RU VERB INTRO 5

The Russian Aspects

Each Russian verb has the quality of “aspect”. The aspect of a verb can be either imperfective or perfective. Almost every imperfective Russian verb has a matching perfective counterpart. Russian verbs are said to exist in aspectual pairs.

читать / прочитать

‘Читать’ (to read) for example is an imperfective verb, which refers to the process of reading as an ongoing activity. A precise translation would be “to be reading”.

‘Прочитать’ (to read) is a perfective verb, which refers to the accomplishment, or completion of reading rather than the continuing activity. Precisely translated, it means to read and finish, or to read through. Both types of verb can be used for the past and future tenses, but only imperfective verbs can be used for the present tense.

PAST – Imperfective - Я читал вчера вечером. I was reading last night.

Perfective – Я прочитал Нос. I read The Nose.

PRESENT– Imperfective - Я читаю Нос. I am reading The Nose.

FUTURE– Imperfective - Я буду читать снова сегодня вечером. I will be reading again tonight.

Perfective - Я прочитаю Нос. I will read The Nose (and finish it).

Given the imperfective form, here are common methods for forming the perfective. In these pairs, the imperfective form is listed first.

A prefix is added – читать / прочитать (to read).
An infix is removed -- начинать / начать (to begin).
A different conjugation is used. Conj. I is used for the imperfective and Conj. II for the perfective. - продолжать / продолжить (to continue).
A different verb altogether is used -- говорить / сказать (to speak, say).

Here is a selection of verbs which have appeared in Barron’s[i] dialogues, plus a few others:

Barron’s page	Verb or impf. / pf. Pair	Meaning

- -	есть (irr.) / съ-	eat
- -	заниматься / заняться	be occupied, study
- -	писать / на- 2^nd stem = пиш-, shifting-stress	write
- -	попросить (pf. of просить) 1^st pers. sing. попрошу, shifting-stress	ask a favor; (ask, beg, invite)
- -	ходить (multidirectional) 1^st pers. sing. хожу, shifting-stress	go (on foot)
8	давать (/ дать irr.) 2^nd stem = да-, ending-stress impf. imperative – Давайте …!	give, let; Let’s …!
8	звать / по- 2^nd stem = зов-, ending-stress	call (someone by name), summon
8	познакомиться (pf. of знакомиться) 1^st pers. sing. has -л- insertion	get acquainted
8	помочь (pf. of помогать) imperative - Помогите!	help Help!
9	волноваться / вз- 2^nd stem = волну-	worry, be disturbed
9	делать / с-	do, make
9	остаться (pf. of оставаться) 2^nd stem = остан-	stay
9	Пошёл! (pf. past form of пойти, see идти)	Let’s get going!
25	забронировать (pf. of бронировать impf. & pf.) 2^nd stem = заброниру-	reserve, book
25	принимать / принять	take (shower, medicine), accept
26	оставаться (/ остаться) 2^nd stem = оста-, ending-stress	stay
26	открываться / открыться	open
27	ехать / поехать (unidirectional) 2^nd stem = ед-	go by vehicle, ride, drive, travel
29	проходить / пройти	get to (by foot)
31	предпочитать (/ предпочесть -чту,‑чтёшь)	prefer
35	проезжать / проехать	get to (by vehicle)
36	выходить / выйти	get off (bus), go out
36	сказать (pf. of говорить) 2^nd stem = скаж-, shifting-stress	say, tell
37	идти / пойти (unidirectional) 2^nd stem = ид-, ending-stress	go (on foot), or for a thing to go under its own power
43	приходить / прийти	come, arrive
49	брать (/ взять) 2^nd stem = бер-, ending-stress	take
49	взять (pf. of брать) 2^nd stem = возьм-, ending-stress	take
49	купить (pf. of покупать) 1^st pers. sing. has -л- insertion	buy
49	светить / по- 1^st pers. sing. свечу, shifting-stress	shine
49	стоить (impf. only) стою стоишь, root-stress	cost (compare to стоять)
52	жить (impf. only) 2^nd stem = жив-, ending-stress	live
52	завтракать / по-	have breakfast
52	знать (impf. only)	know
52	обедать / по-	have lunch/dinner
52	опаздывать / опоздать	be late
52	отдыхать / отдохнуть	have a rest, be on vacation
52	понимать / понять	understand
52	работать (impf. only)	work
52	ужинать / по-	have supper
54	стоять / по- стою стоишь, ending-stress	stand (compare to стоить )
55	отправляться / отправиться	depart
57	садиться (/ сесть) 1^st pers. sing. сажу, ending-stress	sit down
64	говорить / сказать	speak / say, tell
64	спешить / по- ending-stress	hurry
65	читать (/ -про, прочесть)	read
67	позвонить (pf. of звонить) 1^st pers. sing. позвоню, ending-stress	call (telephone)
67	потерять (pf. of терять)	lose
67	случиться (pf. of случаться) only the 3^rd pers. sing. form exists	happen
68	взять напрокат (pf.) 2^nd stem = возьм-, ending-stress	rent (a car)
69	входить / войти	go in, be included
69	есть (3^rd pers. sing. of быть); irr. in the present tense, only the 3^rd pers. sing. form exists у меня есть	there is; I have
72	проверять (/ проверить pf. imperatives проверь, проверьте)	check
75	кончиться (pf. of кончаться) 1^st pers. sing. кончуся , stem-stress (no consonant mutation)	be finished (used up)
75	перегреваться (/ перегреветься) 2^nd stem = перегру-	overheat
75	протекать / протечь	leak
77	уметь / по-	know how (to)
78	водить (multidirectional) 1^st pers. sing. вожу, shifting-stress	drive a car, lead
78	починить –ю -ишь, shifting-stress (pf. of починять )	repair
78	превышать / превысить	exceed
78	происходить / произойти	be going on / happen
78	сменить –ю -ишь, shifting-stress (pf. of сменять)	replace
78	столкнуться (pf. of сталкиваться ) 2^nd stem = столкн-, ending-stress	collide
79	быть (impf. only) for future tense, 2nd stem = буд-, stem-stress	be; is
79	мочь / с- ”bookends” = -гу, -ж-*4, -гут, shifting-stress	be able (to), can
79	хотеть (irr.) / -за	want
82	иметь (impf. only)	have (of abstract possession)
82	спросить (pf. of просить) 1^st pers. sing. спрошу, shifting-stress	ask, inquire; (ask, beg, invite)
94	вылетать / вылететь	depart (by air)
94	кормить / на- 1^st pers. sing. has -л- insertion, shifting-stress	feed
94	приносить / принести	bring
94	пристегнуть (pf. of пристёгивать ) 2^nd stem = пристегн-, ending-stress	fasten
95	приземлиться –юсь -ишься, ending-stress (pf. of приземляться)	land
95	смотреть / по- shifting-stress	look
96	слушать / по-, про-	listen
98	находиться / найтись	be located, be found
101	заказать (pf. of заказывать) 2^nd stem = закаж-, shifting-stress	order
106	встречать (/ встретить –ечу)	meet, celebrate
108	бегать (multidirectional)	run, jog
108	задавать / задать вопрос	set, ask a question
109	носить (multidirectional) 1^st pers. sing. ношу, shifting-stress	carry on foot, wear
110	загорать / загореть	sunbathe, get sunburned
110	купаться / вы-, ис-	have a bath, bathe
110	плавать (multidirectional)	swim
112	любить (impf. only) 1^st pers. sing. has -л- insertion	love, like
112	нравиться / по- 1^st pers. sing. has -л- insertion	like, be pleasing to one
192	спрашивать / спросить	ask, inquire

