Understanding verbs in Russian is really important for anyone who wants to get better at the language. This helps show whether an action is finished (called perfective) or still happening (called imperfective). A great example to look at is the verb "говорить," which means "to speak." In this post, we’ll compare when to use the imperfective "говорить" and the perfective "сказать," along with some other perfective forms.

Imperfective Aspect of "говорить"

1. Describing Ongoing Actions: We use the imperfective form when we're talking about actions that are happening right now, things we do often, or things that happen over time. For example, if you want to say you are speaking with someone or that you usually talk every Sunday:

   • Я говорю с другом. (I am speaking with a friend.)
   • Каждое воскресенье я говорю по телефону с родителями. (Every Sunday, I talk on the phone with my parents.)

2. Duration or Repetition: Use the imperfective when you want to talk about how long something takes or when it happens regularly. For example:

   • Он часто говорит на английском. (He often speaks English.)
   • Я буду говорить по-русски весь вечер. (I will be speaking in Russian all evening.)

3. Indefinite Future Tasks: When you’re talking about plans or actions that will happen in the future but don’t show completion, use the imperfective form. For example:

   • Завтра я буду говорить с моими коллегами о проекте. (Tomorrow I will be speaking with my colleagues about the project.)
   • На следующей неделе я буду говорить на конференции. (Next week, I will be speaking at a conference.)

Perfective Aspect of "сказать" and Related Forms

1. Completed Actions: The perfective aspect is used for actions that have already happened or will happen and be finished. If you want to say that you have spoken or will finish speaking, you would use the perfective form:

   • Я сказал ему о своих планах. (I have told him about my plans.)
   • Она скажет тебе это завтра. (She will tell you this tomorrow.)

2. Singular Occurrence: If you're talking about something that happens just once and is finished, then the perfective form is best. This means using "сказать" or other perfective verbs that show a completed action:

   • Когда мы встретились, я сказал, что люблю её. (When we met, I said that I love her.)
   • Он сказал, что придёт позже. (He said he would come later.)

3. Emphasizing Result: If you want to focus on the result of an action instead of how it happened, use the perfective form. The result shows that the action is complete:

   • Я сказал ему всё, что думал. (I told him everything I thought.)
   • Она наконец-то сказала правду. (She finally told the truth.)

Choosing Between Imperfective and Perfective

When you need to decide between using "говорить" in the imperfective or perfective aspect, think about these things:

• Context of the Action: Is the action still happening or already done? Use imperfective for ongoing actions (Я говорю) and perfective for finished actions (Я сказал).

• Time Frame: Are you talking about something that happens often (imperfective), or just one time (perfective)? For example:

  • Я часто говорю об этом. (I often speak about this.) [Imperfective]
  • Я сказал об этом вчера. (I said this yesterday.) [Perfective]

• Focus on Action or Result: Do you want to highlight the action happening (imperfective) or the end result (perfective)?

Practice Examples

To get better, try making sentences using both forms:

1. Imperfective: Write sentences in the present continuous about your speaking habits, like, "Я говорю с учителем по-русски каждый день." (I speak with my teacher in Russian every day.)

2. Perfective: Share experiences using the perfective, like, "Я сказал своему другу о своих планах на отпуск." (I told my friend about my vacation plans.)

Conclusion

Getting the hang of using "говорить" and its perfective form "сказать" will help you communicate better in Russian. The key is knowing when to say an action is ongoing versus when it’s finished. Think about what you’re talking about—if it happens often, use imperfective. If it’s a completed action, use perfective. The more you practice, the easier it will get to understand and use these differences, helping you speak Russian more smoothly and naturally.