Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'torture'

English Word: torture

Key Russian Translations:

• пытка [ˈpɨtkə] - [Formal, Noun, Used in legal, historical, or serious contexts]
• пытать [pɨˈtatʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Used in contexts involving inflicting pain or interrogation]

Frequency: Medium (Common in discussions of human rights, history, and news, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: Intermediate (B1-B2 on CEFR scale; requires understanding of abstract concepts and Russian case systems for nouns, verb conjugations for verbs)

Pronunciation (Russian):

пытка: [ˈpɨtkə]

пытать: [pɨˈtatʲ]

Note on пытка: The stress is on the first syllable; the 'ы' sound can be challenging for English speakers, as it's a central vowel not found in English—similar to a quick, unrounded 'i' in "bit."

Note on пытать: The verb has a soft 'т' sound before the 'ь', which affects pronunciation; practice the palatalization for accuracy.

Audio: []

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Noun: The act of inflicting severe pain to punish, coerce, or for sadistic purposes

Translation(s) & Context:

• пытка - Used in formal or historical contexts, such as describing torture in wars or legal systems; common in written reports or discussions on human rights.

Usage Examples:

• В средневековье пытка была распространённым методом допроса.

  In the Middle Ages, torture was a common method of interrogation.

• Международные договоры запрещают применение пытки в любых обстоятельствах.

  International treaties prohibit the use of torture in any circumstances.

• Музей истории представляет экспонаты, связанные с пыткой во время инквизиции.

  The history museum displays exhibits related to torture during the Inquisition.

• Психологическое воздействие пытки может быть даже хуже физического.

  The psychological impact of torture can be even worse than the physical.

• В фильме показано, как пытка используется для раскрытия правды.

  In the film, torture is used to extract the truth.

2. Verb: To subject someone to severe pain or distress

Translation(s) & Context:

• пытать - Used in contexts involving active infliction, such as in interrogations or metaphorical emotional pain; often in formal or literary language.

Usage Examples:

• Враги пытали пленника, чтобы получить конфиденциальную информацию.

  The enemies tortured the prisoner to obtain confidential information.

• Его пытали психологически, не прибегая к физическому насилию.

  He was tortured psychologically without resorting to physical violence.

• В исторических романах часто описывается, как пытали диссидентов.

  In historical novels, the torture of dissidents is often described.

• Доктор пытал пациента вопросами, чтобы диагностировать болезнь.

  The doctor interrogated the patient relentlessly to diagnose the illness (note: this is a metaphorical use).

• Враги пытали его всю ночь, но он не сломался.

  The enemies tortured him all night, but he did not break.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For "пытка" (noun, feminine, first declension):

It follows standard first-declension patterns for Russian nouns. Note that it is invariable in gender but changes by case and number.

For "пытать" (verb, first conjugation):

It is a regular first-conjugation verb with imperfective aspect. It conjugates based on tense, person, and number.

Note: The verb has aspectual pairs; the perfective is "замучить" for some contexts.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • мучение (more general pain or suffering, often emotional)
  • истязание (similar to torture but implies prolonged cruelty)
• Antonyms:
  • блаженство (bliss or happiness)
  • спасение (rescue or relief)

Related Phrases:

• Подвергать пыткам - To subject to torture; used in legal or historical contexts to describe forced interrogation.
• Пытка водой - Waterboarding; a specific method of torture, often referenced in modern human rights discussions.
• Моральная пытка - Moral torture; refers to psychological torment without physical harm.

Usage Notes:

The Russian translations "пытка" and "пытать" closely align with the English "torture" as a noun and verb, respectively, but are more formal and less colloquial. Use "пытка" in nominative contexts for general reference, and ensure proper case agreement in sentences. For verbs, "пытать" is imperfective, implying ongoing action, so pair it with appropriate aspects for completed actions. English learners should note that Russian often requires specifying the instrument or method, e.g., "пыткой водой." Choose "пытка" for static descriptions and "пытать" for dynamic ones based on context.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing "пытка" with "пытать" and using the noun as a verb. Incorrect: "Он пытка меня" (grammatically wrong). Correct: "Он пытал меня" (He tortured me). Explanation: "Пытка" is a noun and cannot conjugate; always use the verb form for actions.
• Error: Forgetting case changes, e.g., using "пытка" in genitive as "пытка" instead of "пытки." Incorrect: "Страх пытка" (meaning "Fear of torture"). Correct: "Страх пытки." Explanation: Russian nouns must agree in case; here, genitive is needed after "страх."

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and history, terms like "пытка" evoke memories of events such as the Stalinist purges or the Inquisition's influence in Russia, where torture was used in state interrogations. It carries a strong connotation of human rights abuses, often discussed in literature like Dostoevsky's works, highlighting moral and ethical dilemmas.

Related Concepts:

• казнь (execution)
• допрос (interrogation)
• насилие (violence)