Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'thresh'

English Word: thresh

Key Russian Translations:

• молотить [mɐˈɫotʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, typically used in agricultural or rural contexts]

Frequency: Low (This verb is not commonly used in everyday modern Russian conversation but appears in agricultural, literary, or historical contexts.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires familiarity with Russian verb conjugations and specialized vocabulary, as per CEFR standards.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

молотить: [mɐˈɫotʲɪtʲ]

Note on молотить: The stress falls on the second syllable (lo-), and the 'тʲ' sound is a palatalized 't', which can be challenging for English speakers. Pronounce it with a soft, rolling 'l' sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To separate grain from the husk in harvested crops

Translation(s) & Context:

• молотить - Used in formal or technical agricultural discussions, often in rural or historical settings to describe the process of threshing grain.

Usage Examples:

• Фермеры молотят пшеницу осенью, чтобы подготовить зерно к хранению.

  Farmers thresh the wheat in the autumn to prepare the grain for storage.

• В старые времена люди молотили зерно вручную, используя деревянные орудия.

  In the old days, people threshed grain by hand using wooden tools.

• Механизированные комбайны теперь молотят урожай гораздо быстрее, чем раньше.

  Mechanized combines now thresh the harvest much faster than before.

• Если не молотить вовремя, зерно может испортиться от влаги.

  If you don't thresh it in time, the grain can spoil from moisture.

• Дети в деревне наблюдали, как взрослые молотят рис в большом амбаре.

  The children in the village watched as the adults threshed rice in the large barn.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

"Молотить" is a first-conjugation verb in Russian, which follows regular patterns but has some irregularities in perfective aspects. It is imperfective and can be paired with its perfective counterpart "обмолотить". Below is a table outlining key inflections for the imperfective form:

Note: This verb does not change in infinitive form and is invariable in some aspects like the imperative (e.g., "молоти!"). For the perfective "обмолотить", similar conjugations apply but with aspectual differences.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • обмолачивать (obmolachivat') - Similar to threshing but often implies a more mechanical process; used in modern contexts.
  • измолачивать (izmolochivat') - Emphasizes thorough threshing; has a slightly more intensive connotation.
• Antonyms:
  • собирать (sobirat') - To gather or harvest, the opposite action before threshing.
  • хранить (hranil') - To store, implying preservation rather than processing.

Related Phrases:

• молоть зерно (molot' zerno) - To thresh grain; a common agricultural phrase referring to the basic process.
• обмолот урожая (obmolot urozhaya) - Threshing of the harvest; used in formal reports or discussions about farming yields.
• ручной обмолот (ruchnoy obmolot) - Manual threshing; highlights traditional methods in historical contexts.

Usage Notes:

"Молотить" directly corresponds to the English "thresh" in agricultural contexts but is less common in everyday Russian speech. It is typically formal and region-specific, often appearing in rural or literary settings. When choosing between "молотить" and synonyms like "обмолачивать", opt for "молотить" for imperfective actions (ongoing processes). Be mindful of aspect: pair it with perfective forms for completed actions. In sentences, it often requires prepositions like "в" (in) for location, e.g., "молотить в амбаре". English learners should note that Russian verbs like this change based on tense and subject, so practice conjugations for accurate usage.

Common Errors:

• Confusing aspect: Learners often use "молотить" when a perfective verb is needed, e.g., incorrectly saying "Я молотил пшеницу" for a completed action. Correct: Use "обмолотил" for perfective. Error example: "Я молотил вчера" (implies ongoing). Correct example: "Я обмолотил вчера" (completed yesterday). Explanation: Russian verbs must match the aspect to the context to avoid ambiguity.

• Mispronouncing the palatalized sounds: English speakers might say [mɐˈlotɪt] instead of [mɐˈɫotʲɪtʲ], softening the 't'. Error example: Pronouncing it without the 'ʲ' sound. Correct: Practice with native audio to master the palatalization.

Cultural Notes:

"Молотить" evokes images of traditional Russian rural life, particularly from the 19th and early 20th centuries, as depicted in literature like Tolstoy's works. It symbolizes the hard labor of peasants during harvest seasons and is tied to Russia's agrarian history. In modern contexts, it may carry nostalgic or folkloric connotations, especially in regions like the Russian countryside where manual threshing is still practiced in festivals or museums.

Related Concepts:

• урожай (urozhay) - Harvest
• зерно (zerno) - Grain
• комбайн (kombayn) - Combine harvester