Aspects of Verbs in Russian

Now itโ€™s time to teach you one of the complicated topics of Russian grammar โ€“ Aspects of the Verb in Russian language. Unlike other websites, we donโ€™t think that Aspects of Verb in Russian is hard to comprehend. The topic is quite easy if itโ€™s explained in the right way. It can be logically comprehensible and memorable if you learn it step by step with passion for the Russian language. So, letโ€™s start.

Relating to the verb, Russian language can be divided into 3 tenses: such as Present TensePast Tense and Future Tense. You probably already studied those articles, if not then we highly recommend you doing so. Itโ€™s quite simple to understand. Itโ€™s worth to tell that itโ€™s simpler than anything else in Russian grammar. Tenses in Russian tell you WHEN the action happen (meaning Past, Present or Future tense). In the meantime, each of those 3 tenses is subdivided into 2 aspects indicating if itโ€™s completed action or ongoing.

  1. Imperfective โ€“ ongoing, repeatable and incomplete actions.
  2. Perfective โ€“ completed and finished actions.

Please note: Perfective aspect is not used in Present Tense but it can be ONLY used in Past and Future tenses. This basically means that you can relax and not worry about Perfective aspect verbs in Present tense.

1.  Imperfective aspect of the verb in Russian

1. Like we already mentioned above, the Present Tense is ongoing action by definition so the Imperfective aspect has to be always used in the Present Tense. In other words, Imperfective aspect stands for unfinished and ongoing actions.

ะฏ ัะผะพั‚ั€ะตะป ั‚ะตะปะตะฒะธะทะพั€ – I was watching TV…

ะขั‹ ะธะดั‘ัˆัŒ ะดะพะผะพะน ั€ะฐะฝะพ โ€“ You are going home (by foot)…

2. Imperfective aspect is used or two or more repeated number of times (habitual).

ะžะฝ ะฟัŒั‘ั‚ ะฒะพะดะบัƒ ะบะฐะถะดั‹ะน ะดะตะฝัŒ โ€“ He is drinking vodka every day.

3. Imperfective aspect is used to specify a length of time in expressions. (All day long, for 4 weeks, for decade, etc.)

ะžะฝะฐ ัะฟะฐะปะฐ ะพะบะพะปะพ ัะตะผะธ (7) ั‡ะฐัะพะฒ โ€“ She slept for about seven (7) hours.

ะฏ ะตั…ะฐะป ะดะพะผะพะน ั†ะตะปั‹ะน ะดะตะฝัŒ – I drove home the whole day.

Little note: Some verbs in Russian language have the beginning โ€œะฟั€ะพโ€ which may be an exception to this rule. (ะฟั€ะพัะฟะฐั‚ัŒ โ€“ to oversleep, ะฟั€ะพะตั…ะฐั‚ัŒ โ€“ to drive past by, etc.)

4. Imperfective aspect may be used in expressions of the state of something, rather than an action.

ะœั‹ ะฒะธะดะตะปะธ ัะฐะผะพะปั‘ั‚ โ€“ We saw the airplane.

ะœั‹ ะฑั‹ะปะธ ะดะพะผะฐ โ€“ We have been at home.

5. Imperfective aspect is used for actions which donโ€™t mean the result.

ะœะพะน ะดั€ัƒะณ ะกะตั€ะณะตะน ะฒะตั‡ะตั€ะพะผ ะธะณั€ะฐะป ะฒ ัˆะฐั…ะผะฐั‚ั‹, ะฐ ั ะฒ ัั‚ะพ ะฒั€ะตะผั ะฝะฐะฑะปัŽะดะฐะป ะทะฐ ะฝะธะผ. – My friend Sergey played chess in the evening, and I watched him at that time. (There is no any specific result).

2.  Perfective aspect of the verb in Russian

This is simple as it is. Perfective aspect means completed and accomplished action. Where the verb has a second conjugation (Perfective) form.

ะฏ ะฟะพะปัŽะฑะธะป ั‚ะตะฑั ั ะฟะตั€ะฒะพะณะพ ะฒะทะณะปัะดะฐ – I loved you at first sight (I fell in love with you at the first sight)

3.  The difference between Perfective and Imperfective Aspects of the verb

Perfective and Imperfective verbs can have equal vocabulary meaning. To form Perfective verbs you usually add prefix or change suffix in Imperfective verbs. Some Perfective verbs are formed by changing emphasize (accent) in Imperfective verb so the meaning stays the same but it denotes whether itโ€™s completed action or ongoing. Here are some examples of Perfective and Imperfective Aspect verbs with insights of changes for each of the verb.

Imperfective

Perfective

Translation

ะ›ัŽะฑะธั‚ัŒ

prefixes ะŸะพะปัŽะฑะธั‚ัŒ

To love

ะกะผะพั‚ั€ะตั‚ัŒ

prefixes ะŸะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะตั‚ัŒ

To watch

ะงะธั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ

prefixes ะŸั€ะพั‡ะธั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ /ะ’ั‹ั‡ะธั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ

To read

ะ‘ะตะถะฐั‚ัŒ

prefixes ะŸั€ะธะฑะตะถะฐั‚ัŒ

To run

ะกะฐะถะฐั‚ัŒ

stem change ะŸะพัะฐะดะธั‚ัŒ

Plant, set, seat, put

ะ›ะพะฒะธั‚ัŒ

stem change ะŸะพะนะผะฐั‚ัŒ

To catch

ะ“ะพะฒะพั€ะธั‚ัŒ

stem change ะกะบะฐะทะฐั‚ัŒ

To say, tell

ะšะปะฐัั‚ัŒ

stem change ะŸะพะปะพะถะธั‚ัŒ

To put (on)

ะฃะดะฒะฐะธะฒะฐั‚ัŒ

suffixes ะฃะดะฒะพะธั‚ัŒ

To double

ะŸั€ั‹ะณะฐั‚ัŒ

suffixes ะŸั€ะธะณะฝัƒั‚ัŒ

To jump

ะกั‚ะธั€ะฐั‚ัŒ

suffixes ะกั‚ะตั€ะตั‚ัŒ

To wash, erase, delete

ะžั‚ั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ

accent ะžั‚ั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ

To cut off

ะžั‚ะผะตั€ัั‚ัŒ

accent ะžั‚ะผะตั€ัั‚ัŒ

To measure

You can also form Imperfective verbs from Perfective verbs by using such suffixes: –ั‹ะฒะฐ, –ะธะฒะฐ, –ะฐ, –ะฒะฐ.

Imperfective

Perfective

Translation

ะŸะตั€ะตัั‡ะธั‚ั‹ะฒะฐั‚ัŒ

ะŸะตั€ะตัั‡ะธั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ

To recalculate, recount

ะ ะฐัะบะฐั‡ะธะฒะฐั‚ัŒ

ะ ะฐัะบะฐั‡ะฐั‚ัŒ

To swing, shake

ะ ะฐััั‚ะธะปะฐั‚ัŒ

ะ ะฐััั‚ะตะปะธั‚ัŒ

To spread (out)

ะŸะพะดะปะธะฒะฐั‚ัŒ

ะŸะพะดะปะธั‚ัŒ

To poor (to), add (to)

Of course, this topic is not an easy one but with practicing Perfective and Imperfective Aspects of the verbs you can achieve fluency in Russian language.


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