What is the difference between возложить and наложить?

Question

Both возлагать/возложить and накладывать/наложить seem to have the meaning of putting something onto others. But I could not find anything that explains the difference between two.

So what difference is there between them and how can I use them apart correctly?

Answer 1

I think the easiest way to understand the difference between these two words is to use some examples.

What English words correspond to the word возложить: to assign, to entrust, to lay, to charge with, to give,... Many examples you can see here.

What is the meaning of the word возложить:

1. solemnly put something (usually on top of something). For example: lay a wreath on the grave (возложить венок на могилу).
2. instruct something to someone. For example: Assign additional responsibilities to an employee (Возложить на работника дополнительные обязанности). More examples: Возложить вину на кого-то (Put the blame on someone) - find someone guilty. Возложить ответственность на кого-либо - make someone responsible for something. Возложить что-то на алтарь искусства / науки / любви (Lay something on the altar of art/science/love). I.e to sacrifice something for the sake of achieving results in science, art, love.

What English words correspond to the word наложить, read examples here

What is the meaning of the word наложить:

1. to put in several steps or iterations ◆ Put the puree in a bowl.
2. to connect, ensuring contact with the surface ◆ Apply makeup. ◆ Suture (to stitch up). ◆ to do a stick tie.
3. to merge elements when editing photo, video, sound ◆ Наложить аудио дорожку на видео (add audio track to video).
4. to put, pile on something in any amount
5. jargon. to defecate, usually in a stressful situation ◆ — Нашкодил и в штаны наложил со страху? (Did you misbehave and crap your pants out of fear?)

When I hear the word возложить, this word has a ceremonial connotation for me. The word наложить has some more down-to-earth connotation.

Answer 2

The prefix воз-/вос- usually conducts high-style, solemn meaning as in воспрещать instead of запрещать, восхвалять instead of хвалить, воспевать instead of петь, воздвигать instead of строить, воспарять instead of взлетать, возвещать instead of объявлять, восставать instead of вставать, восседать instead of сидеть, воспалять, возжигать instead of зажигать, возливать instead of лить, воскрешать instead of оживлять, восклицать instead of кричать, возводить instead of поднимать etc.

Answer 3

Usage is different. These are completely different words. Here are typical uses. Возложить цветы на могилу, наложить взыскание ("возложить flowers on the grave", "наложить a penalty"),