Aspect Pairs With a Prefix

Level 2

Add a prefix to an imperfective verb and you often get its perfective partner: robiť → urobiť, čítať → prečítať, písať → napísať, variť → uvariť.

How It Works

Common pairs

  • u-: robiť → urobiť (do), variť → uvariť (cook), piecť → upiecť (bake)
  • pre-: čítať → prečítať (read)
  • na-: písať → napísať (write), kresliť → nakresliť (draw), učiť sa → naučiť sa (learn)
  • vy-: piť → vypiť (drink)
  • z-: jesť → zjesť (eat)
  • za-: platiť → zaplatiť (pay), volať → zavolať (call)

The imperfective verb describes the process or a habit, and the prefixed verb describes one finished action. See Imperfective and Perfective Aspect.

  • Mama práve varí polievku. (Mum is cooking soup right now.)
  • Mama uvarila polievku. (Mum has made the soup. It is ready.)

The prefixed verb keeps the same endings

A prefix does not change how the verb is conjugated: píšem → napíšem, jem → zjem, platím → zaplatím. The only difference is the meaning: napíšem is a future, see Perfective Verbs for the Future.

Other prefixes change the meaning

Only one prefix gives the plain partner of a verb. Other prefixes add a new meaning: napísať is simply to write, but prepísať means to rewrite or copy out, and podpísať means to sign. Those verbs form their own imperfective partners, see Verb Prefixes and Meaning and Imperfectives From Prefixed Verbs.

Tip: learn new verbs in pairs, like písať / napísať, just as they are listed in a dictionary.

Examples (6)

  1. Mama práve varí polievku.

    Mum is cooking soup right now.

    Imperfective variť: the cooking is in progress.

  2. Mama uvarila polievku, poďte jesť!

    Mum has made soup, come and eat!

    Perfective uvariť: the soup is finished and ready.

  3. Zjedol som celú pizzu.

    I ate the whole pizza.

    Word by Word: I-ate whole pizza.

    Perfective zjesť: nothing is left.

  4. Zaplatím kartou.

    I'll pay by card.

    Perfective zaplatiť in the present form means a single future action.

  5. Naučil som sa nové slovíčka.

    I've learned some new words.

    Perfective naučiť sa: the learning is done and the speaker now knows the words.

  6. Zavolaj mi, keď prídeš.

    Call me when you get there.

    Perfective zavolať for one call.

Common Mistakes

  • Choosing a prefix that changes the meaning. The intended meaning is simply "I wrote the letter".

    Prepísal som list.
    Napísal som list.

    The plain perfective partner of písať is napísať. Prepísať means to rewrite or copy out, so the sentence says something different. Learn each verb with its own partner prefix.

  • Using napiť instead of vypiť as the partner of piť.

    Napil som kávu.
    Vypil som kávu.

    The perfective partner of piť is vypiť (to drink up). Napiť sa is a different verb that needs sa and means to have a drink or a sip: Napil som sa vody.

How It Connects

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

Aspect Pairs With a PrefixLevel 2

Learn This First

Before Aspect Pairs With a Prefix, learn Imperfective and Perfective Aspect. A prefix often turns an imperfective verb into its perfective partner.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

u-pre-na-