Difference between revisions of "Language/Polish/Grammar/Perfective-and-imperfective-verbs"
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There are two classes of verbs in Polish - perfective verbs for talking about actions that have already ended or will be finished, and imperfectives for actions that take place at a certain time. They very often form pairs. | There are two classes of verbs in Polish - perfective verbs for talking about actions that have already ended or will be finished, and imperfectives for actions that take place at a certain time. They very often form pairs. | ||
Perfective verbs don't have a present tense - if something is already done, you must use the past tense, and if it isn't, the future tense. This "future perfective" is identical in form to the present. Let us take the perfective and imperfective verbs for "to drink": | Perfective verbs don't have a present tense - if something is already done, you must use the past tense, and if it isn't, the future tense. This "future perfective" is identical in form to the present. Let us take the perfective and imperfective verbs for "to drink": | ||
* Kot pije mleko - "The cat is drinking milk" or "The cat is drinking milk now", pije is an imperfective verb | |||
* Kot wypije mleko - "The cat will drink (all) the milk", wypije is a perfective verb | |||
* Robię śniadanie (in '''present imperfective''' Polish). It could be translated as 'I do breakfast' or 'I'm doing breakfast'. The first translation is a present indicative and the second an imperfective periphrasis. We call it imperfective because the action is not finished (we have not yet finished preparing breakfast). But Polish has no imperfective periphrasis, which in English is Present continuous: I'm making breakfast. So in Polish to describe an action in the present tense we use the imperfective. | |||
* Zrobię śniadanie ('''perfective''' verb). I'll make breakfast. The change of state implies that the action is finished. The present form of a perfective verb is used to express the future. You have to take into account the fact that in Polish there are not many tenses like in other languages, so we play with the perfective or the imperfective. Perfectives are often used to express actions in the immediate future or in the recent past: | |||
** Zaraz zrobię śniadanie: I'll make breakfast right away. But in this case in English we can also use the present tense with a future meaning: I'm making breakfast right away. | |||
* Dopiero co zrobiłem śniadanie: ('''perfective past''') I just made breakfast. (in English a periphrasis of perfective aspect, because the action is finished). The perfective past is the Polish way of expressing what in English one expresses with a compound past or with a simple past. | |||
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➡ Example: Rzadko go widzę (I rarely see it) | |||
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And perfectives are often accompanied by adverbs (or expressions) such as: | And perfectives are often accompanied by adverbs (or expressions) such as: | ||
* zaraz (immediately) | * zaraz (immediately) | ||
* dopiero co (periphrase | * dopiero co (periphrase) | ||
* as soon as ( | * as soon as (right away) | ||
* już (already) | * już (already) | ||
* wreszcie (finally) | * wreszcie (finally) | ||
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➡ Example: I have finally read your article (Finalement j'ai terminé ton article) | |||
To summarize verbal tenses, an example with the verb robić: | To summarize verbal tenses, an example with the verb robić: | ||
* '''Imperfective:''' | |||
**Present -> robię | |||
**Past -> robiłem (-am) | |||
**Futur -> będę robił (-a) | |||
* '''Perfective:''' | |||
**Present -> (there is none) | |||
**Past -> zrobiłem (-am) | |||
**Futur -> zrobię | |||
* | |||
** | |||
** | |||
** | |||
== Example of perfective and imperfective verbs == | == Example of perfective and imperfective verbs == | ||
Revision as of 17:23, 30 December 2021
Polish Perfective and imperfective verbs
Hi Polish Learners! 😃
➡ In today's lesson we will learn How to use Polish Perfective and imperfective verbs in Polish.
Happy learning!
Rules
There are two classes of verbs in Polish - perfective verbs for talking about actions that have already ended or will be finished, and imperfectives for actions that take place at a certain time. They very often form pairs.
Perfective verbs don't have a present tense - if something is already done, you must use the past tense, and if it isn't, the future tense. This "future perfective" is identical in form to the present. Let us take the perfective and imperfective verbs for "to drink":
- Kot pije mleko - "The cat is drinking milk" or "The cat is drinking milk now", pije is an imperfective verb
- Kot wypije mleko - "The cat will drink (all) the milk", wypije is a perfective verb
- Robię śniadanie (in present imperfective Polish). It could be translated as 'I do breakfast' or 'I'm doing breakfast'. The first translation is a present indicative and the second an imperfective periphrasis. We call it imperfective because the action is not finished (we have not yet finished preparing breakfast). But Polish has no imperfective periphrasis, which in English is Present continuous: I'm making breakfast. So in Polish to describe an action in the present tense we use the imperfective.
- Zrobię śniadanie (perfective verb). I'll make breakfast. The change of state implies that the action is finished. The present form of a perfective verb is used to express the future. You have to take into account the fact that in Polish there are not many tenses like in other languages, so we play with the perfective or the imperfective. Perfectives are often used to express actions in the immediate future or in the recent past:
- Zaraz zrobię śniadanie: I'll make breakfast right away. But in this case in English we can also use the present tense with a future meaning: I'm making breakfast right away.
- Dopiero co zrobiłem śniadanie: (perfective past) I just made breakfast. (in English a periphrasis of perfective aspect, because the action is finished). The perfective past is the Polish way of expressing what in English one expresses with a compound past or with a simple past.
Imperfectives often refer to usual or continuous situations and normally they are accompanied by adverbs like:
- ciągle (constantly)
- czasami (sometimes)
- często (often)
- jeszcze (again)
- nigdy (never)
- rzadko (rarely)
- zawsze (always)
- zwykle (normally)
- etc.
➡ Example: Rzadko go widzę (I rarely see it)
And perfectives are often accompanied by adverbs (or expressions) such as:
- zaraz (immediately)
- dopiero co (periphrase)
- as soon as (right away)
- już (already)
- wreszcie (finally)
- etc.
➡ Example: I have finally read your article (Finalement j'ai terminé ton article)
To summarize verbal tenses, an example with the verb robić:
- Imperfective:
- Present -> robię
- Past -> robiłem (-am)
- Futur -> będę robił (-a)
- Perfective:
- Present -> (there is none)
- Past -> zrobiłem (-am)
- Futur -> zrobię
Example of perfective and imperfective verbs
| Perfectivity | Meaning | 3rd person singular | Infinitive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperfective | Drink | pije | pić |
| Perfective | wypije | wypić | |
| Imperfective | To eat | je | jeść |
| Perfective | zje | zjeść | |
| Imperfective | See | widzi | widzieć |
| Imperfective | Read | czyta | czytać |
| Perfective | przeczyta | przeczytać | |
| Imperfective | to write | pisze | pisać |
| Perfective | napisze | napisać | |
| Imperfective | To have | ma | mieć |
| Imperfective | Think | myśli | myśleć |
| Perfective | pomyśli | pomyśleć | |
| Imperfective | To drive | jedzie | jechać |
| Perfective | pojedzie | pojechać | |
| Imperfective | Do / Accomplish | robi | robić |
| Perfective | zrobi | zrobić | |
| Imperfective | Earn (money) | zarabia | zarabiać |
| Perfective | zarobi | zarobić |