grammar
* Perfective can not be used in present tense, since the present is still in progress.
** both forms are interchangeable
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Verb Aspect
Verb aspect expresses how an action extends over time. English has four verb aspects: simple, progressive, perfect and perfect progressive, but Ukrainian doesn't have these. We have two other aspects: imperfective and perfective. The imperfective describes the process (an uncompleted action) focusing on action, while the perfective shows the result of an action (a completed action).
| past | present | future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| imperfective | Я писа́в I was writing. | Я пи́шу. I am writing. / I write. | Я бу́ду писа́ти / Я писа́тиму.** I will be writing. |
| perfective | Я написа́в. I wrote. | -* | Я напи́шу. I will write. |
** both forms are interchangeable
| imperfective | perfective |
|---|---|
| Я чита́в кни́гу вчо́ра.(Process) | Я прочита́в кни́гу вчо́ра. (Result) |
| I was reading a book yesterday. | I read (finished reading) the book yesterday. |
| Ко́жного ра́нку я пив ка́ву. (repetitive) | Сього́дні я ви́пив каву. (single event) |
| Every morning I was drinking coffee. | I drank coffee today. |
| Ми розмовля́ли, співа́ли і танцюва́ли. (Simultaneous actions) | Ми порозмовля́ли, поспіва́ли, а по́тім потанцюва́ли. (Sequence of actions) |
| We talked, sang and danced. | We talked, (then) sang and then danced. |
Most Ukrainian verbs come in imperfective and perfective pairs, but not all. The perfective form of the verb can be formed with the help of:
- prefixes: "з-, с-, зі-, в-, за-, на-, по-, про-, при-, ви-":
йти - прийти́ (to come),
писа́ти - написа́ти (to write),
чита́ти - прочита́ти (to read); - suffixes: "–а-, -ува-, -ва-":
допомага́ти - допомогти́ (to help),
зігріва́ти – зігрі́ти (to warm); - sounds alternation in the stem:
сиді́ти- сі́сти (to seat),
збира́ти - зібра́ти (to gather); - stress change:
розріза́ти - розрі́зати (to cut),
склика́ти - скли́кати (to convene); - different words:
лови́ти - пійма́ти (to catch),
бра́ти - взя́ти (to take))
Unfortunately there are no way of knowing when to use any of the methods listed above.
| imperfective | perfective | translation |
|---|---|---|
| йти | прийти́ | to come |
| ї́хати | пої́хати | to go (by a vehicle) |
| роби́ти | зроби́ти | to do |
| писа́ти | написа́ти | to write |
| малюва́ти | намалюва́ти | to draw |
| чита́ти | прочита́ти | to read |
| допомага́ти | допомогти́ | to help |
| відповіда́ти | відповісти́ | to answer |
| прокида́тися | проки́нутися | to wake up |
| прийма́ти | прийня́ти | to take (to receive) |
| сні́дати | посні́дати | to breakfast |
| обі́дати | пообі́дати | to have lunch |
| вече́ряти | повече́ряти | to have dinner/supper |
| поверта́тися | поверну́тися | to return |
| встава́ти | вста́ти | to get up |
Some verbs have only imperfective or perfective form.
| imperfective only verbs | perfective only verbs |
|---|---|
| сподіва́тися - to hope потребува́ти - to need пра́гнути - strive | наси́дітися - to sit for a long time наговори́тися - to talk for a long time напрацюва́тися - to have worked enough |