Questions tagged [вид]

Questions regarding the meaning, usage, formation and translation of aspectual forms of Russian verbs.

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Can the verb "прозябать" actually be perfectivized?

I recently came across the verb прозябать in a book. Its meaning is one of eking out an existence in the sense of enduring hardship and suffering instead of truly living. This to me, is an ongoing ...
CocoPop's user avatar
  • 8,068
2 votes
3 answers
193 views

What's the meaning of "было" in these contexts/sentences?

I'm wondering what the purpose and meaning of "было" is in these sentences, and if it is a conjugation of "быть" or a separate word. The word "было" meaning "there ...
Colossians's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
96 views

"Презентую" - какое это время?

Слово "презентую" это настоящее время несовершенного вида или будущее время совершенного? Одновременно ведь быть не может?
Anton Duzenko's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
416 views

Is the phrase 'Они пойдут на концерт' the correct translation of 'They'll go to the concert?'

I've already tried to use Tatoeba/reverso.net to find out whether the phrase is acceptable. They didn't seem to give much information, so I decided to check here. I really just had two issues: A) If ...
ermatveit's user avatar
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1 answer
129 views

Are there perfective verbs that only accept perfective infinitives?

The following perfective verbs are said to only accept perfective infinitives. забыть - to forget успеть - to manage, have time удаться - to manage, succeed суметь - to be able to manage получиться - ...
Kohjah Breese's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
136 views

Verb aspect is listed as being different or both

For the verb живописать (to describe vividly) Wiktionary [en] lists it as imperfective; the [ru] Wiktionary lists it as perfective; while a database of verbs I has lists it as 'both'. The database ...
Kohjah Breese's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
227 views

Пытался for a one-time action

Why is the past tense of the imperfective verb пытаться used in this context? Говорят, он пытался убить сына Поттеров, Гарри. Но – не смог. I would expect попытался to be more appropriate here since,...
Steve's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
227 views

Choosing between multiple perfective forms

I recently found in my dictionary the triple: проща́ться (нв.), прости́ться (св.), попроща́ться (св.), for to say goodbye. What do the two imperfective forms mean here in particular? Is there a ...
Bubaya's user avatar
  • 257
4 votes
1 answer
198 views

My dictionary sometimes lists two imperfective forms

Consider the verb to send, which my dictionary translates as *посылать (imp.), слать (imp.), послать (perf.). My question is about those cases in which there are two imperfective forms, like in this ...
Bubaya's user avatar
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3 answers
256 views

"Готовил" vs "приготовил" usage in emphasising time

Why does the following sentence use НСВ готовил instead of CB приготовил Повар 3 часа готовил обед. If I use готовил doesn't that mean I regularly cooked for 3 hours?
user10714010's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
213 views

Unidrectional versus multidirectional verbs (идти - ходить)

In these examples you can see verbs идти (unidirectional) and ходить (multidirectional). Apart from the difference in tense seen in the examples, what is the reason for using different types of verbs? ...
José Antonio's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
143 views

Neutral perfective prefix vs nuance prefix

As far as I understood, when a russian verb becomes perfective by prefixation, the resulting verb can either have a new nuance of meaning or just express the completion of an action. As such, сделать ...
swrutra's user avatar
  • 2,543
2 votes
3 answers
332 views

How to express verb + infinitive in Russian?

In English you can sometimes append an infinitive to another verb to express the concept of purpose. For example: Let's meet to discuss this. How would I translate this construction to Russian? ...
augurar's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
180 views

When the perfective counterpart doesn't show up on a dictionary

I know that not all verbs have a perfective counterpart, while there are others which are perfective-only. However, some verbs do have both aspects, but many times dictionaries don't indicate their ...
swrutra's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
106 views

лазить vs лезть

With verbs such as ходить, плавать, ехать, летать, the fact that they are indeterminate means that they imply movement in many directions without a particular finish line. However, the verb "to climb"...
swrutra's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
227 views

Are "тянуть" and "растягивать" equivalent?

