Participles Formed Only From Imperfectives
The -щ and -йки participles come only from imperfective verbs: четящ and четейки from чета, but nothing like that from прочета.
How It Works
1. Which forms are limited. Two non-finite forms exist only for imperfective verbs:
- the present active participle in -щ: четящ (reading), пишещ (writing), работещ (working);
- the adverbial participle in -йки: четейки (while reading), пишейки (while writing).
Perfective verbs such as прочета, напиша and купя have no forms like these. Words such as прочетящ or напишейки do not exist.
2. Why. Both forms show an action as ongoing at the same time as something else. A perfective verb presents a whole, finished event, so it does not fit. See perfective and imperfective aspect.
3. What to use instead.
- A secondary imperfective, which keeps the prefix but is imperfective again: прочитам → прочитащ, прочитайки; купувам → купуващ, купувайки.
- A full clause: След като прочете писмото, тя се усмихна. (After she read the letter, she smiled.)
- A past participle, which exists for both aspects: прочетен (read, passive), прочел (having read).
4. A related limit. Verbal nouns in -не follow the same rule: четене comes from чета, but there is none from прочета. See verbal nouns in -не.
Examples (5)
- Четейки писмото, тя се усмихваше.
While reading the letter, she was smiling.
- Всички работещи студенти получават отстъпка.
All working students get a discount.
- Хората, влизащи в сградата, показват пропуск.
People entering the building show a pass.
Влизащ comes from imperfective влизам; perfective вляза has no such form.
- Прочитайки договора внимателно, открих грешка.
Reading through the contract carefully, I found a mistake.
The secondary imperfective прочитам supplies the -йки form that прочета lacks.
- След като прочете писмото, тя се усмихна.
After she read the letter, she smiled.
A clause with a perfective verb expresses an action completed before another one.
Common Mistakes
Forming an adverbial participle from a perfective verb.
Прочетейки писмото, тя се усмихна.След като прочете писмото, тя се усмихна.Прочета is perfective, so it has no -йки form. Use четейки for "while reading" or a след като clause for "after reading".
Using the perfective partner instead of the imperfective one.
Отговорейки на въпроса, той се изчерви.Отговаряйки на въпроса, той се изчерви.Отговоря is perfective. Its imperfective partner отговарям gives the adverbial participle отговаряйки.
Forming a present active participle from a perfective verb.
Купящите клиенти получават подарък.Купуващите клиенти получават подарък.Купя is perfective and has no -щ participle. Use the imperfective купувам: купуващ.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The restriction applies to both participles.
- Present Active Participle in -щThe Present Active Participle
It restricts present active participles.
Level 4 - Adverbial Participle in -йкиThe Adverbial Participle
It restricts adverbial participles.
Level 4 - Secondary Imperfectives
Secondary imperfectives keep a prefix's meaning while permitting -щ and -йки forms.
Level 4 - след катоAfter Clauses
След като gives a full clause for an action finished before another one.
Level 3
Related Patterns
Practice Participles Formed Only From Imperfectives in Bubblegum
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