Understanding verbs is really important if you want to get better at Russian. This is especially true for students who are at an intermediate level. One common verb you will hear often is "читать," which means "to read." In this guide, we will learn how to make the perfective aspect of "читать" and see some helpful examples of how to use it.
First, let's understand what we mean by perfective and imperfective aspects. In Russian, verbs are divided into these two parts to show how an action happens.
Knowing the difference helps you use verbs correctly depending on the situation.
Making the Perfective Aspect of "читать"
The verb "читать" is imperfective. This means it talks about the process of reading and doesn’t say if it’s finished. To show that the reading is complete, we need to change it to the perfective form.
In Russian, we often create perfective verbs by adding a prefix to the imperfective verb. For "читать," the perfective form is "прочитать." Here’s how it works:
Adding a Prefix: We add "про-" to "читать." This prefix suggests that the action of reading is complete.
Changing the Verb: Now, "читать" (to read) becomes "прочитать" (to read something completely).
Examples in Context:
When to Use the Perfective Aspect
It’s important to know when to use the perfective form in different situations.
Single Completed Actions: Use the perfective form to describe an action that is done. For example:
Plans for the Future: You can use the perfective aspect to talk about actions you plan to finish in the future:
Telling Stories: When telling a story, the perfective aspect helps show actions that are finished and move the story along:
Actions in Order: When something happens in order, perfective verbs show that each action is done before the next one starts:
Practice Changing Sentences
Let’s practice changing sentences from imperfective to perfective.
Imperfective: "Они читают романы каждый вечер." (They read novels every evening.)
Perfective: "Они прочитали романы за неделю." (They read the novels [and finished them] in a week.)
Imperfective: "Я читаю лекции по истории." (I am reading lectures on history.)
Perfective: "Я прочитал лекцию по истории." (I read the lecture on history [and it's done].)
Common Prefixes for Perfective Forms
To make perfective forms of other verbs, get to know some common prefixes:
For example:
Pay Attention to Context
Remember, the perfective aspect usually doesn’t tell you how many times an action happens. For example, in English, "I read" could mean many times, but "прочитать" means that one action is complete.
As you practice with Russian verbs, work on both the imperfective and perfective aspects. This will help you understand how Russian shows details about actions.
By keeping these rules and examples in mind, you will find it much easier to use the perfective aspect of verbs like "читать" as you improve your Russian! Keep practicing, and soon you will feel more comfortable using these forms in conversations and writing.
Understanding verbs is really important if you want to get better at Russian. This is especially true for students who are at an intermediate level. One common verb you will hear often is "читать," which means "to read." In this guide, we will learn how to make the perfective aspect of "читать" and see some helpful examples of how to use it.
First, let's understand what we mean by perfective and imperfective aspects. In Russian, verbs are divided into these two parts to show how an action happens.
Knowing the difference helps you use verbs correctly depending on the situation.
Making the Perfective Aspect of "читать"
The verb "читать" is imperfective. This means it talks about the process of reading and doesn’t say if it’s finished. To show that the reading is complete, we need to change it to the perfective form.
In Russian, we often create perfective verbs by adding a prefix to the imperfective verb. For "читать," the perfective form is "прочитать." Here’s how it works:
Adding a Prefix: We add "про-" to "читать." This prefix suggests that the action of reading is complete.
Changing the Verb: Now, "читать" (to read) becomes "прочитать" (to read something completely).
Examples in Context:
When to Use the Perfective Aspect
It’s important to know when to use the perfective form in different situations.
Single Completed Actions: Use the perfective form to describe an action that is done. For example:
Plans for the Future: You can use the perfective aspect to talk about actions you plan to finish in the future:
Telling Stories: When telling a story, the perfective aspect helps show actions that are finished and move the story along:
Actions in Order: When something happens in order, perfective verbs show that each action is done before the next one starts:
Practice Changing Sentences
Let’s practice changing sentences from imperfective to perfective.
Imperfective: "Они читают романы каждый вечер." (They read novels every evening.)
Perfective: "Они прочитали романы за неделю." (They read the novels [and finished them] in a week.)
Imperfective: "Я читаю лекции по истории." (I am reading lectures on history.)
Perfective: "Я прочитал лекцию по истории." (I read the lecture on history [and it's done].)
Common Prefixes for Perfective Forms
To make perfective forms of other verbs, get to know some common prefixes:
For example:
Pay Attention to Context
Remember, the perfective aspect usually doesn’t tell you how many times an action happens. For example, in English, "I read" could mean many times, but "прочитать" means that one action is complete.
As you practice with Russian verbs, work on both the imperfective and perfective aspects. This will help you understand how Russian shows details about actions.
By keeping these rules and examples in mind, you will find it much easier to use the perfective aspect of verbs like "читать" as you improve your Russian! Keep practicing, and soon you will feel more comfortable using these forms in conversations and writing.