Now itโs time to teach you one of the complicated topics of Russian grammar โ Aspects of the Verb in Russian language. Unlike other websites, we donโt think that Aspects of Verb in Russian is hard to comprehend. The topic is quite easy if itโs 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, letโs start.
Relating to the verb, Russian language can be divided into 3 tenses: such as Present Tense, Past Tense and Future Tense. You probably already studied those articles, if not then we highly recommend you doing so. Itโs quite simple to understand. Itโs worth to tell that itโs 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 itโs completed action or ongoing.
- Imperfective โ ongoing, repeatable and incomplete actions.
- 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 ัะผะพััะตะป ัะตะปะตะฒะธะทะพั – I was watching TV…
ะขั ะธะดััั ะดะพะผะพะน ัะฐะฝะพ โ You are going home (by foot)…
2. Imperfective aspect is used or two or more repeated number of times (habitual).
ะะฝ ะฟััั ะฒะพะดะบั ะบะฐะถะดัะน ะดะตะฝั 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.)
ะะฝะฐ ัะฟะฐะปะฐ ะพะบะพะปะพ ัะตะผะธ (7) ัะฐัะพะฒ โ She slept for about seven (7) hours.
ะฏ ะตั ะฐะป ะดะพะผะพะน ัะตะปัะน ะดะตะฝั – I drove home the whole day.
Little note: Some verbs in Russian language have the beginning โะฟัะพโ which may be an exception to this rule. (ะฟัะพัะฟะฐัั โ to oversleep, ะฟัะพะตั ะฐัั โ to drive past by, etc.)
4. Imperfective aspect may be used in expressions of the state of something, rather than an action.
ะั ะฒะธะดะตะปะธ ัะฐะผะพะปัั โ We saw the airplane.
ะั ะฑัะปะธ ะดะพะผะฐ โ We have been at home.
5. Imperfective aspect is used for actions which donโt mean the result.
ะะพะน ะดััะณ ะกะตัะณะตะน ะฒะตัะตัะพะผ ะธะณัะฐะป ะฒ ัะฐั ะผะฐัั, ะฐ ั ะฒ ััะพ ะฒัะตะผั ะฝะฐะฑะปัะดะฐะป 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 ะฟะพะปัะฑะธะป ัะตะฑั ั ะฟะตัะฒะพะณะพ ะฒะทะณะปัะดะฐ – 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 itโs 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 |
ะัะฑะธัั | prefixes ะะพะปัะฑะธัั | To love |
ะกะผะพััะตัั | prefixes ะะพัะผะพััะตัั | To watch |
ะงะธัะฐัั | prefixes ะัะพัะธัะฐัั /ะััะธัะฐัั | To read |
ะะตะถะฐัั | prefixes ะัะธะฑะตะถะฐัั | To run |
ะกะฐะถะฐัั | stem change ะะพัะฐะดะธัั | Plant, set, seat, put |
ะะพะฒะธัั | stem change ะะพะนะผะฐัั | To catch |
ะะพะฒะพัะธัั | stem change ะกะบะฐะทะฐัั | To say, tell |
ะะปะฐััั | stem change ะะพะปะพะถะธัั | To put (on) |
ะฃะดะฒะฐะธะฒะฐัั | suffixes ะฃะดะฒะพะธัั | To double |
ะััะณะฐัั | suffixes ะัะธะณะฝััั | To jump |
ะกัะธัะฐัั | suffixes ะกัะตัะตัั | To wash, erase, delete |
ะััะตะทะฐัั | accent ะััะตะทะฐัั | To cut off |
ะัะผะตัััั | accent ะัะผะตัััั | To measure |
You can also form Imperfective verbs from Perfective verbs by using such suffixes: –ัะฒะฐ, –ะธะฒะฐ, –ะฐ, –ะฒะฐ.
Imperfective | Perfective | Translation |
ะะตัะตััะธััะฒะฐัั | ะะตัะตััะธัะฐัั | To recalculate, recount |
ะ ะฐัะบะฐัะธะฒะฐัั | ะ ะฐัะบะฐัะฐัั | To swing, shake |
ะ ะฐัััะธะปะฐัั | ะ ะฐัััะตะปะธัั | To spread (out) |
ะะพะดะปะธะฒะฐัั | ะะพะดะปะธัั | 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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