Russian Language Blog

I was going to make this post about something fun, but that will have to wait until Friday. This is Part 2 of this post. Today, I will be writing about «глаголы движения с приставками» [prefixed verbs of motion]. Last time, we talked about the actual prefixes. Today, I will discuss how some verbs of motion change when prefixed, in addition to two prefixes that can function a bit differently from the others. In the photo: «трамвай в Москве» [a streetcar in Moscow], from here.

You already know from the last post that the verb «идти» changes when prefixed: it becomes «-йти», as in «прийти», «войти», «сойти», and so on. Three other verbs have changes when they have prefixes added.

• «ездить» [to go by vehicle] becomes «-езжать»: «приезжать» [to arrive by vehicle], «подъезжать» [to approach by vehicle], «доезжать» [to go up to by vehicle]
• «плавать» [to swim] becomes «-плывать»: «приплывать» [to arrive by swimming], «уплывать» [to swim away]
• «бегать» [to run] has a stress change when conjugated with a prefix. Though it is «бегаю» [I run], it becomes «прибегаю» [I run (with an implied meaning of arrival)].

The prefix «с-» can mean movement down from. However, it also has another meaning when used with unprefixed multidirectional verbs of motion. It indicates quick motion somewhere and back. «Например» [For example], with the verb «ходить» [to go by foot], it combines to form «сходить». Note that this is a perfective verb. Some example sentences are: «Она сходила домой за деньгами» [She ran home for her money]. This implies that she went and is now back. «Он сходит в магазин.» [He will run to the store.] This implies that he will go there quickly and then come back.

The prefix «по-» has a similar function when combined with a unidrectional imperfective verb of motion. «Пойти» is a perfective verb that means to set off for a one-way trip. «Они пошли в библиотеку.» [They set off for the library.]

With all these verbs of motion, it is important to discuss modes of transportation. Use «на» + prepositional case to describe what means of transportation used to go somewhere, such as «Я ездила на машине» [I went by car].

I hope this clears up any confusion about prefixed verbs of motion. As always, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to comment.

What can be better than a grammar posts on such a complicated and confusing subject as Russian verbal aspects! Two posts on Russian verbal aspects, back-to-back! Today Maria (see the picture) is talking about exceptions to the rules.

Russian grammar rules wouldn’t be rules if they were to have no exceptions. This is also true for perfective and imperfective verbs:

Some imperfective verbs can be used to describe reversed action. This is an action that was carried out, but afterwards everything returned to its initial state. In this case, perfective verbs, and not their imperfective counterparts, will be used to describe an action that is still ongoing (at the moment of speaking).

 Such verbal pairs include «брать – взять» [to take], «вставать – встать» [to stand up], «включать – включить» [to turn on], «отдавать – отдать» [to give], «открывать – открыть» [to open], «подниматься – подняться» [to get up], «приносить – принести» [to bring], «уходить – уйти» [to leave], «приходить – прийти» [to arrive], etc. 

• «В комнате очень холодно. Зачем ты открывала окно?» [The room is very cold. Why did you open the window?] - Imperfective aspect of “opened” tells us that the window is now closed.
• «В комнате очень холодно. Зачем ты открыла окно?» [The room is very cold. Why did you open the window?] – The use of perfective “opened” tells us that the window is still open.
• «Приходил твой друг» [Your friend stopped by] – imperfective aspect means the friend came and left again.
• «Пришёл твой друг» [Your friend stopped by] - perfective aspect here indicates that the friend came by and is still here.

Sometimes the choice of the aspect depends on whether you had any particular intentions and your companion – any particular expectations regarding the action you are describing.

• «Ты прочитал книгу, которую я тебе дал? – Да, прочитал» [Have you read the book I gave you? -Yes, I have read it.] – you were expected to read it.
• «Ты читал «Тёмные аллеи» Бунина? – Нет, не читал» [Have you read Bunin’s “Dark Alleys”? (= have you ever read it?) - No, I haven’t read it.]
• «Ты съездил в Москву? – Да, съездил» [Did you go to Moscow? (I know you intended to go) - Yes, I went.]

«НЕ» [No] + imperfective infinitive is used after verbs expressing call to action or intent to carry out an action: «просить» [to ask], «советовать» [to advice], «уговаривать» [to coax], «умолять» [to beg], «обещать» [to promise], «решать» [to decide], etc.:

• «Я просил его не принимать поспешных решений.» [I asked him not to make any hurried decisions.]
• «Друг посоветовал мне не покупать подержанный автомобиль.» [My friend advised me not to buy a used car.]

«Не надо / не нужно / не стоит / не обязательно» [Not needed / don’t have to be / not worth it / not necessary]+ imperfective infinitive

• «Не стоит прогибаться под изменчивый мир, пусть лучше он прогнётся под нас (А.Макаревич).» [Yielding to a changing world is not worth it; let the world yield to us. (song by A. Makarevich)]
• «Не нужно быть семи пядей во лбу, чтобы понять это.» [You don’t have to be the sharpest tool in the shed to understand this.]

«НЕЛЬЗЯ» + infinitive

 «Нельзя» + perfective infinitive = it is not possible

«Нельзя» + imperfective infinitive = it is not allowed

• «Можно открыть окно? – Нет, окно нельзя открыть» [May I open the window? - No, the window cannot be opened (because it is painted shut)]
• «Можно открыть окно? – Нет, окно открывать нельзя» [May I open the window? - No, the window cannot be opened (because it’s too cold outside)]

But the rest of the time the use of perfective and imperfective infinitives is governed by general rules.

For example:

«Хочу перед тобой извиниться.» [I would like to apologize to you.] We are using perfective infinitive that expresses the non-repeating nature of this action. «Не извиняться же нам снова и снова за один маленький проступок.» [After all, we can’t continue apologizing again and again for the same tiny mistake!]

