Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'smite'

English Word: smite

Key Russian Translations:

• поразить /pɐˈrazʲɪtʲ/ - [Formal, Literary, Often used in religious or mythical contexts]
• ударить /ʊˈdarʲɪtʲ/ - [Informal, Everyday physical actions]

Frequency: Medium (Common in literary, biblical, or historical texts, but less frequent in casual conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual nuances; for 'поразить', it may be more advanced due to its formal usage, while 'ударить' is closer to B1)

Pronunciation (Russian):

поразить: /pɐˈrazʲɪtʲ/

Note on поразить: The stress falls on the second syllable ('ra'), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the soft 'r' sound; it often implies a more dramatic or divine strike.

ударить: /ʊˈdarʲɪtʲ/

Note on ударить: The initial 'u' sound is similar to the English 'oo' in 'food', but the word is straightforward with stress on the second syllable.

Audio: []

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To strike or hit with force, often implying a powerful or divine blow

Translation(s) & Context:

• Поразить - Used in formal, literary, or religious contexts, such as in biblical stories where a god smites enemies.
• Ударить - Applied in everyday physical or metaphorical contexts, like hitting an object or person.

Usage Examples:

• Бог поразил врагов в древней легенде. (Bog porazil vragov v drevney legendye.)

  God smote the enemies in the ancient legend.

• Гром ударил в дерево во время бури. (Grom udaril v derevo vo vremya buri.)

  The thunder smote the tree during the storm.

• В битве воин поразил противника одним ударом. (V bitve voin porazil protivnika odnim udarom.)

  In battle, the warrior smote the opponent with a single blow.

• Молния ударила в крышу дома. (Molniya udarila v kryshu doma.)

  Lightning smote the roof of the house.

Meaning 2: To punish or afflict, often metaphorically

Translation(s) & Context:

• Поразить - In contexts involving divine punishment or severe impact, such as in moral or historical narratives.
• Наказать - A more general translation for punishment, though less direct for 'smite'.

Usage Examples:

• Судьба поразила его неожиданной потерей. (Sud'ba porazila yego neozhidannoy potreyey.)

  Fate smote him with an unexpected loss.

• Властитель наказал предателей, чтобы поразить страх в сердцах других. (Vlastitel' nakazal predatelyey, chtoby porazit' strakh v serdtsakh drugikh.)

  The ruler smote the traitors to instill fear in others' hearts.

• Болезнь ударила семью внезапно. (Bolezn' udarila sem'yu vnezapno.)

  The illness smote the family suddenly.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'поразить' and 'ударить' are Russian verbs of the first conjugation, which means they follow regular patterns but have specific inflections based on tense, aspect, and person. 'Поразить' is imperfective in its base form, often used in perfective contexts like 'поразить'. 'Ударить' is perfective. Here's a breakdown:

Note: These verbs do not change irregularly, but pay attention to gender agreement in the past tense.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: бить (bit' - to beat), наносить удар (nanosit' udar - to deliver a blow) - 'Бить' is more general and informal, while 'наносить удар' is formal and precise.
• Antonyms: защищать (zashchishchat' - to protect), исцелять (istselya't - to heal)

Related Phrases:

• Поразить врага (Porazit' vraga) - To smite the enemy; used in military or heroic contexts to mean defeating foes decisively.
• Ударить молнией (Udarit' molniyey) - To smite with lightning; refers to a sudden, powerful strike, often metaphorically for quick punishment.
• Божий гнев поразит грешников (Bozhiy gnev porazit' greshnikov) - God's wrath will smite the sinners; a phrase from religious texts emphasizing divine judgment.

Usage Notes:

'Smite' in English often carries a connotation of divine or forceful intervention, which aligns closely with 'поразить' in Russian for formal contexts, but 'ударить' is better for literal, physical actions. Choose 'поразить' for biblical or literary translations to capture the dramatic essence, while 'ударить' suits everyday language. Be mindful of aspect: Russian verbs distinguish between imperfective (ongoing) and perfective (completed) actions, so 'поразить' might require pairing with an imperfective form like 'поражать' for ongoing smiting.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'поразить' in casual, physical contexts where 'ударить' is more appropriate, e.g., saying "Я поразил мяч" instead of "Я ударил мяч". Correct: 'Ударить' is for simple actions; 'поразить' implies greater impact. Explanation: This confuses the formality and nuance, making the sentence sound overly dramatic.

• Error: Neglecting gender agreement in past tense, e.g., "Я поразила" for a male speaker. Correct: Use "Я поразил" for masculine. Explanation: Russian past tense verbs agree with the subject's gender, which English speakers often overlook.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'поразить' often evoke biblical or historical narratives, such as in Orthodox Christianity where God smites sinners, reflecting themes of divine justice in Russian literature (e.g., Dostoevsky's works). This adds a layer of moral weight not always present in everyday English usage.

Related Concepts:

• наказание (nakazaniye - punishment)
• гнев (gnev - wrath)
• битва (bitva - battle)