Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'stanch'

English Word: stanch

Key Russian Translations:

• остановить [ɐstɐˈnovʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, used in medical or general contexts to mean stopping flow]
• задержать [zədʲɪˈʐatʲ] - [Informal, specifically for fluids or processes]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in medical, emergency, or descriptive contexts, but not everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of verb conjugations and context-specific usage; for 'задержать', it may vary slightly to B2 due to nuanced applications)

Pronunciation (Russian):

остановить: [ɐstɐˈnovʲɪtʲ]

задержать: [zədʲɪˈʐatʲ]

Note on остановить: The stress falls on the third syllable; be cautious with the soft 'н' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. Variations in fast speech may soften the vowels.

Note on задержать: Pronounce the 'ж' as a soft, voiced fricative; common in informal speech with regional accents.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To stop the flow of blood or other fluid (e.g., in a medical or emergency context).

Translation(s) & Context:

• остановить кровотечение - Used in formal medical scenarios, such as first aid or surgery.
• задержать поток - Applied in informal contexts for stopping any fluid flow, like in engineering or daily life.

Usage Examples:

• Врач быстро остановил кровотечение, чтобы предотвратить потерю крови.

  The doctor quickly stanched the bleeding to prevent blood loss.

• Она использовала ткань, чтобы задержать поток воды из трубы.

  She used a cloth to stanch the flow of water from the pipe.

• В экстренной ситуации он остановил кровотечение, применяя давление на рану.

  In the emergency, he stanched the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound.

• Инженер задержал поток жидкости, чтобы избежать затопления.

  The engineer stanched the flow of liquid to avoid flooding.

• Медсестра остановила кровотечение, используя стерильные повязки.

  The nurse stanched the bleeding using sterile bandages.

Meaning 2: To stop or suppress something, metaphorically (less common, e.g., stanching rumors or efforts, though 'stanch' as an adjective for 'loyal' is rare).

Translation(s) & Context:

• остановить (e.g., остановить поток информации) - In metaphorical contexts like suppressing information or efforts.

Usage Examples:

• Правительство попыталось остановить поток слухов в СМИ.

  The government tried to stanch the flow of rumors in the media.

• Он остановил утечку конфиденциальных данных своевременными мерами.

  He stanched the leak of confidential data with timely measures.

• Компания остановила отток клиентов, улучшив обслуживание.

  The company stanched the outflow of customers by improving service.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'остановить' and 'задержать' are verbs in the first conjugation group in Russian, which means they follow regular patterns but have specific inflections based on tense, aspect, and person. 'Остановить' is imperfective, while its perfective counterpart is 'остановить' (wait, actually 'остановить' is perfective; clarification: 'остановить' is the perfective form of 'останавливать'). They are aspectual pairs, with 'остановить' indicating completion.

For 'остановить' (perfective verb):

For 'задержать' (similarly perfective):

These verbs do not have irregular forms but require attention to gender and number in the past tense.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: прервать (to interrupt, similar in stopping action), прекратить (to cease, more final)
• Antonyms: начать (to start), продолжить (to continue; note: used when the action is ongoing)

Synonyms like 'прервать' are often interchangeable in non-medical contexts but imply a sudden break, whereas 'прекратить' suggests a more permanent stop.

Related Phrases:

• остановить кровотечение - To stanch bleeding; used in first aid or medical emergencies.
• задержать поток - To hold back a flow; common in engineering or fluid dynamics contexts.
• остановить утечку - To stanch a leak; metaphorical for preventing information or resource loss.

Usage Notes:

'Остановить' directly corresponds to the verb form of 'stanch' in English, especially for stopping blood flow, and is preferred in formal or medical settings. 'Задержать' is more versatile for general fluids but less precise for blood. Always consider the aspect: use perfective forms like these for completed actions. In Russian, these verbs require an object (e.g., 'кровотечение'), and context dictates formality—avoid 'задержать' in professional medical dialogue. When choosing between translations, opt for 'остановить' if the emphasis is on immediate cessation.

• Grammar note: These are transitive verbs, so they need a direct object in sentences.
• Context tip: In everyday speech, Russians might use these interchangeably, but 'остановить' aligns closest with 'stanch' in English.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse 'остановить' with 'стоппить' (a slang borrowing from English 'stop'), which is incorrect in formal Russian. For example:

• Error: *Он стоппил кровотечение. (Incorrect: Mixing English slang.)
• Correct: Он остановил кровотечение. (Proper verb usage.)

Explanation: 'Стоппить' is informal and not standard; it can make your speech sound uneducated. Another error is forgetting verb aspects—using imperfective 'останавливать' when a completed action is needed, e.g., *Он останавливал кровотечение forever (implies ongoing, not finished).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, terms like 'остановить кровотечение' are heavily associated with military history and emergency response, stemming from Russia's emphasis on resilience and quick action in crises (e.g., wartime medicine). This reflects a broader cultural value of stoicism and practicality in handling physical hardships.

Related Concepts:

• кровотечение (bleeding)
• утечка (leak)
• поток (flow)