Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'strangle'

English Word: strangle

Key Russian Translations:

• душить (/duˈʂitʲ/) - [Formal, Verb; Used in contexts of physical or metaphorical suppression]
• задушить (/zəduˈʂitʲ/) - [Informal, Verb; Often implies completing the act of strangling]

Frequency: Medium (Common in literature, crime reports, and everyday discussions about violence or suppression, but not as frequent as basic verbs like "to say" or "to go").

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; Requires understanding of verb conjugations and perfective/imperfective aspects in Russian, which can be challenging for beginners but manageable for intermediate learners. For 'душить', it's B1; for 'задушить', it's B2 due to its perfective nuance.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

душить: /duˈʂitʲ/ (The 'ш' sound is a voiceless retroflex fricative, similar to the 'sh' in 'shoe', but more guttural. Stress on the second syllable.)

Note on душить: Be cautious with the soft 'тʲ' at the end, which indicates palatalization; it's a common challenge for English speakers. Pronunciation may vary slightly in fast speech.

задушить: /zəduˈʂitʲ/ (Similar to 'душить', but with a prefix 'за-' adding a 'zə' sound at the beginning; stress remains on the second syllable of the root.)

Note on задушить: The prefix 'за-' can alter the word's rhythm, making it feel more emphatic. Practice with native audio for the subtle vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Literal Meaning: To kill or attempt to kill by squeezing the throat.

Translation(s) & Context:

• душить - Used in formal or descriptive contexts, such as crime narratives or medical discussions (e.g., in English contexts involving physical violence).
• задушить - Used for completed actions, often in informal storytelling or reports (e.g., in thrillers or personal accounts).

Usage Examples:

• Он пытался душить жертву в тёмном переулке. (On pytalsya dushit' zhertvu v temnom pereulke.)

  He tried to strangle the victim in a dark alley. (This example shows the verb in a past tense, imperfective aspect, emphasizing the ongoing attempt.)

• В фильме злодей задушил героя верёвкой. (V fil'me zloyed zadushil geroya vervykoy.)

  In the movie, the villain strangled the hero with a rope. (Here, the perfective aspect highlights the completed action in a narrative context.)

• Дети иногда душат друг друга в шутку, но это опасно. (Deti inogda dushat drug druga v shutku, no eto opasno.)

  Children sometimes playfully strangle each other, but it's dangerous. (This illustrates informal, everyday usage with a warning tone.)

• Полиция расследует случай, где подозреваемый задушил свою жену. (Politsiya rasledyet sluchay, gde podozrevaemyy zadushil svoyu zhenu.)

  The police are investigating a case where the suspect strangled his wife. (Demonstrates use in legal or news contexts.)

• В жару люди могут душить себя шарфом, не осознавая. (V zharu lyudi mogut dushit' sebya sharfom, ne osoznaya.)

  In the heat, people might accidentally strangle themselves with a scarf without realizing. (Shows metaphorical or accidental usage in daily life scenarios.)

Metaphorical Meaning: To suppress or stifle something, like emotions or ideas.

Translation(s) & Context:

• душить - Applied in abstract contexts, such as suppressing creativity (e.g., in artistic or political discussions).
• задушить - Used for fully suppressing something, like a movement (e.g., in historical or social contexts).

Usage Examples:

• Правительство пытается душить свободу слова. (Pravitel'stvo pytayetsya dushit' svobodu slova.)

  The government is trying to strangle freedom of speech. (This example uses the verb in a political context to show ongoing suppression.)

• Экономический кризис задушил малый бизнес. (Ekonomicheskiy krizis zadushil malyy biznes.)

  The economic crisis strangled small businesses. (Illustrates completed suppression in an economic scenario.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'душить' and 'задушить' are verbs, following Russian's imperfective ('душить') and perfective ('задушить') aspects. Russian verbs conjugate based on tense, person, number, and gender. 'Душить' is irregular in some forms due to its consonant changes.

Note: These verbs do not change for plural forms in the same way as nouns; focus on aspect for correct usage.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • удавить (/udəˈvitʲ/) - Similar to 'strangle' but often implies using a rope; more specific in execution methods.
  • загасить (/zəgəˈsitʲ/) - Metaphorical, for suppressing like a fire; used in abstract contexts.
• Antonyms:
  • освободить (/ɐsvəbɐˈditʲ/) - To free or release.
  • поддержать (/pədderˈʐatʲ/) - To support or encourage, opposite in metaphorical suppression.

Related Phrases:

• Душить в объятиях (/duˈʂitʲ v ɐbˈjati jax/) - To hug tightly; literally "to strangle in embraces" – Used affectionately, but can imply overbearing affection.
• Задушить в зародыше (/zəduˈʂitʲ v zəˈrodɨʂɛ/) - To nip in the bud; meaning "to strangle in the embryo" – Refers to stopping something before it starts.
• Душить криком (/duˈʂitʲ kriˈkəm/) - To overwhelm with screams; "to strangle with a scream" – Describes a noisy, suffocating environment.

Usage Notes:

Russian verbs like 'душить' and 'задушить' directly correspond to 'strangle' but require attention to aspect: use 'душить' for ongoing actions and 'задушить' for completed ones. In formal contexts, prefer 'душить' for descriptions, while 'задушить' suits narratives. Be mindful of cultural sensitivity, as these words often appear in violent themes. When choosing between translations, select based on context—imperfective for processes, perfective for results. Always conjugate according to subject gender and number for grammatical accuracy.

Common Errors:

• Mixing aspects: English learners often use 'душить' when 'задушить' is needed, e.g., saying "Я душил его" (incorrect for a completed action) instead of "Я задушил его". Correct: Use 'задушить' for finished events to avoid implying incompleteness.
• Pronunciation mistakes: Confusing the 'ш' sound, e.g., pronouncing 'душить' as /duˈʃit/ (like English 'sh') instead of /duˈʂitʲ/. This can make the word sound unnatural; practice with audio to master the retroflex sound.
• Overgeneralization: Learners might apply 'душить' metaphorically without context, e.g., "Душить идею" (correct) vs. incorrectly using it for non-suppression ideas. Explanation: Always ensure the context fits suppression to maintain idiomatic accuracy.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'душить' and 'задушить' often appear in literature and folklore, such as in stories by Dostoevsky, where they symbolize deeper themes of oppression under historical regimes. This reflects Russia's complex history with authoritarian control, making these verbs not just literal but potent metaphors for societal stifling.

Related Concepts:

• Убить (/uˈbitʲ/) - To kill.
• Подавить (/pədəˈvitʲ/) - To suppress.
• Зажимать (/zəʐɨˈmatʲ/) - To squeeze or clamp.