«Я устал повторять одно и то же.» [I am tired of repeating the same thing over and over.] – We are using an imperfective infinitive here because it is clear from the context that the action has already happened many times before.

Russian is a country with a high-context culture. Russian language relies heavily on hints, allusions, subtext, figurative expressions. A lot is determined by non-verbal context as well. In Russian discourse, lack of specificity is supplemented heavily by ambiguity. So to correctly determine the meaning of a seemingly simple phrase, one must be good at reading between the lines, hunting for hidden meanings. Fortunately, the language itself provides us with the clues. However, as we’ve seen, they are not the easiest ones to learn.

Finally, a bit of homework for you. Come up with situations in which the following phrases could be used:

«Бабушка пекла вкуснейшие пироги.»

«Бабушка испекла вкуснейшие пироги.»

And if something is still unclear, let us know and we’ll help you out.

I firmly believe that the Russian blog has the most awesome readers ever! One of the many reasons you are the best is because of all the fantastic comments – thoughtful, well-researched, in-depth, and immensely helpful you leave on this blog. (Which reminded me of the Time Magazine cover a few years back.)

33 (!) comments on my previous post about short forms of Russian adjectives are a perfect example. If you haven’t followed them, make sure to check them out, especially if you’re trying to make sense of Russian grammar. Thank you, Joerg and Maria!

But as the Russian saying goes «это только приcказка, а сказка впереди» [this is just a story-teller’s introduction, the real tale is yet to be told].

For a native Russian speaker using correct verbal aspects is simple. But trying to explain the complicated rules of choosing between perfective and imperfective verbs is a whole different matter. And that’s why I was thrilled when, reading through the comments, I found Maria. She is a native speaker of Russian and a trained linguist. She also has the rare talent of «разложить по полочкам» [to unscramble] complicated grammatical topics. Most importantly, she is eager to share her knowledge with the rest of us!

What follows is Maria’s post on «глагольные виды» [verbal aspects]. If you like Maria’s post, please-please leave a comment here or on our fanpage.

Past, present, future – Russian language has just three tenses. Is such simplicity possible? Not so fast! In Russian, the absence of more verbal tenses, as in English or say, Italian, is partially compensated by aspectual forms. Verbal aspect is one of the most difficult topics in Russian grammar, especially for non-native speakers. And that’s exactly what we’re going to be talking about in today’s post.

In dictionaries, verbs are usually in the imperfective form. Perfective verbs are formed in several ways:

• Using prefixes «на-, с-, про-, вы-, по-» etc: «лечить – вылечить» [to cure], «печь – испечь» [to bake], «строить – построить» [to build], «писать – написать» [to write], «читать – прочитать» [to read].
• Using suffix «-ну-» : «прыгать – прыгнуть» [to jump], «кричать – крикнуть» [to scream]
• Using both prefixes and suffixes – «менять – сменить» [to change]
• By switching between suffixes, frequently accompanied by shifting letters in the roots – «а(ть), -я(ть), -и(ть), -е(-ть)» – «пускать – пустить» [to let in], «умирать – умереть» [to die]
• By moving stress to a different syllable within a word: «рассыпать – рассыпать» [to scatter], «разрезать – разрезать» [to cut]
• From a different base: «говорить – сказать» [to speak], «искать – найти» [to search - to find], «брать – взять» [to take]

Some Russian verbs do not have clear aspect indicators listed above. For these the aspect is determined contextually. Examples include «жениться» [to marry], «велеть» [to order], «казнить» [to put to death], «воздействовать» [to influence], «использовать» [to use].

Perfective verbs are used to describe

An action that leads to a specific result:

• «Пришла зима. Выпал глубокий снег и покрыл дороги, поля, деревни.» [Winter came. Heavy snow fell and covered roads, fields and villages.] – The result is emphasized.
• «Он взял гитару и запел» [He picked up a guitar and began to sing.] – He began to sing; the result is that he is singing now.
• «К вечеру я выучу это стихотворение» [I will have learned this poem by tonight.] – The result is that by tonight I’ll know this poem by heart.

An action that is instantaneous and completed right away:

• «Он лишь кивнул в ответ.» [He just nodded in response.] – He nodded once.
• «Мальчик выскочил из вагона и побежал по перрону.» [A boy jumped out of the rail car and ran along the platform.] – The boy ran out very quickly.

Imperfective verbs, on the other hand, are used to describe:

A process without specifying the end result:

• «Приближалась зима. Дул холодный северный ветер, шёл мокрый снег.» [Winter was approaching. Cold northern wind blew; wet snow was falling down.] - Here the process is emphasized, not the end result.
• «Я работаю, перезвоните позже.» [I am working, please call back later.] – We don’t know when the action was started and when it will be finished.

Continuity, repetition and frequency of an action:

• «Он ничего не говорил, лишь кивал.» [He wasn’t saying anything, just kept nodding.] – He kept nodding for some time.
• «Я буду ходить на лекции по русской литературе.» [I will attend Russian literature lectures.] – I’m going to attend these lectures regularly.

Note that imperfective verbs have past, present and future tenses while perfective forms lack present tense:

«читал – читаю – буду читать» [read/was reading – read/reading - will read/will be reading]

«прочитал – прочитаю» [read/have read - will read/will have read]

The future tense will differ depending on the verb’s aspect. Imperfective verbs have compound form (will + infinitive or will be V+ing) – «буду делать». Perfective verbs’ future tense is just one word – «сделаю». Note that in English both forms are translated as “shall/will + infinitive” – “will do”.

And that is all there is to verbal aspects… for today. Tomorrow Maria will talk about some exceptions from these rules, so don’t miss it!