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Aspectual pairs

2 min read · 480 words

In LPQR, as in Russian, an imperfective verb and its corresponding perfective verb form an aspectual pair.

These pairs, depending on grammatical features, can be divided into five groups.:

Group 1.
An imperfective verb lacks a prefix, while a perfective verb does. Examples:

  • to wake up

  • buditj – razbuditj

  • to cook

  • varitj – svaritj

  • to do / to make

  • djelatj – sdjelatj

  • to eat

  • kušatj – skušatj

  • to put

  • ložitj – položitj (the Russian verb "to put" is translated as ložitj )

  • to wash

  • mǐtj – pomǐtj

  • to write

  • pisatj – napisatj

  • to paint

  • risovatj – narisovatj

  • to put

  • stavitj – postavitj

  • to learn

  • učitj – obučitj

  • to read

  • čitatj – pročitatj

Exception : (to buy) pokupatj (imperfective aspect) – kupitj (perfective aspect).

Group 2.
The imperfective verb has the suffix -iva , -ǐva , or -va , while the perfective verb does not. Examples:

·   to rewrite

·   pjerjepisǐvatj – pjerjepisatj

·   to subscribe

·   podpisǐvatj – podpisatj

·   to give

·   davatj – datj

·   to stand up

·   vstavatj – vstatj

·   to put on

·   nadjevatj – nadjetj

·   to know

·   uznavatj – uznatj

Group 3.
The imperfective verb has the suffix -a or -ja , and the perfective verb has the suffix -i or -ǐ . Examples:

·   to decide

·   rješatj – rješǐtj

·   to study

·   izučatj – izučitj

·   to explain

·   obj'jasnjatj – obj'jasnitj

·   to answer

·   otvječatj – otvjetitj (alternation of consonants)

to win

pobježdatj – pobjeditj (alternation of consonants)

Group 4.
The imperfective verb has the suffix -a or -ja , and the perfective verb has the suffix -nu . Examples:

·   to scream

·   kričatj – kričnutj

·   to wave

·   mahatj – mahnutj

·   to jump

·   prǐgatj – prǐgnutj

Group 5.
Imperfective and perfective verbs have different stems. Examples:

·   to take 

·   bratj – vzjatj

·   to catch

·   lovitj – pojmatj

·   to speak - to say

·   govoritj – skazatj

·   to become

·   stanovitjsja – statj

·   to lie down

·   ložitjsja – ljegti

·   to sit down

·   saditjsja – sjestj


There is a correspondence of suffixal bases (root + suffix) of verbs in aspectual pairs:



Suffixal stem of an imperfective verb

Suffixal stem of a perfective verb


bira

bra

sobiratj – sobratj (to gather / to collect)

nabiratj – nabiratj (to recruit)

vǐbiratj – vǐbratj (to choose)

tira

tjere

vǐtiratj – vǐtjeretj (to vipe)



pira

pjerje

zapiratj – zapjerjetj (to lock)

otpiratj – otpjerjetj (to unlock)

mira

mjerje

umiratj – umjerjetj (to die)

dǐha

dohnu

vzdǐhatj – vzdohnutj (to sigh)

zǐva

zva

vǐzǐvatj – vǐzvatj (to summon / to call)

sǐla

sla

posǐlatj - poslatj (to send)

nima

nja

podnimatj – podnjatj (to lift / to raise)

prinimatj – prinjatj (to accept / to receive)

obnimatj – obnjatj (to embrace)

snimatj – snjatj (to take off)

žǐma

ža

nažǐmatj – nažatj (to press)

sžǐmatj – sžatj (to squeeze)

čina

čja

načinatj – načjatj (to begin)