Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'singe'

English Word: singe

Key Russian Translations:

• подпалить [pɐdˈpalʲɪtʲ] - [Informal, Common in everyday contexts like cooking or minor accidents]
• обжечь [ɐbˈʐɛtɕ] - [Formal, Used in more precise or medical descriptions]

Frequency: Medium (This verb is not extremely common but appears in contexts involving fire, cooking, or minor burns.)

Difficulty: B1 Intermediate (Requires understanding of Russian verb conjugations; "подпалить" is straightforward, while "обжечь" may vary slightly by context.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

подпалить: [pɐdˈpalʲɪtʲ]

Note on подпалить: The stress falls on the second syllable ("pal"), which is a common challenge for English speakers due to differing stress patterns in Russian verbs.

обжечь: [ɐbˈʐɛtɕ]

Note on обжечь: The "ж" sound is a soft, voiced fricative; pronounce it like the "s" in "measure" but with more friction. This word often has a perfective aspect variant.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To burn the surface of something lightly, often without causing full damage

Translation(s) & Context:

• подпалить - Typically used in informal settings, such as describing a cooking mishap or accidental burns on fabric.
• обжечь - More formal, often in contexts involving skin or precise burns, like in first aid or descriptions of fire incidents.

Usage Examples:

• Он случайно подпалил рукав рубашки у костра. (He accidentally singed the sleeve of his shirt by the campfire.)

  He accidentally singed the sleeve of his shirt by the campfire.

• В кухне она подпалила край полотенца, забыв о плите. (In the kitchen, she singed the edge of the towel, forgetting about the stove.)

  In the kitchen, she singed the edge of the towel, forgetting about the stove.

• Доктор сказал, что обжечь кожу можно даже от горячего утюга. (The doctor said that you can singe your skin even with a hot iron.)

  The doctor said that you can singe your skin even with a hot iron.

• Подпалить волосы — это распространённая ошибка при работе с открытым огнём. (Singeing hair is a common mistake when working with open fire.)

  Singeing hair is a common mistake when working with open fire.

• Если обжечь ткань, она может потемнеть, но не сгореть полностью. (If you singe the fabric, it may darken but not burn completely.)

  If you singe the fabric, it may darken but not burn completely.

To singe as in removing fine hairs or impurities (e.g., in grooming or processing)

Translation(s) & Context:

• подпалить - Informal, often in culinary or animal husbandry contexts, like singeing feathers off poultry.
• обжечь - Formal, in professional settings like beauty or manufacturing.

Usage Examples:

• Повара часто подпаливают перья у птицы перед приготовлением. (Cooks often singe the feathers off poultry before cooking.)

  Cooks often singe the feathers off poultry before cooking.

• В салоне они обжёг кончики волос для стайлинга. (In the salon, they singed the tips of the hair for styling.)

  In the salon, they singed the tips of the hair for styling.

• Подпалить края ткани помогает предотвратить распускание. (Singeing the edges of fabric helps prevent fraying.)

  Singeing the edges of fabric helps prevent fraying.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both "подпалить" and "обжечь" are verbs, primarily perfective in aspect, meaning they describe completed actions. Russian verbs inflect based on tense, aspect, person, number, and gender. These verbs follow standard conjugation patterns but have irregularities in certain forms.

Note: "подпалить" is more regular, while "обжечь" has stem changes in past forms. These verbs do not change in the imperative form beyond standard endings.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: обжечь, опалить (опалить is similar but often implies a quicker, surface-level burn; used in poetic or literary contexts)
• Antonyms: погасить (to extinguish, implying stopping a fire rather than causing one)

Related Phrases:

• подпалить волосы - To singe hair (Common in beauty or accident contexts, referring to burning the ends accidentally).
• обжечь кожу - To singe the skin (Used in medical or safety warnings, emphasizing minor burns from heat sources).
• подпалить край - To singe the edge (Often in crafting or cooking, to seal fabric or prevent unraveling).

Usage Notes:

"Singe" corresponds closely to "подпалить" in informal English-Russian translation, especially for everyday scenarios, while "обжечь" is preferred for formal or precise contexts like health and safety. Be mindful of the perfective aspect in Russian, which implies completion—use these verbs for finished actions. In spoken Russian, "подпалить" is more versatile and appears in idioms, but choose based on register to avoid sounding overly casual. Grammatically, ensure subject-verb agreement in past tense forms, as Russian verbs inflect for gender and number.

Common Errors:

• Confusing aspect: English learners often misuse "подпалить" by treating it as imperfective. Error: "Я подпалю волосы каждый день" (incorrect for habitual action). Correct: Use the imperfective "подпаливать" for ongoing actions. Explanation: Russian requires aspect distinction, so pair with appropriate context.

• Wrong conjugation: Mixing up past forms, e.g., saying "обжечь" instead of "обожгла" for feminine subjects. Error: "Она обжечь руку" (incorrect). Correct: "Она обожгла руку." Explanation: Always adjust for gender and number to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like "подпалить" often appear in folklore or proverbs related to fire and caution, such as in stories about blacksmiths or rural life. For instance, singeing is a traditional step in preparing game or poultry, reflecting historical self-sufficiency in Russian households, which adds a layer of cultural practicality to the term.

Related Concepts:

• огонь (fire)
• ожог (burn)
• пламя (flame)