Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'wheedle'

English Word: wheedle

Key Russian Translations:

• уговаривать [ʊɡəvɐˈrʲivətʲ] - [Informal, often used in everyday persuasion]
• ласить [ˈlasʲitʲ] - [Formal, implies flattery or coaxing in polite contexts]

Frequency: Medium (Common in conversational Russian but not as frequent as basic verbs like "говорить")

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate, as it involves understanding verb conjugations; for 'уговаривать', it's straightforward for intermediates, but 'ласить' may require more nuance)

Pronunciation (Russian):

уговаривать: [ʊɡəvɐˈrʲivətʲ]

Note on уговаривать: The stress falls on the third syllable; be mindful of the soft 'р' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. It has various inflected forms based on tense.

ласить: [ˈlasʲitʲ]

Note on ласить: Pronounce the 'с' as a soft 's' sound; this verb is less common and may vary slightly in regional dialects.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To persuade someone by flattery, coaxing, or gentle urging.

Translation(s) & Context:

• уговаривать - Used in informal settings, such as family discussions or casual negotiations, to gently convince someone without force.
• ласить - Applied in more formal or manipulative contexts, like professional persuasion or social flattery.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда уговаривает друзей пойти в кино, обещая купить попкорн.

  He always wheedles his friends into going to the movies by promising to buy popcorn.

• Она ласит начальника, чтобы получить повышение, хваля его идеи.

  She wheedles her boss for a promotion by flattering his ideas.

• Дети уговаривают родителей на поездку, рисуя картинки счастливых моментов.

  The children wheedle their parents into a trip by drawing pictures of happy moments.

• В переговорах ласить партнёра — это искусство, чтобы добиться выгодных условий.

  In negotiations, wheedling a partner is an art to secure favorable terms.

• Он уговаривает продавца снизить цену, шутя о своей "бедности".

  He wheedles the seller into lowering the price by jokingly claiming his "poverty".

To coax or entice through insincere praise.

Translation(s) & Context:

• уговаривать - In emotional or persuasive dialogues, often with a hint of insincerity.
• ласить - More subtle, used in literary or formal writing to denote manipulative flattery.

Usage Examples:

• Она уговаривает коллегу поделиться секретом, льстя его знаниям.

  She wheedles her colleague into sharing a secret by flattering his knowledge.

• Ласить клиента — это стратегия, чтобы заключить сделку.

  Wheedling a client is a strategy to close the deal.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'уговаривать' and 'ласить' are verbs, so they follow Russian verb conjugation patterns. 'Уговаривать' is a first-conjugation verb with imperfective aspect, while 'ласить' is also imperfective but less common. They change based on tense, person, and number. Below is a conjugation table for 'уговаривать' in the present tense; 'ласить' follows similar patterns but is irregular in some forms.

Note: These verbs do not change in gender but must agree in number and person. For past tense, 'уговаривать' becomes 'уговаривал' (masc.), etc.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: убеждать (ubezhdat' - more direct persuasion), подольщаться (podolyat'sya - to ingratiate oneself, with a negative connotation)
• Antonyms: угрожать (ugrozhivat' - to threaten), принуждать (prinuzhdat' - to force)

Related Phrases:

• уговаривать кого-то сделать что-то - To wheedle someone into doing something; used in contexts of gentle persuasion.
• ласить для выгоды - To flatter for gain; implies manipulative behavior in social or business settings.
• не ласить, а убеждать - Not to wheedle but to convince honestly; highlights the difference between insincere and sincere persuasion.

Usage Notes:

'Уговаривать' directly corresponds to 'wheedle' in informal, everyday English contexts, emphasizing verbal coaxing without aggression. It's often used in spoken Russian and can be paired with adverbs like 'ласково' (gently) for nuance. 'Ласить' is more formal and carries a subtle negative undertone of insincerity, so choose it for scenarios involving flattery in professional or literary contexts. Be aware of grammatical agreement: always conjugate based on the subject. For English learners, note that Russian verbs like these require aspect consideration (imperfective for ongoing actions).

• In casual speech, 'уговаривать' is preferred over 'ласить' to avoid sounding overly manipulative.
• When translating 'wheedle', consider the intent: if it's playful, use 'уговаривать'; if deceitful, opt for 'ласить'.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse 'уговаривать' with 'заставлять' (to force), thinking both mean coercion. For example, an incorrect usage might be: "Я заставляю его пойти" instead of "Я уговариваю его пойти" for "I wheedle him into going." The error lies in implying force rather than persuasion; correct it by using 'уговаривать' with softening words like 'ласково' to maintain the flattery aspect. Another mistake is improper conjugation, e.g., saying "уговариваеты" instead of "уговариваешь" for "you wheedle," which disrupts verb agreement.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'wheedling' through words like 'уговаривать' reflects a value on indirect communication and politeness, especially in family or social settings. It ties into the tradition of 'krugovaya poruka' (mutual responsibility), where persuasion is preferred over confrontation to maintain harmony, though it can sometimes border on manipulation in business contexts.

Related Concepts:

• убеждение
• подхалимство
• переговоры