The Prefix па- for a While

Doing Something for a While with Па-

Level 5Sounds Like prystaŭka pa- na nejkí čas

Па- can mean for a while: Давай пасядзім яшчэ. (Let's sit a little longer.)

How It Works

With verbs of activity, the prefix па- can mean for a little while. The new verb is perfective and treats a short stretch of the activity as one whole:

  • гуляць → пагуляць (take a short walk, play for a bit)
  • чытаць → пачытаць (read a little)
  • сядзець → пасядзець (sit for a while)
  • спаць → паспаць (have a nap)
  • думаць → падумаць (think it over for a bit)
  • стаяць → пастаяць (stand for a while)

A while, not the whole job. Я пачытаў means I read for a bit. It does not mean I finished the book. For finishing, use the ordinary perfective прачытаць or да-. Words like крыху, трохі, гадзіну or яшчэ often go with these verbs.

Future and suggestions. Because the verb is perfective, its present form means the future: Я пачытаю. (I'll read for a bit.) Do not add буду; see the perfective future. With давай it makes a friendly suggestion: Давай пасядзім яшчэ.

Other jobs of па-. For some verbs па- simply forms the ordinary aspect partner (будаваць → пабудаваць, снедаць → паснедаць). With motion verbs it means setting off (пайсці). The short-while meaning belongs to verbs of ongoing activity or position.

Examples (6)

  1. Давай пасядзім яшчэ.

    Let's sit a little longer.

    Word by Word: Let's sit-a-while more.

  2. Перад сном я крыху пачытаю.

    I will read a little before bed.

    Word by Word: Before sleep I a-little will-read.

  3. Дзеці пагулялі ў двары і вярнуліся дадому.

    The children played in the yard for a while and came back home.

    Word by Word: Children played-a-while in yard and returned home.

  4. Я паспаў гадзіну, і мне стала лепш.

    I slept for an hour and felt better.

    Word by Word: I slept-a-while hour, and to-me became better.

  5. Дай мне крыху падумаць.

    Let me think about it for a bit.

    Word by Word: Give me a-little to-think.

  6. Мы пастаялі на мосце і пайшлі далей.

    We stood on the bridge for a while and walked on.

    Word by Word: We stood-a-while on bridge and went further.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding буду to a perfective па- verb.

    Заўтра я буду пачытаць.
    Заўтра я пачытаю.

    Пачытаць is perfective, so its future is the simple form пачытаю. Буду only goes with imperfective infinitives: буду чытаць.

  • Using a short-while па- verb for a finished task.

    Я пачытаў кнігу да канца.
    Я прачытаў кнігу да канца.

    The intended meaning is I read the book to the end. Пачытаць means reading for a while, which clashes with да канца. Use прачытаць for the whole book.

How It Connects

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

The Prefix па- for a WhileLevel 5Doing Something for a While with Па-

Learn This First

Doing for a while needs prefixes.