Historical Present

Level 6Sounds Like gístaryčny câperašní

Іду я ўчора па вуліцы… So yesterday I'm walking down the street… The present tense makes a past event feel as if it is happening now.

How It Works

When people tell a story, they often switch from the past to the present tense to make the listener feel present at the scene. English does the same: So yesterday I'm walking down the street, and suddenly I see Ales.

  • Іду я ўчора па вуліцы і раптам бачу Алеся.
  • Прыходжу дадому, а дзверы адчыненыя. I come home, and the door is open.

Time words keep it clear. Words such as учора, тады, неяк раз, летам show that the events are past, even though the verbs are present.

Use imperfective verbs. The present tense exists only for imperfective verbs. A perfective form like прыйдзе or убачыць is future, not present. So a story in the historical present says ён прыходзіць і кажа, not ён прыйдзе і скажа. Perfective forms appear in past stories only in special patterns, such as a sudden action with як (А ён як закрычыць!) or a repeated habit after бывала.

Word order. In colloquial stories the verb often comes first: Іду я…, Сядзім мы… This inverted order is a typical signal that a story is starting.

In writing. Headlines, timelines and history books also use it: 1517 год. Францыск Скарына выдае ў Празе Псалтыр. Do not confuse this with the present used for planned future events, where the time word points forward: Заўтра я еду ў Мінск.

Examples (5)

  1. Іду я ўчора па вуліцы і раптам бачу Алеся.

    So yesterday I'm walking down the street and suddenly I see Ales.

    Word by Word: Walk I yesterday along street and suddenly see Ales.

  2. Прыходжу дадому, а дзверы адчыненыя.

    I come home, and the door is open.

    Word by Word: I-come home, and door open.

  3. Учора яна тэлефануе мне і кажа: «Я выходжу замуж!»

    Yesterday she calls me and says, "I'm getting married!"

    Word by Word: Yesterday she calls me and says: "I go-out married!"

  4. Сядзім мы вечарам ля вогнішча, і тут хтосьці стукае ў акно.

    We're sitting by the fire in the evening, and then someone knocks on the window.

    Word by Word: Sit we evening-INSTR by fire, and here someone knocks on window.

  5. 1517 год. Францыск Скарына выдае ў Празе Псалтыр.

    The year 1517. Francysk Skaryna publishes the Psalter in Prague.

    Word by Word: 1517 year. Francysk Skaryna publishes in Prague Psalter.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a perfective form as if it were present.

    Учора ён прыйдзе да мяне і скажа…
    Учора ён прыходзіць да мяне і кажа…

    Perfective verbs have no present tense: прыйдзе and скажа are future forms and clash with учора. Use the imperfective present: прыходзіць, кажа.

  • Mixing the historical present with a future time word.

    Заўтра іду я па вуліцы і бачу Алеся (meaning yesterday).
    Учора іду я па вуліцы і бачу Алеся.

    The intended meaning is a past event. With заўтра, the present tense is read as a planned future. Use a past time word to set the scene.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Historical PresentLevel 6

Learn This First

The historical present needs the imperfective.