Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'taste'

English Word: taste

Key Russian Translations:

• вкус [ˈfkus] - [Formal, Noun]
• пробовать [prɐˈbavatʲ] - [Informal, Verb, Used in everyday contexts like sampling food]

Frequency: High (Common in daily conversations, especially in contexts related to food, senses, and preferences)

Difficulty: A2 for 'вкус' (Basic noun usage); B1 for 'пробовать' (Requires understanding of verb conjugation)

Pronunciation (Russian):

вкус: [ˈfkus]

пробовать: [prɐˈbavatʲ]

Note on вкус: The 'к' sound is a hard velar stop; be careful with the final 'с' which can soften in fast speech. For пробовать, the stress is on the second syllable, and the 'тʲ' is palatalized.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: The sense of taste or flavor (Noun)

Translation(s) & Context:

• вкус - Used in formal and everyday contexts to describe the flavor of food or abstract tastes, such as in preferences or sensory experiences.

Usage Examples:

• Этот фрукт имеет приятный вкус. (This fruit has a pleasant taste.)

  English: This fruit has a pleasant taste.

• Я не люблю сладкий вкус кофе. (I don't like the sweet taste of coffee.)

  English: I don't like the sweet taste of coffee.

• Вкус еды зависит от специй. (The taste of food depends on the spices.)

  English: The taste of food depends on the spices.

• Её выпечка всегда с уникальным вкусом. (Her baking always has a unique taste.)

  English: Her baking always has a unique taste.

Meaning 2: To sample or try by mouth (Verb)

Translation(s) & Context:

• пробовать - Commonly used in informal settings for tasting food, testing something, or experimenting, often with imperfective aspect for ongoing actions.

Usage Examples:

• Давай попробуем это вино. (Let's taste this wine.)

  English: Let's taste this wine. (Context: Social gathering, inviting someone to sample.)

• Он пробует новое блюдо в ресторане. (He is tasting a new dish at the restaurant.)

  English: He is tasting a new dish at the restaurant. (Context: Exploring new flavors.)

• Дети пробуют фрукты в саду. (The children are tasting fruits in the garden.)

  English: The children are tasting fruits in the garden. (Context: Playful, experiential learning.)

• Повар пробует суп, чтобы проверить вкус. (The chef is tasting the soup to check the flavor.)

  English: The chef is tasting the soup to check the flavor. (Context: Professional kitchen setting.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'вкус' (noun, masculine):

It follows the standard third declension pattern for masculine nouns ending in a consonant. It is invariable in plural for some uses but can inflect based on case.

For 'пробовать' (verb, imperfective):

It is a first conjugation verb with regular patterns. It conjugates based on tense, person, and number. Example in present tense:

Note: The perfective form is 'попробовать', which is used for completed actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms for вкус: аромат (aroma, for scents), оттенок (shade, for nuances), ощущение (sensation)
• Synonyms for пробовать: дегустировать (to degustate, more formal for wine tasting), испытывать (to test)
• Antonyms for вкус: безвкусие (tastelessness)
• Antonyms for пробовать: избегать (to avoid)

Related Phrases:

• Вкус жизни (Vkus zhizni) - The taste of life; a phrase referring to enjoying life's pleasures, often in motivational contexts.
• Пробовать на вкус (Probovat' na vkus) - To taste for flavor; used when checking food quality.
• Потерять вкус (Poteryat' vkus) - To lose taste; metaphorically, to lose interest, with a cultural connotation of disillusionment.

Usage Notes:

'Вкус' directly corresponds to the English 'taste' as a noun, but it's more sensory-focused and can imply aesthetic judgment in Russian culture. 'Пробовать' aligns with 'to taste' as a verb but is often used imperfectively for ongoing actions, whereas its perfective counterpart 'попробовать' is for one-time trials. In formal writing, prefer 'вкус' over slang alternatives. When choosing between translations, use 'вкус' for static descriptions and 'пробовать' for actions. Be mindful of context: in culinary discussions, these words are ubiquitous, but in abstract senses, they carry emotional weight.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing 'вкус' with 'вкушать' (an archaic form meaning to enjoy or consume). Correct: Use 'пробовать' for modern tasting actions. Example of error: *Я вкушаю суп* (incorrect in contemporary Russian). Correct: Я пробую суп. Explanation: 'Вкушать' is outdated and sounds formal or humorous today.

• Error: Forgetting to conjugate 'пробовать' properly in sentences. Correct: Ensure subject-verb agreement, e.g., instead of *Он пробуют*, say *Он пробует*. Explanation: Russian verbs change based on person, so learners must practice conjugation tables.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'вкус' often extends beyond literal taste to encompass aesthetic and emotional appreciation, as seen in phrases like 'хороший вкус' (good taste), which refers to refined judgment in art or fashion. This reflects Russia's rich literary tradition, where sensory experiences are deeply tied to national identity, influenced by writers like Tolstoy who described flavors as metaphors for life's complexities.

Related Concepts:

• аромат
• ощущение
• дегустация