- Define and explain Aspect Pairs in your own words
- Use key terms such as вид (vid) — aspect accurately
- Apply what you have learned to new examples and questions
- Avoid the common mistakes learners make with this topic
This lesson focuses on Aspect Pairs: choose between imperfective and perfective with pairs like делать (délat' — to do) and сделать (sdélat' — to have done).
Choose between imperfective and perfective with pairs like делать (délat' — to do) and сделать (sdélat' — to have done).
Key ideas
Choosing aspect
Use the imperfective for processes, habits and repeated actions: Я читал книгу вчера (ya chitál knígu vcherá — I was reading the book yesterday). Use the perfective for single completed results: Я прочитал книгу (ya prochitál knígu — I have finished the book). After уже (uzhé — already) the perfective is almost always right: Я уже сделал домашнее задание (ya uzhé sdélal domáshneye zadániye — I have already done my homework).
Unidirectional versus multidirectional
Идти (idtí) and ехать (yékhat') describe a single journey in one direction happening now; ходить (khodít') and ездить (yézdit') describe going and returning, habitual trips, or movement with no fixed direction. Prefixes then add direction and completion: прийти (priytí — to arrive on foot), уйти (uytí — to leave on foot), приехать (priyékhat' — to arrive by transport), уехать (uyékhat' — to leave by transport). Note that prefixed motion verbs become perfective.
Key term — вид (vid) — aspect: Every Russian verb is imperfective (несовершенный вид — ongoing or repeated action) or perfective (совершенный вид — completed action): делать (délat' — to do, imperfective) versus сделать (sdélat' — to do, perfective).
Choose: Я (читал / прочитал) книгу вчера вечером и закончил её.
Я прочитал книгу вчера вечером (ya prochitál knígu vcherá vécherom — I finished reading the book yesterday evening).
Answer: Я прочитал книгу вчера вечером (ya prochitál knígu vcherá vécherom — I finished reading the book yesterday evening).
- Using the imperfective after уже Уже (uzhé — already) signals completion: Я уже прочитал (ya uzhé prochitál — I have already read), not Я уже читал (which suggests 'I used to read').
- Treating прийти as imperfective Прийти (priytí — to arrive on foot) is perfective: Я приду завтра (ya pridú závtra — I will come tomorrow) is future, not present. Its imperfective partner is приходить (prikhodít').
Practice
Я иду в школу сейчас (ya idú f shkólu seychás — I am going to school right now).
Они ездят в Москву на поезде каждое лето (oní yézdyat f Moskvú na póyezde kázhdoye léto — they go to Moscow by train every summer).
Приехать (priyékhat' — to arrive by transport).
Читающий (chitáyushchiy — reading, who is reading).
Quick check
Which of these best defines "вид (vid) — aspect"?
Translate 'While reading, she drank tea' using a gerund.
- Aspect Pairs: choose between imperfective and perfective with pairs like делать (délat' — to do) and сделать (sdélat' — to have done).
- Choosing aspect: Use the imperfective for processes, habits and repeated actions: Я читал книгу вчера (ya chitál knígu vcherá — I was reading the book yesterday).
- идти (idtí) / ходить (khodít') — to go (on foot): A motion pair: идти is one journey in one direction — Я иду в школу (ya idú f shkólu — I am going to school); ходить is repeated or multidirectional — Я хожу в школу каждый день (ya khozhú f shkólu kázhdyy den' — I go to school every day).
- Watch out for: using the imperfective after уже