Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'tremble'

English Word: tremble

Key Russian Translations:

• дрожать [ˈdroʒətʲ] - [Informal, Everyday use]
• трепетать [trʲɪˈpʲetətʲ] - [Formal, Literary, often in emotional or poetic contexts]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in spoken and written Russian, especially in descriptive narratives or everyday conversations)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, based on CEFR; requires understanding of verb conjugations and context, with 'дрожать' being more straightforward and 'трепетать' slightly harder due to its formal tone)

Pronunciation (Russian):

дрожать: [ˈdroʒətʲ]

Note on дрожать: The sound 'ж' is a voiced palatal fricative, similar to the 's' in 'measure' in English; stress is on the first syllable, and it may vary slightly in fast speech.

трепетать: [trʲɪˈpʲetətʲ]

Note on трепетать: The 'т' is soft (palatalized), and the word has a rhythmic flow often used in expressive language; be careful with the 'е' which can sound like 'ye' in some dialects.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To shake involuntarily, e.g., from fear, cold, or excitement

Translation(s) & Context:

• дрожать - Used in casual, everyday contexts, such as physical reactions to cold or fear; common in spoken Russian.
• трепетать - Applied in more formal or emotional settings, like literary descriptions of inner turmoil or anticipation.

Usage Examples:

• Он дрожит от холода в зимний вечер.

  He is trembling from the cold on a winter evening. (Shows physical reaction in a simple, everyday context.)

• Девушка трепетала от волнения перед выступлением.

  The girl was trembling with excitement before the performance. (Illustrates emotional state in a formal or narrative context.)

• Листья дрожат на ветру осенним утром.

  The leaves are trembling in the wind on an autumn morning. (Demonstrates use with inanimate objects in descriptive language.)

• Он начал трепетать, услышав неожиданную новость.

  He began to tremble upon hearing the unexpected news. (Highlights sudden emotional response in a literary style.)

• Ребёнок дрожит во время грозы, прячась под одеялом.

  The child is trembling during the storm, hiding under the blanket. (Emphasizes fear in a familial or protective context.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'дрожать' and 'трепетать' are imperfective verbs in Russian, meaning they describe ongoing or repeated actions. Russian verbs inflect based on tense, aspect, person, number, and gender. 'Дрожать' is more commonly used and follows standard first-conjugation patterns, while 'трепетать' is less frequent but conjugates similarly.

For 'дрожать' (in present tense):

Similar conjugation applies to 'трепетать': e.g., трепещу (trepešču) for 1st person singular. These verbs do not have irregular forms but must agree with the subject in person and number. In past tense, they add gender agreement: e.g., дрожал (male), дрожала (female).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • трепетать (more poetic, often implies emotional trembling)
  • вибрировать (vibriravat', used for mechanical or physical shaking, with a slight technical connotation)
• Antonyms:
  • быть спокойным (byt' spokoynym, to be calm)
  • не двигаться (ne dvigatsya, to not move)

Related Phrases:

• дрожать от страха - Trembling with fear (used to describe intense anxiety in threatening situations).
• трепетать в предвкушении - Trembling in anticipation (common in contexts of excitement or nervousness before an event).
• дрожь в коленях - Trembling in the knees (an idiomatic expression for extreme fear or weakness).

Usage Notes:

'Дрожать' directly corresponds to the everyday English use of 'tremble' for physical shaking, making it ideal for informal contexts, while 'трепетать' aligns more with emotional or literary nuances, similar to 'quiver' in English poetry. Choose 'дрожать' for spoken language to avoid sounding overly formal. Be mindful of verb aspect in Russian: pair it with imperfective forms for ongoing actions. In sentences, ensure subject-verb agreement, as Russian verbs change based on the subject.

Common Errors:

• Mistaking 'дрожать' for 'трепетать' in casual speech, leading to overly formal language. For example: Incorrect: "Я трепетал от холода" (sounds literary); Correct: "Я дрожал от холода" (natural for everyday cold shivering). Explanation: 'Трепетать' implies deeper emotion, not just physical reaction.
• Forgetting to conjugate properly, e.g., using the infinitive form in a sentence: Incorrect: "Он дрожать"; Correct: "Он дрожит". Explanation: Russian requires finite verb forms; always match with subject.
• Confusing with similar verbs like 'двигаться' (to move): Incorrect: "Он двигался от страха"; Correct: "Он дрожал от страха". Explanation: 'Двигаться' means general movement, not involuntary shaking.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian literature, such as in works by Pushkin or Dostoevsky, 'трепетать' often conveys deep emotional states, reflecting the cultural emphasis on introspection and passion. This can help English speakers understand how Russian language uses physical descriptions to explore psychological depth, differing from more straightforward English expressions.

Related Concepts:

• страх (fear)
• холод (cold)
• волнение (excitement)