11
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to translate English tenses into Russian tenses?
Well, that's quite an interesting question. But to say how the tenses correspond to each other we must first know what they really mean in both languages. And this is where we may fail as everyone ...
- 15.2k
9
votes
Accepted
Interpretation of past negation
One very important use of the imperfective aspect is expressing the fact that took or did not take place, while the time of its occurence is irrelevant (even if technically it did happen at some ...
- 5,120
8
votes
Aspect following должен
The fact is that должен in no way influences the choice of aspect.
Both "Мы должны выигрывать" and "Мы должны выиграть". The former implies a regular pattern - we must always win; the latter - we ...
- 562
8
votes
Are there truly "empty" perfectivizing prefixes in Russian? (aspectual clusters versus aspectual pairs)
Complicated question. I read, that linguists even haven different opinion on whether it is correct to consider perfective and imperfective verbs as different forms of the same verb or as different ...
- 301
5
votes
Accepted
Negated future and aspect
Usage can depend on situation.
Imperfective version is more natural if it's about continuous inaction or refusal (which you mentioned) to behave as somebody expects or has just asked for.
Я не ...
- 11.8k
5
votes
Is it possible to translate English tenses into Russian tenses?
Let us consider only one single cell:
For the unique top-left cell of the table, the cell are further subdivided into header and data cells in Russian.
+-------+
...
- 2,399
5
votes
Accepted
Do all verbs in Russian have both an imperfective and perfective aspect?
There aren't many Russian verbs without a perfective counterpart. This site discourages asking and answering posts about making word lists, so I will just name some of those verbs and try to define ...
- 25.8k
5
votes
Accepted
сказать VS поговорить
Сказать means to make one or more statements which have the effect of informing the listener on some clearly identified subject. For example:
Скажите что я позвонил.
Хорошо, скажу.
In contrast ...
- 1,096
5
votes
What's the appropriate verb for the following context? (найти Vs. находить)
When the verb is transitive you have to use a perfective form in positive sentences, like in
Мне нужно это найти.
As suggested by Баян Купи-ка in the comments imperfective form is also valid here ...
- 1,772
4
votes
Accepted
Difference in meaning between the perfectives напугать and испугать
Испугать and напугать are synonyms. They are mostly interchangeable. The difference if exists is very subtle.
Roughly,
напугать = to make shocked
испугать = to make concerned
One difference is when ...
- 14.1k
4
votes
Interpretation of past negation
Many grammar books state that, if no action occurs, use the imperfective, and if one uses the perfective it means Failure to do X, (when it was expected).
Я не звонил няшке моей. (I didn't phone her; ...
- 3,477
4
votes
How to express verb + infinitive in Russian?
встретиться isn't yet perceived as modal verb in Russian, that's why in the 1st sentence чтобы is required
in the 2nd one хотеть is a modal verb hence no чтобы
BUT
чтобы is unnecessary when the 2nd ...
- 19.5k
4
votes
Unidrectional versus multidirectional verbs (идти - ходить)
Yes, generally correct.
"В прескверном настроении шёл я по городу" - yes, at least for the purpose of current context, the movement here is unidirectional. In larger context, the author may be ...
- 4,199
4
votes
Verb aspect is listed as being different or both
From the book "The Iconostasis" (Иконостас) by P. A. Florenskiy (П. А. Флоренский):
он питал внутри себя необоримое желание — живописать Деву Марию в небесном Ее совершенстве (he nourished ...
- 1,158
3
votes
Accepted
"How are you" differences
At the risk of repeating what's already been said: 'How are you' is almost not a question but a mere token of politeness akin to what 'How do you do' used to be. The one asking 'How are you' does not ...
- 2,383
3
votes
"How are you" differences
Let's say it again: nowadays Russian speakers do not have a totally neutral form of "How are you". Which means usually you do one of these:
Informal way of saying "Hello". This rules out any formal ...
- 15.2k
3
votes
Accepted
Приглашать или Пригласить?
These are two aspects of the same verb:
Imperfective aspect: Приглашать.
Perfective aspect: Пригласить.
More info and examples: External link.
- 8,055
3
votes
класть, ложить, положить—weird perfective and imperfective pairs?
Most widely known language mistakes among native speakers are "ложить" and "зво́нит" (instead of "звони́т"). For example
Тут ударила мне кровь в голову.
— Ложи, — говорю, — взад!
А она ...
- 1,758
3
votes
Accepted
Use of the imperative form подели
дели instead of подели would certainly change the meaning — from a single, completed action to either a repeated one, or prolonged and not necessarily completed.
Using ты with an imperative form is ...
- 19k
3
votes
Use of the imperative form подели
дели небо поровну
-----------------
время: сейчас/завтра;
как: как обычно / как всегда / как прежде, не один раз;
совершенность: кто говорит, не ...
- 2,399
3
votes
Is it possible to translate English tenses into Russian tenses?
By the way, I came across this not too long ago—
- 3,477
3
votes
"один раз рисовали" or "один раз порисовали"?
"Мы уже один раз порисовали" может иметь иронический смысл. Похожие конструкции с ироническим смыслом: 1."Идите погуляйте в лесу. - Спасибо, мы уже один раз погуляли". 2. "Поплавайте в пруду. - ...
- 2,115
3
votes
Accepted
Прикладывать или прилагать?
Подобный вопрос был задан на грамоте.ру. Ответ такой:
Правильно: прилагать усилия. С глаголом совершенного вида приложить в значении 'направить действие чего-л. на что-л., применить' соотносится ...
- 11.3k
3
votes
Choice of aspect for infinitives
Leaving aside the ugliness of this excerpt, the choice of perfective/imperfective is sometimes absolutely free.
On the first occurence, the speaker says about what already happened, while they were ...
- 15.2k
3
votes
Difference in meaning between the perfectives напугать and испугать
Difference is in time/duration of frightening effect.
Напугать - brief sudden effect. E.g: меня напугала ваша собака
Испугать - kind of an instant effect. E.g. меня испугала перспектива остаться без ...
- 388
3
votes
Are there truly "empty" perfectivizing prefixes in Russian? (aspectual clusters versus aspectual pairs)
Well, first of all, there is a bunch of dual-aspect verbs, i.e. perfective and imperfective at the same time. See, for example, wiktionary:Двувидовые глаголы. They are prefixless, though.
Next, there ...
- 15.2k
3
votes
Do all verbs in Russian have both an imperfective and perfective aspect?
There are some verbs that do not have imperfective counterpart: f.e. уцелеть.
There are some verbs that do not have perfective counterpart: находиться, существовать (s. the other answer).
And there ...
- 4,194
3
votes
Accepted
Verb aspect is listed as being different or both
Yes, живописать is a biaspectual verb, meaning its perfective and imperfective forms coincide.
Imperfective:
И пока Рахатов живописал совсем не оригинальную эпопею, Женя думала о другом. // [Ольга ...
- 47.6k
2
votes
Interpretation of past negation
"Я не спросил его." I didn't ask (and won't have a chance to ask any more).
"Я не спрашивал его." I didn't ask (but may still ask).
"Я не стал его спрашивать." I chose not to ask.
- 1,946
2
votes
Directionality of prefixed verbs of motion in present and future
I believe what Duolingo is trying to tell you, not very effectively, is that unprefixed verbs of motion have two imperfectives: (1) the so-called iterative (2) and the multidirectional. Aside from ...
- 7,732
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