začať / prestať + Imperfective Infinitive

Starting and Stopping

Level 3

Put an imperfective infinitive after začať (to begin) or prestať (to stop): Začalo pršať (It started raining), Prestal fajčiť (He stopped smoking).

How It Works

The pattern. Začať (začnem, začneš, začnú; začal) and prestať (prestanem, prestaneš, prestanú; prestal) take an infinitive:

  • Začalo pršať. It started raining. (See sentences without a subject.)
  • Prestal fajčiť. He stopped smoking.
  • Kedy začneš pracovať? When will you start working?

Always imperfective. The infinitive names an activity that goes on, so it must be imperfective: začať písať, prestať plakať, začať sa učiť. A perfective infinitive such as napísať describes a finished result, and a result cannot start or stop.

The verbs' own aspect. Začať and prestať are perfective, so začnem means I will start. Their imperfective partners describe a process or a habit: Začína pršať. (It's starting to rain.) Film začína o ôsmej. (The film starts at eight.)

With a noun. Začať can take a direct object: Začal som nový kurz. Prestať cannot; use s and the instrumental: prestať s fajčením.

Stopping a movement. For a vehicle or a person that stops moving, use zastaviť or zastaviť sa, not prestať: Autobus zastavil pri škole.

Examples (6)

  1. Začalo pršať.

    It started raining.

    Word by Word: Started(neut) to-rain.

  2. Prestal fajčiť.

    He stopped smoking.

    Word by Word: He-stopped to-smoke.

  3. Začala som sa učiť po slovensky.

    I've started learning Slovak.

    Word by Word: I-started(f) (I-am) self to-learn Slovak-ly.

    Sa belongs to učiť sa but moves up into second position.

  4. Prestaň plakať, všetko bude dobré.

    Stop crying, everything will be fine.

    Word by Word: Stop to-cry, everything will-be good.

  5. Kedy začneš pracovať?

    When will you start working?

    Word by Word: When you-will-start to-work?

    Začneš is perfective, so it refers to the future.

  6. Deti sa začali smiať.

    The children started laughing.

    Word by Word: Children self started to-laugh.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a perfective infinitive.

    Začal som napísať list.
    Začal som písať list.

    You start an activity that goes on, so the infinitive must be imperfective: písať, not napísať.

  • Using prestať for stopping a movement.

    Autobus prestal pri škole.
    Autobus zastavil pri škole.

    Prestať means to stop doing an activity. When a vehicle or a person stops moving, use zastaviť or zastaviť sa.

  • Giving prestať a direct object.

    Prestal fajčenie.
    Prestal fajčiť.

    Prestať does not take a direct object. Use an infinitive, or s with the instrumental: prestal s fajčením.

How It Connects

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

začať / prestať + Imperfective InfinitiveLevel 3Starting and Stopping

Learn This First

Before Starting and Stopping, learn Imperfective and Perfective Aspect. začať and prestať combine only with imperfective infinitives.

Words in This Pattern

začaťprestať