Aspect: Perfective and Imperfective
A2–B1The past and aspect 5 min
Most verbs come in pairs: the imperfective names a process or a repeated action (писа́ти), the perfective a single finished result (написа́ти). The perfective has no present tense: its forms with person endings mean the future: Я пишу́ лист. Я напишу́ лист.
No information at the current level. This view starts at A2: choose A2 or a higher level.
No information at the current level. This view starts at A2: choose A2 or a higher level.
CheatsheetA2–B1
| Point | Rule | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefix | роби́ти → зроби́ти | Я вже зроби́в завда́ння. | I've already done the task. |
| Suffix | забува́ти → забу́ти | Я забу́ла ключі́. | I forgot my keys. |
| Imperfective | a process, a repeated action, a general fact | Я ча́сто пишу́ листи́. | I often write letters. |
| Perfective | one finished result | Я написа́в лист. | I've written the letter. |
| Future | imperfective: бу́ду писа́ти; perfective: напишу́ | За́втра я напишу́ лист. | I'll write the letter tomorrow. |
| B1Another root | бра́ти → взя́ти, говори́ти → сказа́ти | Він сказа́в пра́вду. | He told the truth. |
| Trap | an action going on now takes the imperfective | За́раз я чита́ю кни́жку. | I'm reading a book right now. |
OverviewA2
- The imperfective presents an action as a process, as something repeated, or simply as a fact. Уве́чері я диви́вся фільм. — In the evening I watched a film.
- The perfective presents one action carried through to its result. Я подиви́вся фільм і пішо́в спа́ти. — I watched the film and went to bed.
- The imperfective has three tenses; the perfective has two, the past and the future.
- Dictionaries list verbs in pairs: роби́ти — зроби́ти. Learn each verb with its pair.
Form: aspect pairsA2–B1
| How the pair forms | Imperfective | Perfective |
|---|---|---|
| a prefix | роби́ти / писа́ти / чита́ти | зроби́ти / написа́ти / прочита́ти |
| a prefix | діли́ти / ба́чити / диви́тися | поділи́ти / поба́чити / подиви́тися |
| a suffix | забува́ти / вихо́дити / відпочива́ти | забу́ти / ви́йти / відпочи́ти |
| a suffix | купува́ти / дава́ти / вивча́ти | купи́ти / да́ти / ви́вчити |
| B1a prefix | кла́сти | покла́сти |
| B1another root | бра́ти / говори́ти | взя́ти / сказа́ти |
- A prefix makes the verb perfective and usually keeps its meaning. писа́ти → написа́ти
- In pairs built with a suffix, the imperfective is the longer form: відпочива́ти — відпочи́ти. Влі́тку ми відпочива́ли на мо́рі. — In the summer we had a holiday by the sea.
Form: the tenses of each aspectA2–B1
| Tense | писа́ти | написа́ти |
|---|---|---|
| Past | я писа́в | я написа́в |
| Present | я пишу́ | — |
| Future | я бу́ду писа́ти | я напишу́ |
- The perfective forms напишу́, прочита́ю and зроблю́ mean the future, although they carry present endings. Я прочита́ю цю кни́жку за́втра. — I'll read this book tomorrow.
- B1Both aspects have a past tense with every gender and number form: хоті́в, хоті́ла; поба́чив, поба́чила. See Past Tense.
UseA2–B1
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| imperfective: a process, how long | Ми прибира́ли ці́лий день. | We spent the whole day cleaning. |
| imperfective: a repeated action | Він дзвони́в ма́мі щодня́. | He called his mum every day. |
| imperfective: a general fact, with no result in view | Ти чита́в «Кобза́р»? | Have you read the Kobzar? |
| perfective: a result | Ми прибра́ли кварти́ру. | We've cleaned the flat. |
| perfective: actions one after another | Вона́ посні́дала й ви́йшла. | She had breakfast and went out. |
| B1perfective: how long it took to finish | Я ви́вчив ці слова́ за годи́ну. | I learnt these words in an hour. |
- The aspect of the infinitive after почина́ти: Verb with Infinitive.
Signal wordsA2
| Word | Aspect | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ча́сто / щодня́ / за́вжди / до́вго | imperfective | Щодня́ я готу́ю сніда́нок. | I make breakfast every day. |
| наре́шті / одра́зу | perfective | Я наре́шті знайшла́ ключі́. | I've finally found my keys. |
- уже́ goes with either aspect; asking whether something has happened yet, it often takes the imperfective: Ти уже́ обі́дав? — Have you had lunch yet?
Typical errorsA2
| ✗ | ✓ | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| За́раз я прочита́ю кни́жку. | За́раз я чита́ю кни́жку. | an action going on now takes the imperfective: the perfective has no present |
| Я бу́ду прочита́ти кни́жку. | Я прочита́ю кни́жку. | the perfective has a simple future: прочита́ю |
| Я ча́сто написа́в ма́мі. | Я ча́сто писа́в ма́мі. | a repeated action takes the imperfective, even where English uses the simple past |