Signification
To assist someone who is struggling.
Contexte culturel
In Soviet schools, 'taking on tow' was a formal system where high-achieving students (otlichniki) were paired with struggling ones (dvoechniki). This created a unique bond of peer-mentorship. There is a strong tradition of 'nastavnichestvo' (mentorship). A senior worker taking a junior 'on tow' is seen as a sign of a healthy, collaborative team rather than a burden. Because Russia has a vast coastline and many rivers, maritime metaphors are very common in the language. 'Буксир' is just one of many terms (like 'полный вперёд' or 'бросить якорь') used in daily life. The phrase is a staple of 'socialist realism' in films, where the plot often revolves around a collective helping an individual reform or improve.
Use for Mentorship
This is the most natural way to describe a mentor-mentee relationship in a Russian office.
Watch the Case
Always use 'на буксир' (Accusative) when starting the action. 'На буксире' (Prepositional) is only for the state of being towed.
Signification
To assist someone who is struggling.
Use for Mentorship
This is the most natural way to describe a mentor-mentee relationship in a Russian office.
Watch the Case
Always use 'на буксир' (Accusative) when starting the action. 'На буксире' (Prepositional) is only for the state of being towed.
Soviet Nuance
Older Russians will remember this from school; using it shows a deep understanding of Russian social history.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom.
Наш лучший менеджер решил ___ стажёра ___ буксир.
The standard form is 'взять на буксир'.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly in a figurative sense?
Выберите правильное предложение:
This sentence correctly uses the idiom to describe helping a struggling person.
Match the situation to the correct form of the idiom.
Ситуация: Вы уже три месяца помогаете коллеге, и это продолжается сейчас.
The imperfective 'беру' is used for ongoing actions.
🎉 Score : /3
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
3 exercicesНаш лучший менеджер решил ___ стажёра ___ буксир.
The standard form is 'взять на буксир'.
Выберите правильное предложение:
This sentence correctly uses the idiom to describe helping a struggling person.
Ситуация: Вы уже три месяца помогаете коллеге, и это продолжается сейчас.
The imperfective 'беру' is used for ongoing actions.
🎉 Score : /3
Questions fréquentes
4 questionsNo, it's generally positive. However, if you say it to someone who is very proud, they might feel you are calling them 'weak'.
Yes, it is still the standard term for towing a car or a boat.
There isn't a direct single-word idiom, but you could say 'бросить на произвол судьбы' (to leave to the mercy of fate).
Yes, it's perfectly fine in a consultative or neutral business setting.
Expressions liées
Взять под крыло
similarTo take under one's wing
Протянуть руку помощи
similarTo lend a helping hand
Медвежья услуга
contrastA disservice (clumsy help that makes things worse)
Оказывать шефство
specialized formTo provide patronage/mentorship
