{"id":3656,"date":"2012-08-27T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2012-08-27T08:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=3656"},"modified":"2012-08-26T20:53:59","modified_gmt":"2012-08-26T20:53:59","slug":"an-irregular-verb-that-keeps-on-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/an-irregular-verb-that-keeps-on-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"An irregular verb that keeps on giving…"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to a lot of grammarians, the Russian language has only FOUR basic verbs with “irregular conjugations.” Students of Russian may be skeptical of this. And it’s frankly hard to believe that a verb as wacky as (for example) \u043b\u0435\u0447\u044c<\/b>, “to lie down,” is by any stretch of the imagination regular<\/i>! After all — just to refresh your memory — this is how the perfective verb \u043b\u0435\u0447\u044c<\/b> actually conjugates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u043b\u0435\u0447\u044c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Past<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u043b\u0451\u0433, \u043b\u0435\u0433\u043b\u0430<\/u>, \u043b\u0435\u0433\u043b\u043e<\/u>, \u043b\u0435\u0433\u043b\u0438<\/u><\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 \n\t\t<\/td>\nsing.<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\npl.<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1st<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u043b\u044f<\/u>\u0433\u0443<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u043b\u044f<\/u>\u0436\u0435\u043c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2nd<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u043b\u044f<\/u>\u0436\u0435\u0448\u044c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u043b\u044f<\/u>\u0436\u0435\u0442\u0435<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3rd<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u043b\u044f<\/u>\u0436\u0435\u0442<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u043b\u044f<\/u>\u0433\u0443\u0442<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Imperative<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u043b\u044f<\/u>\u0433(\u0442\u0435)!<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

How the heck can that mess NOT be “irregular”?<\/p>\n

In a strict academic sense, being “weird” and “a general pain in the butt for foreign students” is not what qualifies a Russian verb as irregular<\/i>. Rather, the handful of Totally Irregular verbs have conjugations that are utterly one-of-a-kind, and not at all resembling the conjugational paradigms of any other basic, unprefixed verbs<\/i>. In contrast, \u043b\u0435\u0447\u044c<\/b> follows roughly the same pattern as verbs like \u043f\u0435\u0447\u044c<\/b> (“to bake”) and \u043c\u043e\u0447\u044c<\/b> (“to be able”) — which don’t conjugate exactly<\/i> like \u043b\u0435\u0447\u044c<\/b>, but they’re fairly close.<\/p>\n

So in this post, we’re going to focus on one of those four “Really and Truly Irregular Verbs”, namely…<\/p>\n

…\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong>, the verb that keeps on giving!<\/p>\n

As you may know, \u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> is a perfective infinitive with the meaning “to give.” And here’s how it conjugates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Past<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u043b, \u0434\u0430\u043b\u0430<\/u>, \u0434\u0430<\/u>\u043b\u043e, \u0434\u0430<\/u>\u043b\u0438<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 \n\t\t<\/td>\nsing.<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\npl.<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1st<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u043c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/u>\u043c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2nd<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0448\u044c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/u>\u0442\u0435<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3rd<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0441\u0442<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u0434\u0443<\/u>\u0442<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Imperative<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0439(\u0442\u0435)!<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

The past tense is actually quite normal-looking, but the future-perfect is totally bizarre in several ways. Instead of the normal -\u0443\/-\u044e<\/b> ending that you’d expect in the 1st-person singular, there’s an -\u043c<\/b>, and the 3rd-singular has -\u0430\u0441\u0442<\/b> instead of -\u0435\u0442<\/b> or -\u0438\u0442<\/b>. And given that the 3rd-plural \u043e\u043d\u0438<\/b> form is \u0434\u0430\u0434\u0443<\/u>\u0442<\/b>, one would logically<\/i> expect the 1st-plural form \u043c\u044b \u0434\u0430\u0434\u0451\u043c<\/b> and the imperative forms \u0434\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/u>!<\/b> and \u0434\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/u>\u0442\u0435!<\/b>. Instead, it’s \u043c\u044b \u0434\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/u>\u043c<\/b> and \u0434\u0430\u0439(\u0442\u0435)!<\/b><\/p>\n

In short — wildly irregular, and not resembling any other verbs. Or, rather, the only verbs with the same conjugational pattern as \u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b> are its own prefixed derivatives… of which there happen to be quite a bunch, and most of them are utterly essential, which is why it’s worth your time to learn \u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b> by heart. Rote-memorization gets a bad rap (’cause it’s freakin’ tedious!), but when you’re starting out in a foreign language, there’s really no substitute for it. Personally, I find that chanting is a helpful technique — just make believe that you’re the head cheerleader at a Defense Language Institute football game:<\/p>\n

\u0414\u0430<\/u>\u043c, \u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0448\u044c, \u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0441\u0442<\/b> — kick ’em in the aaahh-ss<\/i>!
\n\u0414\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/u>\u043c, \u0434\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/u>\u0442\u0435, \u0434\u0430\u0434\u0443<\/u>\u0442<\/b> — make ’em lick your boot<\/i>! Go-o-o-o-o Army!!!<\/p>\n

(And honestly I don’t know whether DLI actually has a football team; that’s why it’s called “make believe.”)<\/p>\n

