(s) & Context:

• просеивать - Used in literal contexts like sifting flour; informal, everyday scenarios.
• отсортировать - Applied in digital or systematic contexts, such as sorting data; more formal.

Usage Examples:

• Я просеиваю муку, чтобы удалить комочки. (Ya prosyeivayu muku, chtoby udalit' komochki.)

  I am sifting the flour to remove lumps.

• Она просеивает информацию из интернета перед принятием решения. (Ona prosyeivaet informatsiyu iz interneta pered prinyatiyem resheniya.)

  She is sifting through information from the internet before making a decision.

• Мы отсортируем файлы по дате. (My otsortiruyem fayly po date.)

  We will sift (sort) the files by date.

• Разбирая документы, он обнаружил важные детали. (Razbiryaya dokumenty, on obnaruzhil vazhnye detali.)

  While sifting through the documents, he discovered important details.

• Просеивая песок, дети нашли сокровища. (Prosyeivaya pesok, deti nayli sokrovishcha.)

  While sifting the sand, the children found treasures.

Meaning 2: To scrutinize or analyze in detail (e.g., in investigative contexts)

Translation(s) & Context:

• разбирать - Informal, often in conversational or problem-solving scenarios.
• просеивать - Metaphorical use, similar to English "sift through evidence."

Usage Examples:

• Полиция разбирает улики, чтобы найти подозреваемого. (Politsiya razbiraet uliki, chtoby nayti podozrevaemogo.)

  The police are sifting through clues to find the suspect.

• В ходе расследования мы просеиваем свидетельские показания. (V khode rasledovaniya my prosyeivaem svidetel'skiye pokazaniya.)

  During the investigation, we are sifting through witness statements.

• Она разбирает аргументы оппонента шаг за шагом. (Ona razbiraet argumenty opponenta shag za shagom.)

  She is sifting through the opponent's arguments step by step.

• Отсортировав данные, мы выявим закономерности. (Otsortirovarav dannye, my vyayvim zakonomernosti.)

  By sifting (sorting) the data, we will identify patterns.

• Разбирая старые письма, он открыл семейные тайны. (Razbiryaya starые pis'ma, on otkryl semeynye tayny.)

  While sifting through old letters, he uncovered family secrets.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are primarily verbs, which in Russian undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number. 'Просеивать' and 'разбирать' are imperfective verbs, while 'отсортировать' is often perfective.

Note: These verbs follow standard Russian conjugation patterns with no irregularities, but aspect changes (imperfective vs. perfective) affect usage.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Фильтровать (fil'trovat') - More technical, like filtering data.
  • Анализировать (analizirovat') - Emphasizes deeper examination.
  • Сортировать (sortirovat') - Similar to 'отсортировать', but more general.
• Antonyms:
  • Смешивать (smishivat') - To mix or combine, opposite of separating.
  • Игнорировать (ignorirovat') - To ignore, contrasting with careful examination.

Related Phrases:

• Просеивать муку - (Prosyeivat' muku) - Sifting flour; common in baking contexts.
• Разбирать по косточкам - (Razbiryat' po kostochkam) - To pick apart or analyze in detail; implies thorough scrutiny.
• Отсортировать по алфавиту - (Otsortirovat' po alfavitu) - To sort alphabetically; used in organizational tasks.

Usage Notes:

'Sift' in English often implies a careful, selective process, which aligns closely with 'просеивать' in Russian for physical actions or 'разбирать' for intellectual ones. Choose 'отсортировать' for more structured, digital contexts. Be mindful of aspect in Russian verbs: use imperfective forms like 'просеивать' for ongoing actions and perfective for completed ones. In formal writing, prefer 'отсортировать' over informal options.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'просеивать' incorrectly in non-physical contexts, e.g., saying "Я просеиваю email" instead of "Я просматриваю email". Correct: "Я разбираю email" for sifting through emails. Explanation: 'Просеивать' is literal; misuse can make the sentence sound awkward or nonsensical.

• Error: Confusing verb aspects, e.g., using 'просеивать' when a perfective verb is needed. Correct: Instead of "Я просеиваю документы" for a completed action, say "Я просеял документы". Explanation: Russian requires matching aspect to the action's completeness, unlike English.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, phrases like 'разбирать по косточкам' reflect a tradition of detailed analysis in literature and daily conversation, stemming from Russia's emphasis on intellectual depth in education and problem-solving. This can highlight the cultural value placed on thoroughness, especially in historical contexts like Soviet-era investigations.

Related Concepts:

• Фильтрация (fil'tratsiya)
• Анализ (analiz)
• Сортировка (sortirovka)