Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'steal'

English Word: steal

Key Russian Translations:

• красть [ˈkraʂʲtʲ] - [Informal, Imperfective aspect, used for ongoing or habitual actions]
• украсть [uˈkraʂʲtʲ] - [Formal, Perfective aspect, used for completed actions]
• кража [ˈkraʐə] - [Noun form, Neutral, refers to the act of theft]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday conversations, legal contexts, and literature, but not as frequent as basic verbs like "to go").

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, per CEFR; requires understanding of verb aspects, which can vary by translation—e.g., 'красть' is imperfective and easier for intermediates, while 'украсть' is perfective and may challenge beginners).

Pronunciation (Russian):

красть: [ˈkraʂʲtʲ] (Note the soft 'т' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers due to the palatalization.)

украсть: [uˈkraʂʲtʲ] (Emphasize the prefix 'у-', which adds a prefix-related stress shift.)

кража: [ˈkraʐə] (The 'ж' is a voiced fricative, similar to 'zh' in 'measure'.)

Note on красть: Be cautious with the 'щ' sound in related words; it's not present here, but palatalization is key.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To take something without permission (e.g., theft of property)

Translation(s) & Context:

• красть - Used in informal, everyday contexts, such as describing habitual theft.
• украсть - Preferred in formal or narrative contexts for a single completed act.

Usage Examples:

• Он часто крадет из магазина, чтобы прокормить семью.

  He often steals from the store to feed his family.

• Вчера она украла кошелек с стола.

  Yesterday, she stole the wallet from the table.

• Дети не должны красть чужие игрушки.

  Children should not steal other people's toys.

• Преступник попытался украсть автомобиль, но был пойман.

  The criminal tried to steal the car but was caught.

• В некоторых странах красть еду из-за голода не считается тяжким преступлением.

  In some countries, stealing food due to hunger is not considered a serious crime.

To take dishonestly in a non-physical sense (e.g., ideas or credit)

Translation(s) & Context:

• красть - In metaphorical contexts, like stealing ideas in a creative field.
• кража - As a noun, for intellectual property theft.

Usage Examples:

• Он крадет идеи у коллег, чтобы продвинуться по карьерной лестнице.

  He steals ideas from colleagues to advance in his career.

• Эта кража интеллектуальной собственности привела к судебному разбиратству.

  This theft of intellectual property led to a lawsuit.

• Никогда не кради чужие слова в своих статьях.

  Never steal someone else's words in your articles.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'красть' (verb, imperfective): This is an irregular verb in the first conjugation group. It follows standard patterns but has aspectual pairs. Below is a conjugation table for present tense:

For 'украсть' (verb, perfective): This is the perfective counterpart and is used for completed actions. It doesn't have a full present tense but conjugates in past and future. Past tense example: украл (ukral) for masculine singular.

For 'кража' (noun, feminine): Declines as a standard first-declension noun. It is invariant in plural forms for some cases.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• воровать (vorovat') - Similar to красть, but slightly more formal.
• хищать (hishchat') - Used for large-scale or official theft, with a connotation of embezzlement.

Antonyms:

• возвращать (vozvrashchat') - To return.
• отдавать (otdavat') - To give back.

Related Phrases:

• воровская кража - A theft by a thief; refers to professional criminal activity (English: Burglary or larceny by a career criminal).
• красть время - To waste time (English: To steal time, meaning to procrastinate).
• украденное имущество - Stolen property (English: Goods that have been taken without permission).

Usage Notes:

Russian translations of 'steal' often involve verb aspects: use 'красть' for ongoing actions and 'украсть' for one-time events, which is crucial for accurate expression. In formal contexts, like legal documents, 'кража' as a noun is preferred. English speakers should note that Russian has no direct equivalent for slangier uses of 'steal' (e.g., 'steal the show'), so adapt to phrases like 'украсть шоу' in informal settings. Choose between translations based on context: 'красть' for habits, 'украсть' for specifics.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'красть' when a perfective aspect is needed, e.g., saying "Я красть книгу" instead of "Я украл книгу" for a completed action.

  Correct: "Я украл книгу" (I stole the book). Explanation: English speakers often overlook aspect, leading to tense mismatches in Russian.

• Error: Confusing 'кража' with 'красть' in noun contexts, e.g., using the verb form in a sentence where a noun is required.

  Correct: Use 'кража' as in "Это была кража" (This was a theft). Explanation: 'Кража' is a noun, while 'красть' is a verb, so misuse can make sentences grammatically incorrect.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'красть' often carry strong moral and legal connotations, influenced by historical contexts such as the Soviet era's emphasis on collective property. For instance, theft from the state was severely punished, reflecting themes in literature like Dostoevsky's works, where stealing symbolizes deeper social and existential struggles.

Related Concepts:

• вор (vor) - Thief
• грабеж (grabyezh) - Robbery
• мошенничество (moshennichestvo) - Fraud