I've noticed that some imperfective verbs are converted to the perfective by just adding a prefix. However and oddly enough, sometimes there's an alternate imperfective formed from an internal ...
swrutra's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
115 views

What's the appropriate verb for the following context? (найти Vs. находить)

I just want to say "I need to find it", or "The main thins is that you will find it" (for example, the key, the document, etc.). Now I am not sure which verb is more appropriate to the context that I ...
Influx's user avatar
  • 2,025
1 vote
2 answers
138 views

Off-aspect conjugations

It has been confusing me the fact that a few verbs have participles which, according to textbooks, normally don't match a particular verb aspect (perfective or imperfective). For example, гореть (imp....
swrutra's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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сказать VS поговорить

What's the difference between these two? According to wiktionary both are perfective forms of говорит but I'm not sure if they're really interchangeable. When should each one be used?
Trey's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
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Do all verbs in Russian have both an imperfective and perfective aspect?

I have a lot to learn about Russian verb usage and structure, but at least I've been introduced and somewhat understand the difference between the perfective and imperfective aspect of a verb. Early ...
Lisa Beck's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
153 views

Is the perfective aspect used to indicate failure?

If I began an action, failed it, and was unable to ever do it again, my action would be completed (but it would be completed in a way that I wouldn't expect). Would I use the perfective aspect for ...
N.D.H.'s user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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Meaning of prefix по- in verbs поехать and пойти

Both this website and my grammar workbook state that the meaning of по- in the verbs пойти and поехать is to indicate the beginning (but not necessarily the completion) of an action. However, I ...
Chill2Macht's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
427 views

Are there truly "empty" perfectivizing prefixes in Russian? (aspectual clusters versus aspectual pairs)

Foreign learners are often taught that Russian verbs always come in aspectual pairs, with the perfective verb formed from the imperfective verb either by changing the stem or adding a prefix. The two ...
Chill2Macht's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
407 views

What is the correct perfective partner for курить?

The dictionaries I could find did not agree on whether the perfective form of the (imperfective) verb курить is either: (i) закурить or (ii) покурить. What is the correct perfective partner for ...
Chill2Macht's user avatar
  • 3,071
16 votes
3 answers
1k views

Do Russian speakers consistently produce the same perfective form for a new verb?

Suppose, for example, that a new verb снапчатовать ("to snapchat") was coined in Russian. Would Russian speakers agree on what the perfective form of this verb should be? Is that generally the case ...
iafisher's user avatar
  • 367
7 votes
4 answers
496 views

What is the difference between посмеяться and засмеяться?

Question: Can someone explain what the difference between посмеяться and засмеяться is? Both have смеяться (to laugh) as their imperfective form, so I am really confused about what the difference ...
Chill2Macht's user avatar
  • 3,071
4 votes
1 answer
404 views

"Услышать" or "послышать"?

In my vocabulary list, I have two different forms for the perfective of слышать listed: услышать and послышать. I know I'm not imagining this, because a practice deck I found online also had both ...
Chill2Macht's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
183 views

When to use the imperfective/perfective aspect after conjunctions?

For example, why do you say "как узнать сказал ли он правду" and not "как знать" although you ask for the general rules of knowing that someone spoke the truth and not just in one certain situation?
Nicolas's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
399 views

Aspect following должен

Is there any rule governing the choice of aspect following forms of должен? It seems that in a negative sentence with должен, the best choice is often the imperfective, i.e.: Мы не должны были ...
SAH's user avatar
  • 384
3 votes
3 answers
125 views

Negated future and aspect

What is the difference between using the imperfective vs the perfective? My textbook (a very good compressive one) only mentions future negation in passing. For example, Я ей не буду говорить об этом....
VCH250's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
2k views

Difference between поиграть and сыграть

What is the difference between «поиграть» and «сыграть»? They both are perfective forms of «играть» (to play, to perform). When should each one be used? Are they interchangeable?
1d0m3n30's user avatar
  • 181
5 votes
3 answers
101 views

Usage of imperfective раздобывать

I've only ever heard this verb in its perfective form раздобыть, yet the dictionary lists раздобывать as its imperfective. However is it ever used? The only context I could possibly imagine is ...
CocoPop's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
519 views

"How are you" differences

I have seen that there are certain ways to say 'how are you' in Russian. I understand the part where there is a formal you and an informal one. I also understand that they are conjugated differently. ...
Gina Axella's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
224 views

класть, ложить, положить—weird perfective and imperfective pairs?

