почати / продовжувати / закінчити + Infinitive
Aspect After Phase Verbs
When you use verbs like почати (to start), продовжувати (to continue), or закінчити (to finish), the following action must be in the imperfective aspect.
How It Works
In Ukrainian, phase verbs (aspectual verbs) function as the first part of a compound predicate. They indicate a specific stage of an action:
- Start: почати, починати, стати
- Continue: продовжувати
- Stop/End: закінчити, закінчувати, припинити, припиняти, перестати, переставати, кинути
The Rule: The dependent verb must be an imperfective infinitive.
Even if you use a perfective phase verb like почав (started) or стати (to start) to show a completed beginning, the action being started is viewed as a process. Therefore, you cannot 'start' a completed result. For example, you can 'start reading' (process), but you cannot 'start having read' (result).
This is a strict syntactic rule in Ukrainian. Unlike modal verbs (like 'want' or 'can'), which allow both aspects, phase verbs never allow the perfective aspect for the following infinitive.
Examples (4)
- Він почав працювати над новим проєктом.
He started working on a new project.
Word by Word: He started to-work on new project.
The perfective phase verb 'почав' is followed by the imperfective infinitive 'працювати'.
- Ми продовжуємо шукати вихід із цієї ситуації.
We continue to look for a way out of this situation.
Word by Word: We continue to-look-for exit from this situation.
The verb 'продовжуємо' indicates an ongoing process, requiring the imperfective 'шукати'.
- Вона закінчила писати листа.
She finished writing the letter.
Word by Word: She finished to-write letter.
Even though the writing is finished, the act of writing itself is a process, so the imperfective 'писати' is used.
- Діти перестали гратися на вулиці.
The children stopped playing outside.
Word by Word: Children stopped to-play-self on street.
The phase verb 'перестали' (stopped) triggers the imperfective infinitive 'гратися'.
Common Mistakes
Using a perfective infinitive after a phase verb.
Я почав прочитати книжку.Я почав читати книжку.Learners often try to use the perfective 'прочитати' to show they intend to finish the book, but phase verbs like 'почати' strictly require the imperfective 'читати'.
Matching the aspect of the infinitive to the phase verb.
Він закінчив написати статтю.Він закінчив писати статтю.Just because 'закінчив' is perfective doesn't mean the following verb should be. The infinitive must remain imperfective to describe the activity that was ended.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use phase verbs, you need to understand how to form the infinitive and why the imperfective aspect is used to denote the ongoing activity being started, continued, or finished. You also need to be able to conjugate the phase verbs themselves.
Related Patterns
- Imperfective Aspect
This is the specific aspect required after all phase verbs.
Level 2 - Perfective Aspect
Phase verbs themselves are often perfective, creating a contrast with the required imperfective infinitive.
Level 2 - -тиInfinitive Ending -ти
The second verb in this construction always appears in its basic infinitive form.
Level 1 - стати / бути + InstrumentalInstrumental Predicate After Стати and Бути
The verb 'стати' can act as a phase verb (to start) or a copula (to become), which governs the instrumental case.
Level 3 - читати/прочитатиAspect Pair Читати/прочитати
Understanding aspect pairs is essential to choosing the correct (imperfective) form for this pattern.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice почати / продовжувати / закінчити + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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