A Russian verb in the perfective aspect describes an action that is single and complete. It is opposed to the imperfective aspect which marks an action as repeated or lasting. When you are using Russian verbs, you will almost always have to make a choice between a perfective verb or an imperfective one.
Many learners of Russian would name the use of verb aspects among the greatest challenges they had to overcome on the way to mastering the language. This post will explain how to tell a perfective verb from an imperfective one, what forms perfective verbs can take, and how to use the perfective aspect. Let’s get started!
There is no single way to identify a perfective verb in Russian, but there are some characteristics that many perfective verbs share, especially when compared to their imperfective partners.
Almost every perfective verb has an imperfective match, thus forming an aspect pair. The two verbs share a lexical meaning but contrast in the way they describe an action in terms of its completion, duration, habituality, etc. Usually the verbs in an aspect pair have the same root, but different prefixesNo definition set for prefixesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or suffixesNo definition set for suffixesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
You may be able to recognize a perfective verb by observing one of the following features:
It has a prefix.
Imperfective | Perfective | Translation |
|---|---|---|
строить[STROit] | построить[paSTROit] | to build |
играть[iGRAT] | сыграть[syGRAT] | to play |
пугаться[pooGAtsa] | испугаться[ispooGAtsa] | to be/get scared |
It does not have the suffix -ыва-, -ива-, or -ва-.
Imperfective | Perfective | Translation |
|---|---|---|
открывать[atkryVAT] | открыть[atKRYT] | to open |
скачивать[SKAchivat] | cкачать[skaCHAT] | to download |
вставать[fstaVAT] | встать[fstat] | to stand up |
It has the suffix -и- or -ну-.
Imperfective | Perfective | Translation |
|---|---|---|
лишать[liSHAT] | лишить[liSHYT] | to deprive |
рожать[raZHAT] | родить[raDEET] | to give birth |
лизать[liZAT] | лизнуть[lizNOOT] | to lick |
мяукать[miOOkat] | мяукнуть[miOOKnoot] | to meow |
There are many verbs in Russian that do not follow the patterns above. Such aspect pairs just have to be memorized. For example:
Imperfective | Perfective | Translation |
|---|---|---|
покупать[pakooPAT] | купить[kooPEET] | to buy |
класть[klast] | положить[palaZHYT] | to put |
начинать[nachiNAT] | начать[naCHAT] | to begin |
To learn more about the indicators of perfectiveness in a verb and how to form an imperfective verb from a perfective one and vice versa, read our post on aspect pairs in Russian.
In Russian, perfective verbs cannot be used to reference the present, only the past or future. As you can see in the table below, there are some other forms they cannot have, but they can still serve as a base for many other verb-related forms that exist in the Russian language:
Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
Infinitive | сделать[ZDYElat] | to make/do |
Past tense | сделал[ZDYElal] | he made/did |
Present tense | X | |
Future | сделает[ZDYElayet] | he will make/do |
Present active participle | X | |
Past active participle | сделавший[ZDYElafshyi] | who made/did |
Present passive participle | X | |
Past passive participle | сделанный[ZDYElannyi] | made/done |
Verbal adverb (present) | X | |
*Verbal adverb (past) | сделав(ши)[ZDYElaf(shi)] | having made/done |
We are going to talk about the past tense forms and future tense forms of perfective verbs below. For other forms, you can find out more in our posts on infinitive, passive participles, passive voice, and verbal adverbs in Russian.
The Russian past tense is formed in the same way for perfective and imperfective verbs, by adding -л, -ла, -ло, or -ли to the infinitive stem of a verb:
Singular masculine: | сделал[ZDYElal]((I/you/he/it) made / did) |
Singular feminine: | сделала[ZDYElala]((I/you/she/it) made / did) |
Singular neuter: | сделало[ZDYElala]((it) made / did) |
Plural (all genders): | сделали[ZDYElali]((we/you/they) made / did) |
To learn more about the forms of perfective verbs in the past tense, look at our post on the past tense in Russian.
Perfective verbs can be used to describe future action. Their future forms, however, look misleadingly similar to the present tense forms of imperfective verbs — virtually the same endings are used! So you have to be very careful and remember that perfective verbs with these endings refer to the future, not the present!