So, does anyone want to attempt an explanation as to why класть—положить are a pair. I know that textbooks often state that there are pairs that are "just", for no good reason different, e.g., ...
VCH250's user avatar
  • 3,497
4 votes
3 answers
647 views

Choice of aspect for infinitives

I'm pretty comfortable with the use of aspects in conjugated verbs. However, the choice of aspect for infinitives still gives me trouble. I recently read the following snippet, in which twice the act ...
CocoPop's user avatar
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2 votes
3 answers
302 views

Directionality of prefixed verbs of motion in present and future

From duolingo.com A TRICKY ASPECT You may have spotted so far that the examples have all been the one-directional versions of 'go' and that they are all past or future. Well, here's where it ...
embert's user avatar
  • 351
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Приглашать или Пригласить?

Скажите пожалуйста какая разница между: Приглашать и Пригласить? Есть ли разница? When would you use either one of them?
Ева's user avatar
  • 41
5 votes
2 answers
319 views

Imperfective "хотеть(ся)" versus perfective "захотеть(ся)"

With most verbs, the difference between the imperfective and perfective forms is obvious to me. But not so with хотеть(ся) and захотеть(ся), perhaps because "to want" is a state or condition, and not ...
ycele's user avatar
  • 2,827
2 votes
2 answers
184 views

"один раз рисовали" or "один раз порисовали"?

What way is correct?: Мы уже один раз рисовали. or Мы уже один раз порисовали. If both are correct, then what are the different shades in meaning? Is it like "Мы уже один раз порисовали" can ...
brilliant's user avatar
  • 5,752
2 votes
2 answers
8k views

Прикладывать или прилагать?

Фраза "Повезло выучить второй язык, не прикладывая усилий" режет мне слух. Я бы написал "Повезло выучить второй язык, не прилагая усилий". Я прав? Это стилистика? Или действительно ошибка? Спасибо.
Sergey Snegirev's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
268 views

Use of the imperative form подели

There is a lyric that goes: "ты подели небо поровну" What is the meaning of подели in this context? Could I use дели and would it change the meaning? Can I use this form with я, мы, он, etc? And ...
Unpronounceable Symbol's user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
14k views

Is it possible to translate English tenses into Russian tenses?

How would these tenses and aspects translate into Russian? I realize that the two languages use a different system, but it seems to me that if I knew how each of these aspects translated than I would ...
VCH250's user avatar
  • 3,497
3 votes
4 answers
692 views

Aspect vs. direction of verbs of motion

Most verbs distinguish between the imperfect and perfect aspect (писать/написать), but with verbs of motion the imperfect verbs distinguish between undirected and directed motion (плавать/плыть). ...
oz1cz's user avatar
  • 926
3 votes
4 answers
794 views

Is there a word that sound like сёк?

I'm doing a little project comparing Russian hard and soft sounds. A source tells me that сок means juice, which I believe is correct. This source also tells me that there's a word that sounds like ...
Ali's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
4 answers
403 views

Difference in meaning between the perfectives напугать and испугать

The dictionary lists испугать and напугать (and one gives пугнуть) for the perfectives of пугать. Is there any difference in meaning? Is one more frequent than the other(s)?
CocoPop's user avatar
  • 8,068
5 votes
5 answers
419 views

Interpretation of past negation

I'm quite familiar with the use and meaning of the aspects in an affirmative past scenario. However I've noticed that they don't always correspond in a negative past scenario - where you'd expect a ...
CocoPop's user avatar
  • 8,068
7 votes
2 answers
954 views

Несовершенный вид в значении совершенного

Мы то и дело используем в прошедшем времени несовершенный вид там, где он по базовому смыслу вполне заменим на совершенный, однако контекст требует подчеркнуть, что было выполнено некое предписанное ...
Nikolay Ershov's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
5k views

Imperfective or perfective aspect for imperative (example “please choose”)

The word “choose” has an imperfective aspect (выбира́ть) and a perfective aspect (вы́брать). What is the best way to translate “please choose”: “пожалуйста, выбирайте” or “пожалуйста, выберите” and ...
Roland Seuhs's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
648 views

Verbs related to learning or teaching [closed]

there. May you explain me differences between following verbs in detail?! (Attention: For God's sake, PLEASE, Don't match them up with English words like: study, learn, teach, etc. Just please try to ...
ali21's user avatar
  • 41
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

How do you know when to use изменить/измениться vs менять/меняться

Coming from english, I don't see much difference in meaning between these words because they both translate to "change". Is it just a case of knowing with what situation it's supposed to be used in? ...
Lawrence DeSouza's user avatar