Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'victimize'

English Word: victimize

Key Russian Translations:

• Подвергать [pədˈvʲɛrɡətʲ] - [Formal, used in legal or social contexts]
• Делать жертвой [ˈdʲelətʲ ʐɛrtvɐj] - [Informal, literal expression, often in everyday speech]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in discussions of social issues, but not in casual everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual nuances; for 'Подвергать', it's B2; for 'Делать жертвой', it's B1 due to its more straightforward structure)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Подвергать: [pədˈvʲɛrɡətʲ]

Делать жертвой: [ˈdʲelətʲ ʐɛrtvɐj]

Note on Подвергать: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the soft 'в' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. This verb has palatalization in certain forms.

Audio: Listen to pronunciation

Meanings and Usage:

Primary meaning: To make someone a victim, often through unfair treatment, bullying, or discrimination.

Translation(s) & Context:

• Подвергать - Used in formal contexts, such as legal documents or social discussions, to describe subjecting someone to harm or injustice.
• Делать жертвой - Applied in informal or narrative contexts, emphasizing the act of turning someone into a victim in stories or personal accounts.

Usage Examples:

• В школе хулиганы подвергают младших учеников издевательствам.

  In school, bullies victimize younger students with harassment.

• Эта система делает жертвой любого, кто не соответствует нормам.

  This system victimizes anyone who doesn't conform to the norms.

• Правительство подвергает оппозицию политическому давлению.

  The government victimizes the opposition with political pressure.

• В фильме главный герой делает жертвой невинного человека, чтобы спасти себя.

  In the movie, the main character victimizes an innocent person to save himself.

• Соседи часто подвергают одиночек социальной изоляции.

  Neighbors often victimize loners with social isolation, highlighting patterns in community dynamics.

Secondary meaning: To exploit or target someone repeatedly for personal gain.

Translation(s) & Context:

• Подвергать - In contexts involving ongoing exploitation, such as workplace discrimination.
• Делать жертвой - In personal or emotional scenarios, like manipulative relationships.

Usage Examples:

• Корпорация подвергает сотрудников эксплуатации, чтобы повысить прибыль.

  The corporation victimizes employees with exploitation to increase profits.

• Мошенники делают жертвой пожилых людей, предлагая ложные инвестиции.

  Scammers victimize elderly people by offering fake investments.

• В интернете тролли подвергают пользователей травле.

  Online trolls victimize users with harassment.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

'Подвергать' is a verb (from the imperfective aspect) and follows standard Russian verb conjugation patterns for first-conjugation verbs. It is imperfective, meaning it describes ongoing or repeated actions. Here's a table of its key inflections:

'Делать жертвой' is a phrase involving the verb 'делать' (to make), which is irregular. 'Делать' conjugates as follows in present tense: Делаю, Делаешь, Делает, etc. It doesn't have specific inflections for 'жертвой' as it's a nominal phrase, but 'жертвой' is the instrumental case of 'жертва' (victim), which inflects by case and number (e.g., жертва - nominative; жертве - dative).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Преследовать (to persecute) - Often used for ongoing harassment.
  • Дискриминировать (to discriminate) - Focuses on unfair treatment based on characteristics.
• Antonyms:
  • Защищать (to protect)
  • Поддерживать (to support)

Related Phrases:

• Подвергать опасности - To endanger; used in contexts of risk or threat.
• Делать козлом отпущения - To make a scapegoat; implies blaming someone unjustly.
• Становиться жертвой обмана - To become a victim of deception; common in fraud scenarios.

Usage Notes:

'Подвергать' is a more formal and precise translation of 'victimize' in Russian, often used in legal or official contexts, while 'Делать жертвой' is less formal and more descriptive. English speakers should note that Russian verbs like 'Подвергать' require an object in the appropriate case (e.g., accusative for direct objects). Choose 'Подвергать' for professional writing and 'Делать жертвой' for narrative or casual speech. Be aware of aspect: use imperfective for ongoing actions and perfective forms (e.g., подвергнуть) for completed ones.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'жертвовать' (to sacrifice) as a direct translation, which implies giving up something willingly, not making someone a victim. Correct: Use 'Подвергать' instead. Example of error: "Я жертвую его" (incorrect). Correct: "Я подвергаю его" (I victimize him). Explanation: 'Жертвовать' changes the meaning entirely, so it's a common mix-up for beginners.

• Error: Forgetting case agreement, e.g., saying 'Подвергать жертва' instead of 'Подвергать жертве'. Correct: Ensure the object is in the correct case. Example of error: "Подвергать жертва" (wrong). Correct: "Подвергать жертве" in dative for certain contexts. Explanation: Russian grammar requires precise case usage, which English speakers often overlook.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and media, words like 'Подвергать' are frequently used in discussions of historical events, such as Soviet-era persecutions or modern social injustices, reflecting a deep sensitivity to themes of victimization due to Russia's history of authoritarianism and social upheaval. This can add emotional weight to the word in conversations.

Related Concepts:

• Преследование (persecution)
• Дискриминация (discrimination)
• Защита (protection)