Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'yearn'

English Word: yearn

Key Russian Translations:

• тосковать /tɐskɐˈvatʲ/ - [Verb, Imperfective, Informal; used for emotional longing]
• жаждать /ʐɐʐˈdatʲ/ - [Verb, Imperfective, Formal; used for intense craving or desire]

Frequency: Medium (commonly found in literature and emotional contexts, but not in everyday casual speech)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; involves understanding verb aspects and emotional nuances, which can vary by translation)

Pronunciation (Russian):

тосковать: /tɐskɐˈvatʲ/

жаждать: /ʐɐʐˈdatʲ/

Note on тосковать: The stress is on the second syllable; be careful with the soft 'т' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers due to its palatalization.

Note on жаждать: Pronounce the 'ж' as a voiced fricative, similar to the 's' in "measure"; this word often has a more emphatic tone in speech.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To have a strong, often emotional desire or longing for something or someone.

Translation(s) & Context:

• тосковать - Used in personal, emotional contexts, such as missing someone or something from the past.
• жаждать - Applied in more intense or aspirational scenarios, like craving success or an object.

Usage Examples:

• Я тоскую по родине, особенно зимой.

  I yearn for my homeland, especially in winter.

• Она тоскует по старым друзьям, но не решается позвонить.

  She yearns for her old friends but doesn't dare to call.

• Вдали от семьи, он жаждет вернуться домой как можно скорее.

  Far from his family, he yearns to return home as soon as possible.

• Дети жаждут приключений, но родители тоскуют по спокойствию.

  Children yearn for adventures, but parents yearn for peace.

• После разлуки, мы оба тоскуем по тем дням, когда были вместе.

  After the separation, we both yearn for those days when we were together.

Meaning 2: To feel a deep inner urge or passion, often in a figurative sense.

Translation(s) & Context:

• жаждать - Common in motivational or goal-oriented contexts, implying a stronger drive.
• тосковать - Less common here, but used for emotional or nostalgic urges.

Usage Examples:

• Он жаждет успеха в карьере, несмотря на все препятствия.

  He yearns for success in his career, despite all the obstacles.

• Она жаждет знаний и проводит часы в библиотеке.

  She yearns for knowledge and spends hours in the library.

• Иногда я тоскую по творчеству, которое было в моей юности.

  Sometimes I yearn for the creativity I had in my youth.

• В тишине ночи, поэт жаждет вдохновения из природы.

  In the quiet of the night, the poet yearns for inspiration from nature.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are imperfective verbs, which means they describe ongoing or repeated actions. Russian verbs have aspects (imperfective and perfective), and these words are irregular in some conjugations. Below is a table for key inflections:

Note: These verbs do not change based on gender in the infinitive or present forms but do in the past tense. They are irregular due to stem changes (e.g., тоскую from тосковать).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • скучать (skuchat' - similar to тосковать, but more about missing someone casually)
  • стремиться (stremit'sya - closer to жаждать, implying effort toward a goal)
• Antonyms:
  • быть довольным (byt' dovol'nym - to be content)
  • не желать (ne zhelat' - not to desire)

Related Phrases:

• тосковать по родине - Yearning for one's homeland; often used in contexts of exile or nostalgia.
• жаждать успеха - Yearning for success; common in motivational or professional settings.
• душевная тоска - Soulful yearning; refers to deep emotional longing in literature or poetry.

Usage Notes:

• тосковать is a closer match to the emotional, heartfelt aspect of "yearn," often implying a sense of melancholy, which is culturally significant in Russian literature (e.g., in works by Pushkin). Use it for personal relationships or homesickness.
• жаждать conveys a more active or passionate desire, similar to "crave," and is suitable for ambitions or material wants. Choose based on context: informal for тосковать, formal for жаждать.
• Be mindful of verb aspects in Russian; pair with perfective forms like "потосковать" for completed actions, but stick to imperfective for ongoing yearning.
• In sentences, these verbs often require prepositions like "по" (for тосковать) to indicate the object of desire.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using тосковать interchangeably with скучать without considering intensity. Incorrect: Я скучаю по еде (implies mild missing). Correct: Я тоскую по еде (implies deep yearning). Explanation: скучать is lighter; use тосковать for stronger emotions to avoid understatement.
• Error: Neglecting verb aspects, e.g., saying "я жаждал" without context for past actions. Incorrect: Я жаждал вчера (incomplete without perfective pair). Correct: Use "возжаждал" for a completed craving. Explanation: English learners often forget that Russian requires aspect pairs for precise tense usage.

Cultural Notes:

The concept of тоска (a noun related to тосковать) is deeply embedded in Russian culture, often representing a profound, existential longing or melancholy. It's a theme in literature (e.g., Chekhov's works) and music, reflecting historical experiences like exile or hardship, which can make "yearn" translations feel more poetic and introspective in Russian contexts.

Related Concepts:

• тоска (toska - a state of longing)
• ностальгия (nostal'giya - nostalgia)
• страсть (strast' - passion)