пачынаць / канчаць + Imperfective
Aspect After Begin and Finish
Я пачаў чытаць. (I started reading.) After a verb of beginning or ending, use an imperfective infinitive, never пачаў прачытаць.
How It Works
A perfective verb names a finished result, and a result cannot start, continue or stop halfway. That is why these verbs combine only with an imperfective infinitive:
- пачынаць / пачаць (begin): пачну, пачнеш; past пачаў, пачала. Я пачаў вывучаць беларускую мову.
- працягваць (continue): Ён працягвае вучыцца. (He keeps studying.)
- канчаць / скончыць (finish): скончу, скончыш; past скончыў, скончыла. Яна скончыла працаваць а шостай.
- пераставаць / перастаць (stop) and кідаць / кінуць (quit a habit): Ён кінуў паліць. (He quit smoking.)
The phase verb chooses its own aspect as usual. A daily habit takes the imperfective: Я пачынаю працаваць а восьмай. (I start work at eight.) One occasion takes the perfective: Сёння я пачаў працаваць а сёмай. The infinitive after it stays imperfective in both.
With a noun instead of an infinitive, the verb takes an ordinary object: пачаць урок (to begin the lesson), скончыць працу (to finish the work). When the event itself starts or ends, add -ся (uses of -ся): Урок пачынаецца а дзявятай. (The lesson starts at nine.) Фільм скончыўся. (The film has ended.)
Examples (6)
- Я пачаў вывучаць беларускую мову ў мінулым годзе.
I started learning Belarusian last year.
Word by Word: I began to-study Belarusian language in last year.
- Яна скончыла працаваць а шостай.
She finished working at six.
Word by Word: She finished to-work at sixth.
- Ён працягвае вучыцца ва ўніверсітэце.
He is still studying at university.
Word by Word: He continues to-study at university.
- Мой дзед кінуў паліць дзесяць гадоў таму.
My grandfather quit smoking ten years ago.
Word by Word: My grandfather threw to-smoke ten years ago.
- Перастань крычаць!
Stop shouting!
Word by Word: Stop to-shout!
The command is perfective, but крычаць stays imperfective.
- Урок пачынаецца а дзявятай.
The lesson starts at nine.
Word by Word: Lesson begins-itself at ninth.
The lesson itself begins, so the verb takes -ся.
Common Mistakes
Putting a perfective infinitive after пачаць.
Я пачаў прачытаць кнігу.Я пачаў чытаць кнігу.Starting describes a process, so the infinitive must be imperfective: чытаць.
Using a perfective infinitive after скончыць.
Ён скончыў зрабіць урокі.Ён скончыў рабіць урокі.Finishing is also about a process: скончыць рабіць. To say the homework is done, use зрабіць alone: Ён зрабіў урокі.
Leaving out -ся when the event itself starts.
Урок пачынае а дзявятай.Урок пачынаецца а дзявятай.Пачынаць needs an object or an infinitive. When the subject is the thing that starts, use пачынацца.
How It Connects
Learn This First
This rule needs the imperfective.
Related Patterns
- Verb Aspect
The difference between the two aspects that this rule depends on.
Level 2 - Aspect Pairs with Suffixes or Different Stems
Пачынаць / пачаць is one of the suffix and stem pairs.
Level 3 - The Infinitive
The infinitive forms that follow these verbs.
Level 1 - Meanings of -ся
Why the event itself takes -ся: урок пачынаецца.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice пачынаць / канчаць + Imperfective in Bubblegum
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