Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'succeed'

English Word: succeed

Key Russian Translations:

• успеть (/ʊˈspʲetʲ/) - [Informal, often used for timely success or completion]
• добиться (/dɐˈbʲitʲsə/) - [Formal, implies achieving a goal through effort]
• удастся (/ʊˈdasʲtəsə/) - [Informal, used in contexts of possibility or future success]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in everyday conversation and formal writing, but not as ubiquitous as basic verbs)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual usage, varying by translation)

Pronunciation (Russian):

успеть: /ʊˈspʲetʲ/ (Note the soft 'п' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers; stress on the second syllable)

добиться: /dɐˈbʲitʲsə/ (Emphasize the 'и' as a short 'i'; common in formal speech)

удастся: /ʊˈdasʲtəsə/ (The reflexive particle '-ся' softens the verb; stress on the first syllable)

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To achieve success or accomplish a goal

Translation(s) & Context:

• добиться - Used in formal or professional contexts, such as career achievements or overcoming obstacles.
• успеть - Applied in situations involving time constraints, like completing a task before a deadline.

Usage Examples:

• Он смог добиться успеха в бизнесе, несмотря на трудности. (He managed to succeed in business despite the difficulties.)

  English: He was able to achieve success in business despite the challenges.

• Мне удалось успеть на поезд в последний момент. (I succeeded in catching the train at the last moment.)

  English: I managed to catch the train just in time.

• Если вы хорошо подготовитесь, вам удастся преуспеть в экзамене. (If you prepare well, you will succeed in the exam.)

  English: If you prepare well, you will manage to succeed in the exam.

• Ей удалось добиться признания в научном сообществе. (She succeeded in gaining recognition in the scientific community.)

  English: She managed to achieve recognition in the scientific community.

• Мы должны успеть завершить проект до конца дня. (We need to succeed in finishing the project by the end of the day.)

  English: We must manage to complete the project by the end of the day.

Meaning 2: To come after and take the place of someone or something

Translation(s) & Context:

• сменить (to replace) - In contexts of succession, like inheriting a position.
• наступить (to follow) - More abstract, for sequential events.

Usage Examples:

• После отставки президента его сменит вице-президент. (After the president's resignation, his successor will take over.)

  English: After the president's resignation, the vice-president will succeed him.

• Зима сменит осень в ближайшие недели. (Winter will succeed autumn in the coming weeks.)

  English: Winter will follow autumn in the next few weeks.

• Новый CEO должен сменить предыдущего в компании. (The new CEO will succeed the previous one in the company.)

  English: The new CEO will take the place of the previous one in the company.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For verbs like 'успеть' and 'добиться', which are imperfective and perfective aspects respectively, Russian exhibits complex conjugations. 'Успеть' is imperfective and conjugates based on tense, person, and number. 'Добиться' is a perfective verb and follows similar patterns but is often used in completed actions.

'Удастся' is a reflexive verb and remains relatively invariant in form but conjugates with '-ся'.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: преуспеть (to prosper), достигнуть (to reach)
• Synonyms: добиться (to achieve) - Often interchangeable with 'успеть' in goal-oriented contexts, but 'достичь' implies arrival at a point.
• Antonyms: провалить (to fail), не преуспеть (to not succeed)

Related Phrases:

• успеть вовремя - (To succeed on time; used for punctuality in daily life.)
• добиться успеха - (To achieve success; common in motivational or professional contexts.)
• удастся ли - (Will it succeed? or Will it be possible?; often in questions about outcomes.)

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'успеть' is ideal for situations involving time pressure, similar to 'to manage' in English, while 'добиться' aligns more closely with 'to succeed' in achieving long-term goals. Be mindful of the aspect: imperfective for ongoing actions and perfective for completed ones. For English speakers, note that Russian verbs often require specific prepositions, e.g., 'добиться успеха' (achieve success), and context dictates formality—use 'успеть' in casual speech and 'добиться' in formal writing.

• Choose 'успеть' for time-bound success to convey immediacy.
• Avoid direct word-for-word translation; adapt based on grammatical structure.

Common Errors:

One common mistake is confusing 'успеть' with 'достичь', leading learners to say "Я успею вершины" instead of "Я достигну вершины" (I will reach the peaks). Correct usage: "Я успею до вершины" if implying timely arrival. Another error is improper conjugation, e.g., saying "Я успеть" instead of "Я успею" in the future tense, which omits the correct ending and sounds incomplete.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, success (успех) is often tied to perseverance and collective effort, as seen in proverbs like "Терпение и труд все перетрут" (Patience and labor will grind everything down). Words like 'добиться' reflect the value placed on overcoming adversity, influenced by historical contexts such as the Soviet era's emphasis on achievement through hard work.

Related Concepts:

• успех (success)
• достижение (achievement)
• провал (failure)