Notes on conjugation:

Although this lesson is focused on aspects rather than on conjugation, wherever it was possible in limited space, I have given a pointer toward the proper conjugation. To avoid repetition, this was limited to nonderivative forms.
Note that for a member of an aspectual pair, the choice of conjugation (I, II or irr.) is determined by the infinitive alone, and is independent of the aspect
Where (irr.) appears, refer to the web-page on irregular verbs. Derivatives also, of these four verbs, though not specifically marked, are irregular.
There are three stress patterns. When the infinitive IS NOT stressed on the final syllable, it will continue the same way in all the inflected forms. This is called stem-stress. When the infinitive IS stressed on the final syllable, Conj. I vowel stems will be stem-stressed. Others may be either ending- or shifting-stressed.
Polysyllabic infinitives ending in -ить can reliably be assumed to belong to Conj. II, with only one or two exceptions.
Many verbs have two stems – an infinitive/past stem and a present/future stem. For example, звать has the infinitive/past stem зва- and the present/future stem зов-.
The commonly used term present/future stem, meaning present-or-future stem, does not seem all that clear to the beginner. (It always seems half wrong to me.) I have use the term “2^nd stem” instead. Verbs marked with the special designation “2^nd stem” are always Conj. I verbs, where the 2^nd stem appears in ALL SIX inflected forms.
Verbs marked with the special designation “bookend” are Conj. I verbs like мочь, which have first and sixth forms of –гу and -гут, and have four middle forms with the alternative stem-consonant –ж.

Adding a Prefix to the Verbs of Motion

When a prefix is added (other than по-), a verb of motion loses the distinction between multi- and uni-directionality. Instead, an imperfective/perfective pair is formed.

Multi-directional	Unidirectionsl	Prefix	Imperfective	Perfective
летать	лететь	вы-[ii]	вылетать	вылететь
ходить	идти	при-	приходить	прийти
		в-	входить	войти
		вы-	выходить	выйти
		про-	проходить	пройти
		на-	находить(ся)	найти(сь)
носить	нести	при-	приносить	принести
ездить	ехать	про-	проезжать[iii]	проехать

Prefixes for Verbs of Motion

prefix	basic meaning
при-	arrival
в-	into
вы-	out of
про-	past
на-	onto
вз-	up onto
до-	as far as
за-	dropping in
об-	around
от-	away from
пере-	across
под-	up to
раз-	dispersal
с-	down from
с- + ся	together
у-	away from

11/03/2011