The Prefix да- for Finishing

Finishing with Да-

Level 5Sounds Like prystaŭka da

Да- can mean finish: Дай мне дачытаць кнігу. (Let me finish reading the book.)

How It Works

The prefix да- is related to the preposition да (up to). On a verb it can mean finish the rest of something that was already under way:

  • чытаць → дачытаць (finish reading)
  • піць → дапіць (finish drinking)
  • рабіць → дарабіць (finish doing)
  • пісаць → дапісаць (finish writing)
  • гаварыць → дагаварыць (finish speaking)

Up to a point. With да + genitive the verb says how far the action got: Я дачытаў толькі да трэцяга раздзела. (I only read as far as the third chapter.)

Aspect. Да- verbs are perfective. For habits or an ongoing process, use the secondary imperfective: дачытваць, дапісваць, дапіваць, дарабляць. Я заўсёды дачытваю кнігі. (I always finish books.)

Да- or скончыць. A да- verb already says finish. With скончыць (to finish), use a plain imperfective infinitive instead: скончыў чытаць. See aspect after begin and finish.

Reaching. With motion verbs, да- means reaching a place: see дайсці.

Examples (6)

  1. Дай мне дачытаць кнігу.

    Let me finish reading the book.

    Word by Word: Give me to-finish-reading book.

  2. Дапі каву, і пойдзем.

    Finish your coffee and let's go.

    Word by Word: Finish-drinking coffee, and we-will-go.

  3. Мне засталося дапісаць толькі адзін абзац.

    I only have one paragraph left to finish writing.

    Word by Word: To-me remained to-finish-writing only one paragraph.

  4. Не перабівай, дай мне дагаварыць!

    Don't interrupt, let me finish speaking!

    Word by Word: Not interrupt, give me to-finish-speaking!

  5. Я дачытаў толькі да трэцяга раздзела.

    I only read as far as the third chapter.

    Word by Word: I read-up only to third chapter.

  6. Яна дарабіла працу позна ўначы.

    She finished the work late at night.

    Word by Word: She finished-doing work late at-night.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting a да- verb after скончыць.

    Я скончыў дачытаць кнігу.
    Я дачытаў кнігу.

    Скончыць takes an imperfective infinitive, and дачытаць already means finish reading. Say дачытаў, or скончыў чытаць.

  • Using the perfective for a habit.

    Я заўсёды дачытаю кнігі да канца.
    Я заўсёды дачытваю кнігі да канца.

    The intended meaning is a habit: I always finish books. A habit needs the imperfective дачытваю. With the perfective, Я заўсёды дачытаю sounds like a promise that you will always manage to finish.

How It Connects

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

The Prefix да- for FinishingLevel 5Finishing with Да-

Learn This First

Finishing with да- needs prefixes and finish.

Words in This Pattern

да-