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Verbs with Prefixes: Вернуть Posted by on Oct 22, 2015 in Russian for beginners

It appears that our “verbs with prefixes” series has turned out to be a surprise hit, so let us do another installment! This time, we are looking at the verb верну́ть (to return). As always, these are just some of the meanings. The imperfective counterpart to вернуть is возвраща́ть.

Нали́чных в кошельке́ бы́ло мно́го, но их уже́ не верну́ть, а вот ка́рточку я успе́л заблоки́ровать. (There was a lot of cash in the wallet, but I can’t get it back; I was, however, able to block my card.) [Частный случай (1997) // «Столица», 1997.02.17]

заверну́ть/завора́чивать – to wrap, followed by a noun in the accusative for the contents and в + accusative for the cover

Он нёс большу́ю коро́бку, завёрнутую в се́рую бума́гу. (He was carrying a big box wrapped in gray paper.) [Ю. О. Домбровский. Обезьяна приходит за своим черепом, часть 1 (1943-1958)]

переверну́ть/перевора́чивать – to flip over, turn upside down (literally or figuratively)

И тут каки́е-то лю́ди окружи́ли на́шу маши́ну, ста́ли ее́ раска́чивать, пыта́ясь переверну́ть. (And then some people surrounded our car and started rocking it, trying to tip it over.) [Ю. Грозмани. Как мы удирали от атомной бомбы (2004) // «Калининградские Новые колеса», 2004.11.26]

поверну́ть/повора́чивать – to turn (intransitive), followed by an adverb of direction (“налево”, to the left) or a noun in the accusative

Мо́жет, заблуди́лся, поверну́л не в ту сто́рону? (Perhaps he got lost or took the wrong turn?) [Василь Быков. Болото (2001)]

This verb can also be transitive, in which case it means “to turn something” and is followed by a noun in the accusative.

Мать ре́зким движе́нием захло́пнула я́щик, поверну́ла в замке́ ключ, су́нула его́ себе́ в карма́н и сно́ва поверну́лась ко мне́. (Mother slammed the drawer shut, turned the key in the keyhole, stuck it in her pocket and turned to face me again.) [Вера Белоусова. Второй выстрел (2000)]

подверну́ть/подвора́чивать

The first sense is “to twist your knee or ankle.”
Ей так хоте́лось в де́тстве ката́ться на конька́х ― но не позволя́ла себе́ ни коньки́, ни лы́жи ― боя́лась подверну́ть но́гу. (She really wanted to ice-skate as a kid, but, scared to twist her ankles, dared neither ice-skate nor ski.) [Михаил Шишкин. Письмовник (2009) // «Знамя», 2010]

A further meaning is “to roll up fabric,” especially on a clothing item.
Она́ была́ боса́я, в подве́рнутых у щи́колоток джи́нсах. (She was barefoot and was wearing jeans, rolled up at the ankle.) [Елена Хаецкая. Синие стрекозы Вавилона/ Девочки из колодца (2004)]

сверну́ть/свора́чивать – to turn (from a previously followed path)

Он сверну́л по коридо́ру вле́во, загляну́л в бы́вшую спа́льню, Еле́нину ко́мнату. (He took a left turn down the hallway and looked into Elena’s room, the former bedroom.) [Людмила Улицкая. Казус Кукоцкого [Путешествие в седьмую сторону света] // «Новый Мир», 2000]

I would like to conclude this post with the song “Поворо́т” (The Turn) by the band “Маши́на вре́мени.”

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About the Author: Maria

Maria is a Russian-born translator from Western New York. She is excited to share her fascination with all things Russian on this blog. Maria's professional updates are available in English on her website and Twitter and in Russian on Telegram.


Comments:

  1. Mike:

    Thanks again for these word-building posts! Both of you are doing a great job with this blog.

    вернуть is complicated in that the prefixed forms have two imperfectives: -вора’чивать and -вёртывать.

    According to at least one dictionary, in some cases both forms are equivalent in meaning:

    заворачивать = завёртывать
    переворачивать = перевёртывать

    In some cases, only one form is accepted (as far as I can tell):

    поворачивать
    подворачивать

    In still other cases, -ворачивать has the sense of turning or changing position and -вёреывать has the sense of wrapping or enveloping:

    сворачивать = свёртывать meaning to roll up, cut, reduce, delay
    сворачивать meaning to turn

    Are these distinctions considered old-fashioned?

    • Maria:

      @Mike Better later than never: this is an excellent addition. At least to my ear, the two sound very similar in meaning, but the -вёртывать form is a bit more dated or colloquial.