po- / za- (For a While)

Doing Something for a While

Level 5

sedieť → posedieť si (sit for a while), spať → pospať si (have a nap), ležať → poležať si (lie for a while), spievať → zaspievať si (sing a bit), hrať → zahrať si (have a game), behať → zabehať si (go for a run).

How It Works

Po-: for a while. Many activity verbs take po- to mean doing them for a limited time, often with si:

  • posedieť si: to sit for a while: Posedeli sme si pri káve.
  • pospať si, podriemať si: to have a nap
  • poležať si: to lie around for a while
  • porozprávať sa: to have a chat

Za- + si: a little, for fun. Za- with si adds a short bit of an activity done for pleasure:

  • zaspievať si: to sing a little
  • zatancovať si: to have a dance
  • zahrať si: to have a game: Zahráme si karty?
  • zabehať si, zaplávať si, zacvičiť si: to go for a run, a swim, a workout

Perfective, so no budem. These verbs are perfective: Po obede si pospím. (After lunch I will have a nap.) Compare the other prefix patterns na- / vy- + sa (doing something enough) and distributive po- (doing something to many things).

False friends. Zaspať does not mean to sleep for a while: it means to fall asleep or to oversleep. For a nap, say pospať si. Similarly, zaspievať without si is often just the perfective of spievať: zaspievať pieseň (to sing a song).

Examples (6)

  1. Posedeli sme si pri káve a porozprávali sa.

    We sat for a while over coffee and had a chat.

    Word by Word: We-sat-a-while self at coffee and chatted self.

  2. Po obede si trochu pospím.

    After lunch I will have a little nap.

    Word by Word: After lunch self a-little I-will-nap.

  3. V nedeľu si rád dlhšie poležím.

    On Sundays I like to lie in a bit longer.

    Word by Word: On Sunday self gladly longer I-lie-a-while.

  4. Zaspievajme si niečo veselé!

    Let’s sing something cheerful!

    Word by Word: Let-us-sing self something cheerful!

  5. Zahráme si večer karty?

    Shall we play a game of cards this evening?

    Word by Word: We-will-play self evening cards?

  6. Ráno si idem zabehať do parku.

    In the morning I am going for a run in the park.

    Word by Word: Morning self I-go run-a-bit to park.

Common Mistakes

  • Using zaspať to mean having a nap.

    Som unavený, idem si zaspať.
    Som unavený, idem si pospať.

    Zaspať means to fall asleep or to oversleep. A short sleep is pospať si.

  • Using budem with these perfective verbs.

    Večer si budem posedieť s priateľmi.
    Večer si posedím s priateľmi.

    Posedieť si is perfective, so its future is simply posedím si.

How It Connects

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

po- / za- (For a While)Level 5Doing Something for a While

Learn This First

Before Doing Something for a While, learn Verb Prefixes and Meaning. po- and za- add a meaning of a short time.

Words in This Pattern

po-za-