Perfective vs. Imperfective Verbs

01

The Two Aspects

The imperfective verb presents the action as a process, as something repeated or habitual, or simply names the activity without saying whether it was finished. The perfective verb presents the action as one complete whole with a result: done, finished, achieved.

• де́лать (délat'délatʹ) / сде́лать (sdélat'sdélatʹ) - to do
• покупа́ть (pokupát'pokupátʹ) / купи́ть (kupít'kupítʹ) - to buy
• смотре́ть (smotrét'smotrétʹ) / посмотре́ть (posmotrét'posmotrétʹ) - to watch
• говори́ть (govorít'govorítʹ) / сказа́ть (skazát'skazátʹ) - to speak / to say

• Что ты де́лала вчера́?

  Chto ty délala vcherá?Čto ty délala včerá?

  What were you doing yesterday?

• Я сде́лаю э́то по́зже.

  Ya sdélayu éto pózzhe.Ja sdélaju éto pózže.

  I will do it later.

The first sentence asks about the activity itself. The second promises a finished result.

02

How the Pairs Are Formed

There is no single rule, so each pair is learned as a pair. Three patterns cover most of them:

• A prefix makes the perfective: де́лать (délat'délatʹ) - сде́лать (sdélat'sdélatʹ), чита́ть (chitát'čitátʹ) - прочита́ть (prochitát'pročitátʹ), звони́ть (zvonít'zvonítʹ) - позвони́ть (pozvonít'pozvonítʹ).
• A suffix changes inside the verb: покупа́ть (pokupát'pokupátʹ) - купи́ть (kupít'kupítʹ), начина́ть (nachinát'načinátʹ) - нача́ть (nachát'načátʹ), получа́ть (poluchát'polučátʹ) - получи́ть (poluchít'polučítʹ).
• A different verb entirely: говори́ть (govorít'govorítʹ) - сказа́ть (skazát'skazátʹ), брать (brat'bratʹ) - взять (vzyat'vzjatʹ).

03

Which Tenses Each Aspect Has

An imperfective verb has a present, a past and a future. A perfective verb has only a past and a future: its present-shaped forms always refer to the future, because a single completed action cannot be in progress right now.

• я покупа́ю (ya pokupáyuja pokupáju) - I am buying, I buy
• я покупа́л (ya pokupálja pokupál) - I was buying, I used to buy
• я бу́ду покупа́ть (ya búdu pokupát'ja búdu pokupátʹ) - I will be buying
• я купи́л (ya kupílja kupíl) - I bought
• я куплю́ (ya kuplyúja kupljú) - I will buy

• Я покупа́ю проду́кты.

  Ya pokupáyu prodúkty.Ja pokupáju prodúkty.

  I am buying groceries.

• Я куплю́ большу́ю кварти́ру.

  Ya kuplyú bol'shúyu kvartíru.Ja kupljú bolʹšúju kvartíru.

  I will buy a big apartment.

04

Choosing the Aspect

Words that describe repetition or duration point to the imperfective: всегда́ (vsegdá), ча́сто (chástočásto), обы́чно (obýchnoobýčno), ка́ждый день (kázhdyy den'káždyj denʹ), до́лго (dólgo). A single action with a result points to the perfective, and so does a sequence of completed steps.

• Ка́ждый день по́сле обе́да я игра́ю в баскетбо́л.

  Kázhdyy den' pósle obéda ya igráyu v basketból.Káždyj denʹ pósle obéda ja igráju v basketból.

  Every day after lunch I play basketball.

• Снача́ла я приму́ душ. Пото́м я почи́щу душ.

  Snachála ya primú dush. Potóm ya pochíshchu dush.Snačála ja primú duš. Potóm ja počíšču duš.

  First I'll take a shower. Then I'll clean the shower.

05

In the Past

In the past tense the imperfective often answers "did it happen at all?", while the perfective answers "was it achieved?". Ты ви́дела э́то? (Ty vídela éto?) asks whether someone ever saw something; Я слома́л ру́ку (Ya slomál rúkuJa slomál rúku) reports one event with a lasting result.

• Я уже́ ви́дела его́ ра́ньше.

  Ya uzhé vídela yegó rán'she.Ja užé vídela jegó ránʹše.

  I've already seen it before.

• Она́ закры́ла дверь.

  Oná zakrýla dver'.Oná zakrýla dverʹ.

  She closed the door.

06

In the Infinitive and the Imperative

After verbs like хоте́ть (khotét'xotétʹ), мочь (moch'močʹ) and ну́жно (núzhnonúžno) both aspects appear: the perfective for one specific action, the imperfective for an activity in general.

• Я хочу́ купи́ть э́тот цвето́к.

  Ya khochú kupít' étot tsvetók.Ja xočú kupítʹ étot cvetók.

  I want to buy this flower.

• Тебе́ нра́вится чита́ть кни́ги.

  Tebé nrávitsya chitát' knígi.Tebé nrávitsja čitátʹ knígi.

  You like reading books.