Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'solicit'

English Word: solicit

Key Russian Translations:

• просить [ˈpro.sʲitʲ] - [Formal, Common for polite requests]
• запрашивать [zəˈpra.ʂɨ.vatʲ] - [Formal, Business or official contexts, such as soliciting information]

Frequency: Medium (Regularly used in formal writing, legal, or professional settings; less common in everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, as it involves understanding verb conjugations and context-specific usage; запрашивать may be B2 due to its more specialized applications)

Pronunciation (Russian):

просить: [ˈpro.sʲitʲ]

Note on просить: The stress falls on the first syllable; be mindful of the soft 's' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers due to the palatalization.

запрашивать: [zəˈpra.ʂɨ.vatʲ]

Note on запрашивать: The 'ш' sound is a retroflex fricative, similar to the 'sh' in "sheep" but more emphatic; stress is on the second syllable, and it often appears in longer formal phrases.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To request or ask for something formally

Translation(s) & Context:

• просить - Used in everyday formal requests, such as soliciting advice or help in professional or social settings.
• запрашивать - Specifically for soliciting information or documents in bureaucratic or business contexts, e.g., when making official inquiries.

Usage Examples:

• Он решил просить помощи у коллег. (On reshil prosit' pomoshchi u kolleg.)

  He decided to solicit help from his colleagues. (This example shows просить in a professional context, emphasizing polite requests.)

• Компания запрашивает дополнительные документы для контракта. (Kompaniya zaproshaet dopolnitel'nye dokumenty dlya kontrakta.)

  The company is soliciting additional documents for the contract. (Here, запрашивать is used in a formal business scenario, highlighting official requests.)

• В письме она просила совета по проекту. (V pis'me ona prosila soveta po proektu.)

  In the letter, she solicited advice on the project. (This illustrates просить in written communication, varying the grammatical structure.)

• Мы часто запрашиваем отзывы от клиентов. (My chasto zaproshaem otzyvy ot klientov.)

  We often solicit feedback from clients. (This example demonstrates запрашивать in a marketing context, showing repetitive or ongoing usage.)

• Доктор просил терпения от пациентов. (Doktor prosil terpeniya ot patsientov.)

  The doctor solicited patience from patients. (This varies the context to healthcare, emphasizing просить in interpersonal interactions.)

To seek or entice in a more persuasive sense (e.g., soliciting votes or business)

Translation(s) & Context:

• просить - In persuasive contexts, like soliciting donations or support, but less intense than English "solicit."
• привлекать (as an alternative) - For enticing customers, though not a direct translation; used when soliciting business.

Usage Examples:

• Кандидат просил голоса избирателей на митинге. (Kandidat prosil golosa izbirateley na mitinge.)

  The candidate solicited votes from voters at the rally. (This shows просить in a political context, with a focus on persuasion.)

• Магазин активно привлекает новых клиентов. (Magazin aktivno privlekaet novykh klientov.)

  The store is soliciting new customers. (Here, привлекать is used for business enticement, demonstrating a related but distinct usage.)

• Она просила пожертвования для благотворительности. (Ona prosila pozhertvovaniya dlya blagotvoritel'nosti.)

  She solicited donations for charity. (This example highlights просить in a charitable setting, varying the object of the request.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both просить and запрашивать are verbs, so they follow standard Russian verb conjugation patterns. Просить is a first-conjugation verb with irregularities in some forms, while запрашивать is more regular. Below is a conjugation table for просить in the present tense; запрашивать follows a similar imperfective pattern.

For запрашивать: It is an imperfective verb and conjugates as: запрашиваю (zaprosivayu), запрашиваешь (zaprosivaesh'), etc. Note that both verbs do not change in the infinitive form and are aspectually imperfective, meaning they describe ongoing actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: требовать (trebovat' - to demand, often with more urgency), обращаться (obrashchat'sya - to appeal or address)
• Antonyms: отказываться (otkazyvat'sya - to refuse), игнорировать (ignorirovat' - to ignore; note: this is less direct and used in contexts where solicitation is avoided)

Related Phrases:

• Просить помощи - To solicit help; often used in emergencies or daily life.
• Запрашивать информацию - To solicit information; common in administrative or investigative contexts.
• Привлекать внимание - To solicit attention; implies drawing focus in social or marketing scenarios.

Usage Notes:

просить directly corresponds to the polite, formal aspect of "solicit" in English, making it ideal for requests in professional or social interactions. Use запрашивать for more official or data-driven solicitations, such as in business emails. Be aware of the imperative form for direct requests (e.g., "Проси!" means "Solicit!" informally). In Russian culture, these words often require polite particles like "пожалуйста" (please) to soften the request, unlike the more direct English usage.

Common Errors:

• Confusing просить with требовать: English learners might use требовать (to demand) when they mean просить, as it sounds similar but implies force. Correct: Use просить for polite solicitation, e.g., Wrong: "Требуй помощи!" (Demand help!), Right: "Проси помощи!" (Solicit help!), as the former can come across as rude.
• Overusing запрашивать in casual contexts: This is formal, so in everyday speech, просить is better. Wrong: "Я запрашиваю совета от друга" (I solicit advice from a friend - too stiff), Right: "Я прошу совета от друга" (I ask for advice from a friend - more natural).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, soliciting requests like просить often involves indirectness to maintain politeness, reflecting the value of hierarchy and respect. For instance, in professional settings, one might solicit feedback through a superior rather than directly, emphasizing collective decision-making over individual initiative.

Related Concepts:

• Помощь (pomoshch' - help)
• Информация (informatsiya - information)
• Голоса (golosa - votes)