Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'suppress'

English Word: suppress

Key Russian Translations:

• подавлять [pədɐˈvlʲatʲ] - [Formal, used in contexts of control or oppression]
• сдерживать [sdrʲeˈʐʲivətʲ] - [Informal, often for emotional or physical restraint]
• угнетать [uɡnʲɪˈtatʲ] - [Formal, with connotations of systemic suppression]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in literature, news, and everyday discussions about control or emotions)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual nuances)

Pronunciation (Russian):

подавлять: [pədɐˈvlʲatʲ]

сдерживать: [sdrʲeˈʐʲivətʲ]

угнетать: [uɡnʲɪˈtatʲ]

Note on подавлять: The stress is on the second syllable; be cautious with the palatalized 'л' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers.

Note on сдерживать: The 'ж' sound is soft and similar to 'zh' in 'measure'; variations may occur in faster speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To prevent something from being expressed or developing (e.g., emotions, information)

Translation(s) & Context:

• сдерживать - Used in informal contexts like personal emotions or daily restraint, such as suppressing anger in a conversation.
• подавлять - Applied in formal or serious contexts, like suppressing dissent in politics or science.

Usage Examples:

• Он старается сдерживать свои эмоции во время встречи. (He tries to suppress his emotions during the meeting.)

  English: He tries to suppress his emotions during the meeting. (Shows informal emotional control.)

• Правительство подавляет любые попытки протеста. (The government suppresses any attempts at protest.)

  English: The government suppresses any attempts at protest. (Illustrates formal, authoritative use.)

• Ей трудно сдерживать раздражение в такой ситуации. (It's hard for her to suppress irritation in such a situation.)

  English: It's hard for her to suppress irritation in such a situation. (Demonstrates emotional context with verb in imperfective aspect.)

• Войска подавляют восстание в регионе. (The troops suppress the uprising in the region.)

  English: The troops suppress the uprising in the region. (Highlights military or conflict scenarios.)

• Он учит себя сдерживать импульсы, чтобы избежать конфликтов. (He teaches himself to suppress impulses to avoid conflicts.)

  English: He teaches himself to suppress impulses to avoid conflicts. (Shows self-control in interpersonal settings.)

Meaning 2: To stop or inhibit a natural process or function (e.g., in medicine or biology)

Translation(s) & Context:

• подавлять - Common in scientific or medical contexts, such as suppressing a virus.
• угнетать - Used for more oppressive or negative suppression, like in health-related contexts with side effects.

Usage Examples:

• Лекарство подавляет рост опухоли. (The medicine suppresses the growth of the tumor.)

  English: The medicine suppresses the growth of the tumor. (Medical context with direct application.)

• Иммунная система угнетает инфекцию. (The immune system suppresses the infection.)

  English: The immune system suppresses the infection. (Biological usage in a formal setting.)

• Этот препарат подавляет аллергические реакции. (This drug suppresses allergic reactions.)

  English: This drug suppresses allergic reactions. (Example of pharmacological use.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These verbs are imperfective and follow standard Russian verb conjugation patterns. They are first conjugation verbs, which means they have regular endings but can vary by aspect, tense, and person. Below is a conjugation table for подавлять as an example; similar patterns apply to сдерживать and угнетать with slight variations.

For сдерживать, it is also regular but may have aspectual pairs (e.g., perfective: сдержать). These verbs do not change in gender or number in the infinitive form.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Ограничить (ogranichitʲ) - To limit, often interchangeable in restrictive contexts.
  • Сдержать (sderzhatʲ) - To hold back, with a more immediate connotation.
  • Подавить (podavitʲ) - Similar to подавлять but perfective aspect.
• Antonyms:
  • Выражать (vyrazhatʲ) - To express, directly opposite in emotional contexts.
  • Поощрять (pooshchryatʲ) - To encourage, especially in suppression of ideas.

Related Phrases:

• Подавлять эмоции - To suppress emotions; a common phrase in psychology for bottling up feelings.
• Сдерживать себя - To hold oneself back; used in self-control scenarios, like in arguments.
• Угнетать свободу - To suppress freedom; often in political discussions, implying authoritarian control.

Usage Notes:

"Suppress" in English often aligns with подавлять for formal or institutional contexts, but сдерживать is preferred in everyday emotional situations to sound more natural. Be mindful of aspect in Russian: use imperfective forms like these for ongoing actions and perfective counterparts (e.g., подавить) for completed ones. In formal writing, угнетать carries a stronger negative connotation, so choose based on context to avoid overstating oppression.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using подавлять in casual conversations where сдерживать is more appropriate, e.g., saying "Я подавляю гнев" instead of "Я сдерживаю гнев" for "I suppress anger."
  Correct: "Я сдерживаю гнев" – Explanation: Сдерживать is less intense and fits informal settings, while подавлять implies deeper suppression, which can sound overly dramatic.
• Mistake: Forgetting verb conjugation, e.g., using "подавляет" incorrectly for first person.
  Correct: Use "подавляю" for "I suppress" – Explanation: Russian verbs must agree with the subject in person and number, unlike English where "suppress" remains unchanged.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, concepts like подавлять often relate to historical contexts of censorship and authoritarianism, such as during the Soviet era. Words like угнетать can evoke memories of political suppression, making them sensitive in discussions about freedom and expression. Understanding these nuances helps English speakers navigate conversations without unintended offense.

Related Concepts:

• Контролировать (Control)
• Ограничение (Restriction)
• Свобода (Freedom)