I: | cделаю[ZDYElayu]((I) will make / do) |
You (singular/informal): | cделаешь[ZDYElayesh]((you) will make / do) |
He/She/It: | cделает[ZDYElayet]((he/she/it) will make / do) |
We: | cделаем[ZDYElayem]((we) will make / do) |
You (plural/formal): | cделаете[ZDYElaitye]((you) will make / do) |
They: | cделают[ZDYElayut]((they) will make / do) |
To learn more about the forms of perfective verbs in the future, look at our post on the Russian future.
The perfective aspect in Russian is used to describe finished actions, done once or in sequence. While it’s important to keep in mind this general meaning of the perfective aspect, you might find it helpful to look at each specific use in detail.
When an action started and finished in the past, we use perfective verbs in their past forms to describe it. Also, when we believe or promise that an action will start, achieve its result, and finish in the future, perfective verbs in their future forms should be used. For example:
Вы купили дом? Поздравляю!
vy kooPEEli dom? pazdravLYAyu!
You (have) bought a house? Congratulations!
Я завтра тебе позвоню.
ya ZAFTra tiBYE pazvaNYU
I'll call you tomorrow.
Настя в прошлом году родила второго ребёнка.
NAStya f PROSHlam gaDOO radiLA ftaROva riBYONka
Nastya gave birth to her second child last year.
Папа тебе расскажет, что случилось, когда домой придёт.
PApa tiBYE raSKAzhet, shto slooCHEElas, kagDA daMOY priDYOT
Dad will tell you what happened when he gets home.
Perfective verbs focus on completeness of an action, the fact that a goal was reached, while imperfective verbs don’t. Compare:
Perfective aspect | Imperfective aspect |
|---|---|
Я прочитаю эту книгу на следующей неделе. ya prachiTAyu Etoo KNEEgoo na SLYEdooyushchyey niDYEli I will read this book next week. → I’ll start and finish it. | Я буду читать эту книгу на следующей неделе. ya BOOdoo chiTAT Etoo KNEEgoo na SLYEdooyushchyey niDYEli I will be reading this book next week. → I will be in the process of reading it, I am not saying when I started (or will start) and when/if I finish it. |
Кто выпил мой сок? kto VYpil moy sok? Who drank / has drunk my juice? → My glass was full and now it’s empty. | Кто пил мой сок? kto peel moy sok? Who has been drinking / has drunk (some of) my juice? → My glass was full and now it’s only 3/4 full. |
Also, imperfective verbs are used to refer to a past action in general, without a specific focus on its completeness, but to explain the current situation. Perfective verbs, with their emphasis on finality of an action, are not used this way. Compare:
Perfective aspect | Imperfective aspect |
|---|---|
Я прочитал эту книгу. ya prachiTAL Etoo KNEEgoo. I (have) read this book. → I did it last night, and now I’m ready to discuss it. | Я читал эту книгу. ya chiTAL Etoo KNEEgoo I’ve read this book. → Sometime a long time ago maybe, but I know what I’m talking about. |
Он попробовал берёзовый сок. on paPRObavall biRYOzavyi sok. He tasted birch sap. → Just now, he tasted it and he didn’t like it. | Он уже пробовал березовый сок. on ooZHE PRObaval biRYOzavyi sok He has already tasted birch sap. → It happened a long time ago, but now he knows its taste. |
We use perfective verbs to say that something happened or will happen once. This meaning contrasts with the meaning of habitual or regular actions that imperfective verbs have. Compare:
Perfective aspect | Imperfective aspect |
|---|---|
Мы вчера посетили Эрмитаж. my fchiRA pasiTEEli ermiTASH We visited the Hermitage Museum yesterday. | Мы посещали Эрмитаж каждый раз, когда были в Санкт-Петербурге. my pasiSHCHALi ermiTASH KAZHdyi ras, kagDA BYli f sankt-pitirBOORgye We visited the Hermitage Museum every time we were in Saint-Petersburg. |
Маша приготовит рыбу, а я принесу салат . MAsha prigaTOvit RYboo, a ya priniSOO saLAT Masha will cook fish, and I will bring salad. | Мама будет теперь готовить рыбу чаще. MAma BOOdit tiPYER gaTOvit RYboo CHAshche Mom will cook fish more often from now on. |
When you want to tell a story you often need to describe events happening one after another. It is the perfective aspect in Russian that can help you do that. This use of perfective verbs contrasts with the ability of imperfective verbs to describe things happening at the same time. Compare:
Perfective aspect | Imperfective aspect |
|---|---|
Леонид встал, умылся, позавтракал, оделся и вызвал такси. liaNEET fstal, ooMYLsya, paZAFtrakal, aDYELsya i VYzval takSEE Leonid got up, washed his face, had breakfast, got dressed, and called a taxi. | Леонид сидел в своём любимом кресле, пил кофе и разгадывал кроссворд. liaNEET siDYEL f svaYOM lyuBEEmam KRYESlye, peel KOfye i razGAdyval krasVORT Leonid was sitting in his favorite armchair, drinking coffee and doing a crossword puzzle. |
Я сначала приготовлю ужин, а потом помогу тебе с уроками. ya snaCHAla prigaTOVlyu OOzhyn, a paTOM pamaGOO tiBYE s ooROkami I will first make dinner, and then I will help you with your homework. | Я не могу одновременно готовить ужин и помогать тебе с уроками! ya ni maGOO adnavriMYEna gaTOvit OOzhyn i pamaGAT tiBYE s ooROkami I cannot make dinner and help you with your homework at the same time! |
When you use the perfective aspect of a verbs with a lexical meaning that would normally imply some duration, it implies an instantaneous start to that action, or an instantaneous version of it. This is especially common with verbs denoting feelings and emotions, or related to speech, perception, or thinking, like:
понять[paNYAT](to understand)
увидеть[ooVEEdyet](to see)
удивиться[oodiVEEtsa](to be surprised)
решить[riSHYT](to decide)
пропасть[praPAST](to disappear)
In the imperfective aspect, such verbs sound like a long-term process or state, but when used in the perfective it sounds very sudden. For example:
Миша увидел паука и испугался.
MEEsha ooVEEdil paooKA i ispooGALsya
Misha saw a spider and got scared.
Ты огорчилась, когда узнала, что я опоздал?
ty agarCHEElas, kagDA ooZNAla, shto ya apazDAL?
Did you get upset when you learned that I had been late?
Some Russian verbs have “beginning” of an action as a component of their meanings. Usually these are verbs with the prefix за-, and they are often perfective:
Все засмеялись, а бабушка заплакала.
Fsye zasmiYAlis, a BAbooshka zaPLAkala
Everyone started laughing, but grandma burst into tears.
In Russian, verbs with the prefix по- often mean that an action described by it lasted a short period of time. Most of these verbs only exist in the perfective aspect:
Я посплю чуток, ладно?
ya paspLYU chooTOK, LADna?
I’ll take a short nap, ok?
В парке мы покатались на велосипедах и постреляли в тире.
f parkye my pakaTAlis na vilasiPYEdalh i pastriLYAli v TEErye
In the park we took a bicycle ride and shot at a shooting range.
Both perfective and imperfective verbs can be negated. To do that, we put a particle не[nye](not) before the verb.
We use не[nye](not) + imperfective verbs to say that an action did not or will not take place at all.
Я тебе вчера не звонил.
ya tiBYE fchiRA nye zvaNEEL
I didn’t call you yesterday.
Вася не будет отмечать свой день рождения.
VAsya nye BOOdit atmiCHAT svoy dyen razhDYEniya
Vasya will not celebrate his birthday.
When a perfective verb is negated in the past tense, it usually means that someone failed to do something (but was expected to):
Я тебе не позвонил, потому что у меня телефон разрядился.
ya tiBYE nye pazvaNEEL, pataMOO shta oo miNYA tiliFON razriDEELsya
I didn’t call you because my phone went out of charge.
Почему ты не рассказала мне об этом раньше?
pachiMOO ty ni raskaZAla mnye ab Etam RANshe
Why didn’t you tell me about it before?
With future reference, a negated perfective verb may mean a promise not to do something, or inability to do something:
Я не поверю, пока не увижу своими глазами.
ya ni paVYEryu, paKA ni ooVEEzhoo svaEEmi glaZAmi
I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.
Мы вас не подведём.
My vas ni padviDYOM
We won’t let you down.
Perfective verbs in Russian can refer to the past or the future, but never to the present. Perfective verbs contrast with imperfective in a number of ways:
If you believe you got it all, practice using Russian perfective verbs yourself! Or challenge yourself to choosing perfective or imperfective verbs in various contexts!
