Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'worship'

English Word: worship

Key Russian Translations:

• поклоняться [pɐkləˈnʲit͡sə] - [Verb, Informal, Used in religious or metaphorical contexts]
• поклонение [pɐkləˈnʲenʲije] - [Noun, Formal, Plural possible as поклонения]
• почитать [pəʧʲɪˈtatʲ] - [Verb, Formal, Often used for respect or veneration]

Frequency: Medium (Common in religious, cultural, and everyday discussions, but not as frequent as basic vocabulary)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and noun declensions for accurate use)

Pronunciation (Russian):

поклоняться: [pɐkləˈnʲit͡sə]

поклонение: [pɐkləˈnʲenʲije]

почитать: [pəʧʲɪˈtatʲ]

Note on поклоняться: The stress falls on the third syllable; be cautious with the palatalized 'н' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. Pronunciation may vary slightly in fast speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. As a verb: To show deep admiration, reverence, or devotion, often in a religious sense.

Translation(s) & Context:

• поклоняться - Used in contexts of religious rituals or metaphorical worship, such as idolizing a celebrity.
• почитать - Applied in formal or respectful scenarios, like honoring traditions or elders.

Usage Examples:

• В церкви люди поклоняются Богу каждое воскресенье.

  In church, people worship God every Sunday.

• Молодые фанаты поклоняются популярным певцам, как будто они боги.

  Young fans worship popular singers as if they were gods.

• Он почитает своих предков, выполняя традиционные ритуалы.

  He worships his ancestors by performing traditional rituals.

• В современном обществе многие поклоняются деньгам и власти.

  In modern society, many worship money and power.

2. As a noun: The act of worshiping or a religious service.

Translation(s) & Context:

• поклонение - Refers to the act or ceremony of worship, often in a spiritual context.

Usage Examples:

• Поклонение в православной церкви включает пение и молитвы.

  Worship in the Orthodox church includes singing and prayers.

• Его поклонение природе отражает древние языческие традиции.

  His worship of nature reflects ancient pagan traditions.

• Во время праздника поклонение идолам было центральным событием.

  During the festival, worship of idols was the central event.

• Поклонение в мечети проходит пять раз в день.

  Worship in the mosque occurs five times a day.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For the verb поклоняться (to worship), it is an imperfective verb that follows standard Russian conjugation patterns. It is irregular in some aspects due to its reflexive form (with -ся).

For the noun поклонение, it is a neuter noun that declines as follows:

The verb почитать follows regular conjugation and does not have significant irregularities.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • почитать (similar to respect, but with a devotional nuance)
  • благоговеть (implies awe and reverence, often in a more intense context)
  • преклоняться (used for bowing down or extreme admiration)
• Antonyms:
  • презирать (to despise)
  • ненавидеть (to hate)

Related Phrases:

• Поклонение идолам - Worship of idols; often refers to blind admiration in a negative context.
• Божественное поклонение - Divine worship; used in religious services.
• Почитать как героя - To worship as a hero; implies elevating someone to legendary status.

Usage Notes:

"Worship" in English often carries a religious connotation, which aligns closely with поклоняться or поклонение in Russian. However, choose почитать for more secular or respectful uses. Be mindful of context: in formal writing or speech, opt for поклонение; in everyday conversation, поклоняться is more natural. Russian verbs like these require agreement with gender, number, and case, so ensure proper conjugation based on the subject.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using поклоняться without the reflexive -ся, e.g., saying "поклонять" instead of "поклоняться".
  Correct: Поклоняться is reflexive and must include -ся. Explanation: This changes the meaning entirely, as non-reflexive forms might not exist or convey something different.
• Mistake: Confusing cases in nouns, e.g., using поклонение in the wrong case like "в поклонение" instead of "в поклонении".
  Correct: Use the prepositional case "в поклонении" for "in worship". Explanation: Russian nouns decline based on their role in the sentence, which English learners often overlook.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like поклонение are deeply tied to Orthodox Christianity, where worship involves rituals, icons, and community gatherings. This reflects Russia's historical religious heritage, and using these terms can evoke a sense of tradition and spirituality, especially during holidays like Easter.

Related Concepts:

• молитва (prayer)
• ритуал (ritual)
• бог (god)