Aspective Verbs explained - Russian Guide Part 17

Here I explain the two forms of every verb in Russian. This is probably the hardest thing in the whole language as there really aren't any rules. This is an introduction to the difference.

[@user-sv6bk4ri3y]

I am a Russian native. But I use this channel for learning English. Thank you.

[@Dennis_LearnGeek]

As a native, I never even realized that there are those different forms 😅. I guess memorizing is really the only way. Your Russian pronunciation is really good, by the way 👍

[@terraefilia]

So interesting to hear your accent while you are talking in Russian =) if you need any help you are welcome.

[@alesxemsky]

Actually there is logic for all of this but it's not that simple to explain in several minutes. And remember that Russians who actually know or at least feel/are used to this logic face the opposite difficulties with verbs and tenses in English.

[@languageswithtom2634]

I would love to hear some rules because I haven't seen any. There is logic to know if you should use the imperfective or the perfective form in a certain situation.
But I have never seen anything that can explain how the verbs change between forms.
For any given verb:
- Do I use a prefix? If so which prefix do I use and how do I know?
- Do I use a suffix? Which suffix do I use?
- Do I use an entirely different verb? How can I possibly work out this different verb without memorizing them all?

[@alesxemsky]

@@languageswithtom2634 ok, so I started replying your questions but quickly realised that my answer won't ever fit into any youtube comment format because it's too long. Let me just say that this approach (perfective/imperfective) is just not enough to express the whole idea of a verb in Russian. It's only one and not that significant side of it. This topic is much wider and complex. Remember that we in fact have all your tenses kinda built into those verbal forms.
But to simplify it.. you can just rely on the fact that most (let's say 90%) first-form verbs in Russian (I mean, initial forms, without prefixes) are imperfective and they express only general unfinished idea of some action. Есть, ехать, идти, брать, ждать, бегать, прыгать, etc. So in order to make them perfective almost every time you can use a prefix. Which one? It depends on you, on your goal, on what particular nuance you want to express. It can be по-, с-, на-, от-, в- and so on and so on. All the prefixes have their own slight difference in meaning also influenced by the idea of the verb itself, they can be applicable to it or not. But this is already another big topic (although connected).
And of course there are exceptions especially with frequently used verbs and obviously borrowed ones).
If you are really interested in deep diving or embracing this topic let me know, we can discuss it in detail somewhere. By the way I am a philologist and a native Russian of course.

[@languageswithtom2634]

@@alesxemsky The problem is that verb prefixes have way too many meanings and I haven't found any way to guess what the prefix means:
Видовать - to see,
Завидовать - to envy
Работать - To work,
Заработать - to earn
Идти - to go
Зайти - To enter
Говирить - to talk
Заговорить - to start talking
Полнить - to fill
Заполнить - to fill (complete)
Целовать - to kiss
зацеловать - to kiss many times
This prefix has like ten different meanings and most of the time you just have to memorise.
It's the equivalent of trying to understand the preposition "up" with phrasal verbs in English:
Cut up
Give up
Pick up
Type up
Live up to
Fire up
Yes there are descriptive rules for what this preposition could mean with a given verb but there are way too many options

[@alesxemsky]

@@languageswithtom2634 of course, i mean it's a language not a mathematical equation. Every single word, every little prefix has its own life, history, separate world really. That how it works in every language. If you want more strict rules and mathematical logic try studying Classical Arabic.
And you mentioned it correctly, it's rather similar to phrasal verbs in English. This is where you need to develop that language feeling, the more words with a certain prefix you know the easier it gets to feel its meaning in a new word or even create your own words because that what we actually sometimes do in Russian. By certain prefix in a certain word use you can even say what region a person came from - that's how accurate and complicated it gets.

[@alesxemsky]

@@languageswithtom2634 and my advice would be do not try and memorize all the meanings of these prefixes in advance, it's almost pointless. Just learn new words and as soon as you have the required critical mass of them in your head you will make your own discovery concerning their possible meanings and uses.