шептать
sheptat'
To murmur in Russian is шептать (sheptat').
The verb шептать means to speak or make a low, indistinguishable noise or to mumble. While шептать is used for whispering or soft speaking, other nouns can describe different types of low sounds: журчание, шелест and шорох refer to any low, indistinct, continuing sound. And шум is used specifically to describe a heart sound phenomenon.
Meaning: to speak or make low, indistinguishable noise, to mumble (verb)
Which one should you use?
The informal verb Бубнить carries a connotation of grumbling or murmuring in a complaining manner.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb, the first person singular present form is шепчу (I am whispering/murmuring) and the masculine past tense form is шептал (he whispered/murmured). The noun form for a whisper or a low murmur is шепот.
How do you pronounce it?
sheptat'
Did you know?
- The word шептать is an onomatopoeia, meaning the sound of the word itself mimics the soft, breathy sound of a whisper.
- The word шептать is a cognate shared across almost all Slavic languages, appearing in Polish as 'szeptać' and Ukrainian as шептати.
- In a medical context, a heart murmur is called шум, which is the general Russian word for 'noise'.
Examples in context
- Он шептал ответ на вопрос преподавателя.He murmured his answer to the professor's question
- Она прошептала секрет своей лучшей подруге.She murmured a secret to her best friend
- Он бормотал в раздражении, читая сложный текст.He murmured in frustration while reading the difficult text
- Она начала шептать ему на ухо.Ona nachala sheptat' yemu na uho.She began to whisper in his ear.
- Он продолжал шептать что-то себе под нос.On prodolzhal sheptat' chto-to sebe pod nos.He continued to mutter something under his breath.
Example conversation
Maria and Andrey are in a quiet library.
- Мария MariaАндрей, почему ты решил шептать?Andrey, pochemu ty reshil sheptat'?Andrey, why did you decide to whisper?
- Андрей AndreyЗдесь нельзя громко разговаривать.Zdes' nelzya gromko razgovarivat'.You can't talk loudly here.
- Мария MariaЯ тебя совсем не слышу.Ya tebya sovsem ne slyshu.I can't hear you at all.
- Андрей AndreyХорошо, я буду говорить чуть яснее.Khorosho, ya budu govorit' chut' yasnee.Okay, I will speak a bit more clearly.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries шептать, CC BY-SA 4.0.
