When you first start learning Russian, one of the biggest challenges you will face is understanding verbs.

You will quickly notice that almost every action in Russian has two different verbs. For example, to say “to do”, you can use either делать or сделать.

Why do we need two verbs for one action?

In second language acquisition, this concept is called “verbal aspect.” Don’t let the grammar term scare you! As a language teacher, I always tell my students that Russian verb aspects simply tell us how an action happens. Is it an ongoing process, or is it a finished result?

Standard Russian grammar is identical from Moscow to Vladivostok, so once you master these rules, you will be understood everywhere in the Russian-speaking world.

Keep reading, and I will break down exactly how to master perfective and imperfective verbs in a way that is easy to understand.

What are imperfective and perfective verbs?

In English, we use different tenses to show how an action happens. We say “I was reading” (a process) or “I have read” (a completed action).

Russian doesn’t have dozens of tenses. Instead, we use two verb “aspects” to show the same thing:

• Imperfective verbs (НСВ): These are like a video. They focus on the process, a repeated habit, or an ongoing action. We don’t know (or care) if the action was finished.
• Perfective verbs (СВ): These are like a photograph. They focus on the final result, a completed action, or a single event that successfully finished.

When to use imperfective verbs

You should use the imperfective aspect when you want to focus on the process of doing something, rather than the result.

Here are the three main situations where you must use an imperfective verb:

1. Ongoing actions (processes)

If you are in the middle of doing something, use the imperfective verb.

2. Repeated actions or habits

If you do something every day, usually, often, or regularly, you always use the imperfective verb. Keywords like часто (often) or каждый день (every day) are huge clues.

3. Stating a fact

If you just want to say that an action happened, without caring about the result, use the imperfective.

When to use perfective verbs

Perfective verbs are all about the result. You use them when an action is fully complete and successful.

Here are the main situations where you must use a perfective verb:

1. Completed actions

If you started an action and successfully finished it, use the perfective verb.

2. One-time successful events

If an action happens once and has a clear result, you need the perfective aspect.

3. A sequence of completed actions

When you tell a story and list actions that happened one after another, use perfective verbs.

Common Russian verb pairs

Most Russian verbs come in pairs. You just have to memorize them together!

Usually, the perfective verb is formed by adding a prefix (like про-, с-, or на-) to the imperfective verb. Sometimes, the verb changes slightly in the middle, and in a few cases, the two verbs look completely different.

Here is a table of the most common verb pairs you should learn first:

How aspects affect tenses

This is a very important rule that will make your Russian grammar much easier: perfective verbs do not have a present tense.

Think about it! If an action is happening right now, it is an ongoing process. Therefore, it is impossible for it to be a completed result.

Here is how tenses work with verb aspects:

Imperfective verbs have three tenses:

• Past (I was reading / I used to read)
• Present (I am reading / I read)
• Future (I will be reading)

Perfective verbs only have two tenses:

• Past (I read it completely / I have read it)
• Future (I will read it completely)

So, if you are talking about something you are doing right this very second, you will always use the imperfective verb!

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Learning Russian verb aspects takes a bit of practice, but it completely changes how well you can speak the language.

Remember: if you are focusing on the process, repetition, or habit, use the imperfective verb. If you are focusing on a finished result or a one-time completed action, use the perfective verb.