But by whatever means necessary, make sure you know the perfective \u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b> backwards and forwards! And its imperfective mate, \u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b>, is also essential, but slightly easier to learn (and not irregular!):<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Past<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u043b, -\u0430, -\u043e, -\u0438<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 \n\t\t<\/td>\nsing.<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\npl.<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1st<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u044e<\/u><\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u0451\u043c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2nd<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u0451\u0448\u044c<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u0451\u0442\u0435<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3rd<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u0451\u0442<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u044e<\/u>\u0442<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Imperative<\/i>\n\t\t<\/td>\n\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0439(\u0442\u0435)!<\/b>\n\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Again, the past tense is well-behaved, but the present is slightly weird in that the -\u0432\u0430-<\/b> disappears, although it magically reappears in the imperative. This “vanishing -\u0432\u0430-<\/b>” stunt is also performed by a few other imperfective verbs that aren’t related to \u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b>. (For instance, \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b>, “to stand up”, and \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>, “to admit, confess to” — their 1st-singular forms are, respectively, \u044f \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0430\u044e<\/u><\/b> and \u044f \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0430\u044e<\/u>\u0441\u044c<\/b>.) <\/p>\n

Now that we’ve discussed the basic pair \u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\/\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b>, let’s get acquainted with some of their prefixed derivatives. As I said, there are a bunch of these, but we’ll start with four in particular — because, well, you’re gonna be seeing them again in the very near future. Like, say, in my next post… [foreshadowing!]<\/i><\/p>\n

The pair \u0441\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\/\u0441\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b> can have the basic meaning “to hand in, to turn in,” and in the poem we’ll be talking about on Wednesday, it’s even more specific: “to check in (luggage),” as at an airport, or “to check in (a coat),” as at a restaurant’s cloakroom. But this verb pair has several other highly important uses. The imperfective \u0441\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c \u044d\u043a\u0437\u0430<\/u>\u043c\u0435\u043d<\/b> means “to take<\/i> a test (at school),” while the perfective \u0441\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c \u044d\u043a\u0437\u0430<\/u>\u043c\u0435\u043d<\/b> means “to pass<\/i> a test”. And when followed by a direct object that refers to living-space, such as \u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/u>\u0440\u0443<\/b> (“apartment”, acc.) or \u043a\u043e<\/u>\u043c\u043d\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/b> (“room”, acc.), \u0441\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\/\u0441\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b> means “to rent out.” Finally, the related noun \u0441\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0447\u0430<\/b> means “change” in the sense of “money that you get back from a cashier.” <\/p>\n

Another derivative with a range of meanings is \u0432\u044b\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\/\u0432\u044b<\/u>\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b> (and remember that perfectives<\/i> prefixed with \u0432\u044b-<\/b> are always stressed on the \u0432\u044b-<\/b>!) The most concrete sense is “to hand out; to issue” — as in giving someone a receipt or a traffic-ticket. However, when followed by a direct object that refers to a person (including oneself), it means “to reveal the identity of; to betray as” — for example, \u0418\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430<\/u>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0430\u043a\u0446\u0435<\/u>\u043d\u0442 \u0432\u044b<\/u>\u0434\u0430\u043b \u0448\u043f\u0438\u043e<\/u>\u043d\u0430<\/b>, “The foreign accent gave the spy away.” And with \u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/u>-\u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443<\/u>\u0434\u044c\/\u0441\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/u> \u0437\u0430 \u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/u>-\u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443<\/u>\u0434\u044c<\/b>, the verb takes on the meaning “to pass (someone or oneself) for someone else”. Thus, you could summarize the plot of Mrs. Doubtfire<\/i> with \u00ab\u0420\u0430\u0437\u0432\u0435\u0434\u0451\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0430\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/u>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043c\u0443\u0436\u0447\u0438<\/u>\u043d\u0430 \u0432\u044b\u0434\u0430\u0451\u0442 \u0441\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/u> \u0437\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0443<\/u>\u044e \u0430\u043d\u0433\u043b\u0438\u0447\u0430<\/u>\u043d\u043a\u0443\u00bb<\/b> (“A divorced American man passes himself off as an elderly Englishwoman.”)<\/p>\n

\u041e\u0442\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\/\u043e\u0442\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b> has a slightly narrower range of senses. It can mean “to return (something that was borrowed\/stolen)” or “to pay back (a debt)” or simply “to hand over (something to another person).” When suffixed with -\u0441\u044f<\/b>, on the other hand, it can colloquially express the idea of “giving oneself over sexually”: \u042f \u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/u> \u043d\u0435 \u043e\u0442\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u043c\u0441\u044f \u0442\u0435\u0431\u0435<\/u>, \u0443\u0440\u043e<\/u>\u0434!<\/b>, “I will never ‘put out’ for you, you freaky loser!”<\/p>\n

And the last “give” verb that you’re going to see in my next post is the reflexive \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f\/\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>, which is used with subjects that describe noises and signifies “to be audible, to resound, to ring out.” However, when used without the -\u0441\u044f<\/b>, \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\/\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b> means “to hand out, to issue” — similar to \u0432\u044b\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\/\u0432\u044b<\/u>\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>, except that the prefix \u0440\u0430\u0437-<\/b> implies “distribution to multiple persons.”<\/p>\n

P.S. Just to test yourself:<\/p>\n

(1) Do you know the basic translations for these other prefixed forms of \u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\/\u0434\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c<\/b>? Hint: one of them of is a trick question!<\/p>\n