Verb Aspect

Level 2Sounds Like tryvanne dzeâslova

Most actions have two verbs: чытаць (to read, be reading) and прачытаць (to read through, finish reading). Choosing between them is called aspect.

How It Works

Almost every Belarusian verb is either imperfective or perfective, and most come in pairs with the same basic meaning. Here is one pair across the tenses:

  • чытаць (imperfective): past чытаў, present чытаю, future буду чытаць
  • прачытаць (perfective): past прачытаў, no present, future прачытаю

The perfective has no present. When you put present-tense endings on a perfective verb, the meaning is future: прачытаю means I will read it through. See the perfective future. The imperfective makes its future with буду: буду with an infinitive.

A quick test. Ask yourself what you want to show:

  • a process, a habit, a repeated action or just the fact that it happened: imperfective (Я чытаў кнігу. I was reading a book.)
  • one action that is finished or will be finished, with a result: perfective (Я прачытаў кнігу. I finished the book.)

How pairs are made. Many perfectives add a prefix: aspect pairs with a prefix. Others change a suffix or use a different stem, as in купляць, купіць (buy) and гаварыць, сказаць (say): pairs with suffixes or different stems. A dictionary lists the partner of each verb, so learn the two together.

A few verbs have only one aspect, such as залежаць (to depend), which is only imperfective. Some verbs serve as both: verbs with both aspects.

Each aspect has its own page: the imperfective and the perfective.

Examples (6)

  1. Я чытаў кнігу.

    I was reading a book.

    Word by Word: I read book.

    Imperfective: the reading is a process, and we do not know if it was finished.

  2. Я прачытаў кнігу.

    I finished reading the book.

    Word by Word: I read-through book.

    Perfective: the whole book is done.

  3. Што ты робіш? — Я раблю ўрокі.

    What are you doing? — I'm doing my homework.

    Word by Word: What you do? — I do lessons.

  4. Я ўжо зрабіў урокі.

    I have already done my homework.

    Word by Word: I already did lessons.

  5. Кожны дзень я пішу лісты.

    I write letters every day.

    Word by Word: Every day I write letters.

  6. Заўтра я напішу ліст.

    Tomorrow I will write the letter.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow I will-write letter.

    Напішу looks like a present form, but a perfective verb gives a future meaning.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a perfective verb for a habit.

    Кожны дзень я прачытаю газету.
    Кожны дзень я чытаю газету.

    A daily habit needs the imperfective. Прачытаю is perfective and means I will read it through.

  • Using a perfective verb for something happening right now.

    Зараз я зраблю ўрокі.
    Зараз я раблю ўрокі.

    If you mean I am doing my homework now, use the imperfective раблю. Зраблю means I will get it done.

How It Connects

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

Verb AspectLevel 2

Learn This First

Aspect follows the past tense.