Thread: Word Use Help Needed

These pairs of Russian words are given the same definition by Nicholas Brown. Could someone please help with any subtle differences in usage? It would make learning the words much easier. Thanks

to change - измениться, менять

to glance - заглянуть, глянуть на

to hide - спрятать, скрывать

to hurry - спешить, торопиться

to order - велеть, приказать

to take hold of - забрать, взяться за

to turn into - превратиться в, обратиться в

to wait for - дождаться, подождать

to reach - добраться до, дойти

to read - прочитать, прочесть

to seize - захватить, схватить

to strike - ударить, поразить

to change - измениться, менять
Он сильно изменился за последнее время - He changed alot last time
Я не стал бы ничего здесь менять - I wouldn't change here anything
Он изменился в лице - Hi changed in face
Врмена меняются - Times change
You see, измениться or изменить has lesser of action
And менять means that you took something away and puted something different instead - so more evident changes

to glance - заглянуть, глянуть на
My dictionary says it always mean the same - the short fast action, but if you like the difference between those Russian words..
заглянуть means that you did it over/from/across/from behind of something - you can заглянуть over the wall, in the window, in someone's face. It means the complicated action - not only turn or motion of your eyes or head but often your body.
глянуть на means just to look suddenly at something which is not hidden or closed by anything. To глянуть на anything you have just to turn your head or eyes and see it.

to hide - спрятать, скрывать
You can спрятать any THING or some BODY just as a motion.
But you can скрывать the Truth,any fact very important mystery, also the prisoner.

to hurry - спешить, торопиться
That generally means the same in Russian, use it easily as you wish. Some English words can replace each other as well. Stone and rock perhaps, or one hundert years and one century.


to order - велеть, приказать
велеть is more common - teacher might велеть you correct all mistakes in yur homework, you may велеть your kid to bring in order his/her room hurry.
But приказать is to command and you can't do it if you are not the general talking with soldier. To приказать you must have the right for it. You can приказать to leave your house if somebody entered it without your permission.

to take hold of - забрать, взяться за
забрать means just to take of - to take kids from school, to take your suit from laundry, to take the money from your bank account.
You can взяться за your work - to start,begin some motion

to turn into - превратиться в, обратиться в
Mainly it's the same, but first is more common and useful.
превратиться в means changes in any direction and
обратиться в means dirrectly opposite changes

to wait for - дождаться, подождать
дождаться is when you are waiting for something or somebody particular what you know for sure should arrive soon or later.
подождать menas to wait for a little while

to reach - добраться до, дойти
добраться до means to reach the aim or last point whatever you did for it - jumped, flu, run and so on
дойти has more dirrect meaning - often symbolical, but it means mostly the dirrect motion to some aims - from beginning to the end, from your home to the market, from the normality to the madness - you see they are opposite things

to read - прочитать, прочесть
the same for me - the difference is formal grammatical

to seize - захватить, схватить
You can захватить the foe on the war, someone's possesion, the ship in the sea if you are pirat
схватить means the instant motion - to catch - the bird, the ball - means the fast motion

to strike - ударить, поразить
ударить means to kick someone or something - literally your motion when you rise your hand, leg, or anything and put it down or in the front of you very fast on something
поразить often means to shok, to astonish and amaze, to do something - good or bad what can take everyone to speak on or move.
You can поразить everyone when you understood the difference between all those Russian words

Good luck!

Thanks so much for the detailed response.

One more clarification, please.

превратиться в

Is this always refering to physical direction? In English, this might mean a change i.e.

"The catepillar turned into a butterfly."

велеть is more common

I don't agree, I think it's less common and sounds a little bit outdated to me ("barin velel...")

Originally Posted by Woland

Thanks so much for the detailed response.

One more clarification, please.

превратиться в

Is this always refering to physical direction? In English, this might mean a change i.e.

"The catepillar turned into a butterfly."

It works this way too, "gusenica prevratilas' v babochku".

Woland you are welcome!

Originally Posted by laxxy

I don't agree, I think it's less common and sounds a little bit outdated to me ("barin velel...")

Well probably you were right. But what is more useful to you велеть or приказать? Here are some examples :
Отец велел мне сделать уроки, а потом уже идти на футбол.
Отец приказал мне сделать уроки, а потом уже идти на футбол.

Доктор велел мне ничего не есть, пока я не сдам анализы.
Доктор приказал мне ничего не есть, пока я не сдам анализы.

Я велю тебе это сделать - сейчас же встань из-за стола и пойди вымой руки, иначе останешся без сладкого.
Я приказываю тебе это сделать - сейчас же встань из-за стола и пойди вымой руки, иначе останешся без сладкого.

You may use Russian verb сказать in such cases, but the question was about the English word to order - велеть, приказать. That why I think велеть is more usual form.

Dispite that I can agree with you about barin.

One more clarification, please.

превратиться в

Is this always refering to physical direction? In English, this might mean a change i.e.

"The catepillar turned into a butterfly."

превратиться = turn (into), change (into)

The catepillar turned into a butterfly. = Гусеница превратилась в бабочку.
(here is a perfect correspoding I think)

Originally Posted by Woland

Thanks so much for the detailed response.

One more clarification, please.

превратиться в

Is this always refering to physical direction? In English, this might mean a change i.e.

"The catepillar turned into a butterfly."

I can't recall any case when "превратиться в" would ever refer to physical direction. "превратиться в" = transform(turn) into
Turn meaning physical direction may be translated as повернуть(ся)