Secondary Imperfectives

Level 4Sounds Like vtorični nesvʺršeni glagoli

пиша (write) → препиша (copy out, perfective) → преписвам (copy out, imperfective). The prefix changes the meaning, and the suffix brings back the imperfective.

How It Works

1. Three steps.

  • пиша → подпиша (sign, perfective) → подписвам (sign, imperfective)
  • чета → прочета (read through) → прочитам
  • пия → изпия (drink up) → изпивам

The middle step is covered in aspect pairs formed with a prefix; this entry is about the third.

2. Common suffix types.

  • -вам: препиша → преписвам, разкажа → разказвам, изпия → изпивам
  • -ам/-ям with о → а: отворя → отварям, затворя → затварям, отговоря → отговарям
  • -ам/-ям with a consonant change: изпратя → изпращам (т → щ), преведа → превеждам (д → жд)
  • е → и or е → а: прочета → прочитам, донеса → донасям
  • -явам: поздравя → поздравявам, появя се → появявам се

The pattern is not fully predictable, so learn each pair from the dictionary, which lists both partners.

3. When to use the secondary imperfective.

  • Repeated completed actions: Той изпива по три кафета на ден.
  • An action in progress: Сега преписвам текста.
  • Habits and schedules: Магазинът отваря в девет часа.
  • Negative commands, which prefer the imperfective: Не отваряй вратата! (see aspect in commands)

4. Compare the plain imperfective. Всяка вечер чета means "I read every evening" (the activity). Всяка вечер прочитам една глава means "every evening I read one chapter through" (a completed unit, repeated).

For the general idea of aspect, see perfective and imperfective aspect.

Examples (6)

  1. Всяка сутрин прочитам новините, преди да изляза.

    Every morning I read through the news before I go out.

    A completed action repeated every morning.

  2. Сега преписвам текста в тетрадката.

    I am copying the text into my notebook now.

  3. Той изпива по три кафета на ден.

    He drinks three coffees a day.

  4. Директорът подписва документите всеки петък.

    The director signs the documents every Friday.

  5. Магазинът отваря в девет часа.

    The shop opens at nine o'clock.

    отваря is the secondary imperfective of отворя, with о → а.

  6. Разказвам ти това, защото ти вярвам.

    I am telling you this because I trust you.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the perfective for a repeated action in the present.

    Всеки ден прочета вестника.
    Всеки ден прочитам вестника.

    A perfective present cannot stand alone as a main verb. For a repeated completed action, use the secondary imperfective.

  • Forgetting the vowel change о → а.

    Магазинът отворя в девет.
    Магазинът отваря в девет.

    The imperfective partner of отворя is отварям, with а in the root.

  • Adding -вам where the pair uses a consonant change.

    Сега изпращвам писмото.
    Сега изпращам писмото.

    изпратя pairs with изпращам (т → щ), not with a -вам form.

How It Connects

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

Secondary ImperfectivesLevel 4

Learn This First

Secondary imperfectives combine prefix and suffix pairs.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.