The Verb (Tenses)
Introduction
In Russian there are three tenses
known as present, past and future. In Russian there is only one present tense. No
further classification within this tense. Simple Present, Present Continuous,
Present Perfect, and Present Perfect Continuous of English is
encompassed in the only present tense in Russian. Hence while translating a
Russian sentences of present tense into English, that can be rendered either in
the simple present or present continuous etc.
Максим живёт
общежитии.
Maxim lives in the hostel
OR
Maxim is living in the hostel.
Note:
In Russian one tense may occasionally be used with the meaning of another. The
present tense may be used to mean the future or the past; the simple future
tense may be used to mean the present or the past; the past tense of perfective
verbs is (rarely) used to mean the future.
Present tense
In Russian only imperfective verb
is used in the present tense.
Что вы делаете
сейчас?
What are you doing now?
Я читаю газету
и слушаю
музыку.
I am
reading newspaper and listening to music.
Что делает Нина?
What is Nina
doing?
Она пишет
письмо.
She is writing a letter.
Что делают сейчас студенты?
What are the students doing now?
Они
готовят домашнее
задание.
They are doing homework.
Кто Андрей лелает?
What is
Andrei doing?
Он работает на заводе.
He works
in a factory.
Note: The Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous generally denote the Russian Past tense.
He has done the work.
Он сделал это.
She has been dancing the whole
evening.
Она танцевала весь вечер.
Please note that the Perfective
verbs are not used in present tense form. The perfective verbs conjugated in
the present tense form convey the meaning of Future Tense:
Он
прочитает
этот рассказ
к вчеру.
He will read (complete)
the story by the evening.
Она напишет письмо.
She will write a letter.
Past Tense
Both
the Imperfective and Perfective verbs are used in the past tense.
The Imperfective verb is used in
the following situations:
1 Just
to name an action of past
Утром Джон читал газету
John read news paper in the
morning.
Что
вы делали
сегодня на
уроке?
What did you do in the class
today?
Сегодня
на уроке мы
читали,
отвечали на
вопросы,
повторяли
глаголы,
рассказывали
диалог,
писали
диктант.
Today in the class we read,
answered the questions, repeated the verbs, practiced
the dialogue and wrote dictation.
2 To
convey an action that had been in progress in the past.
Весь
вечер Винот
читал роман.
Vinod has been reading the novel through out the evening.
3. To convey a repeated action in the past.
Обычно
Винот читал каждый
вечер.
Vinod used to read every evening.
4. To
indicate two parallel actions in the past.
Винот читал
и думал.
Vinod was reading and thinking.
5. To indicate a habitual action.
Максим всегда отвечал аккуратно.
Maxim used to reply accurately.
6. To indicate an action of quality.
Нина
пела хорошо.
Hina sang well.
The Perfective verb is used in
the following situations:
1 To
indicate a completed action
Наташа уже готовила обед.
Natasha has already completed
(cooking) dinner.
Что
ты делал вчера
вечером?
What did you do yesterday evening?
Вчера
вечером я написал
два письма
домой.
I wrote (completed) two letters
yesterday evening?
2 To
indicate a unique action.
Обычно
джон читает
газету вечером
утром, но
сегодня он
прочитал
газету утром.
Usually John reads news paper in
the evening, but today he read in the morning.
3 To
indicate two actions taken place one after the another.
Зима
написала
письмо и
легла спать
After writing the letter Zeema went to bed.
Future Tense
Both
the imperfective and perfective verbs are used in the future tense.
Imperfective
verb is used along with verb быть
to name an
action in the future.
Я буду
читать этот
роман потом.
I will
read the novel later.
Что
ты будешь
делать звтра?
What will you be
doing tomorrow?
Завтра
я буду
отдыхать
дома.
I will be taking rest at home?
Что
вы будете
делать в
воскресенье?
What will you do on Sunday?
В
воскресенье я буду
отдыхать,
писать
письма домой,
читать
газеты,
смотреть
телевизор.
Sunday I will take rest, write
letter home, read news paper, and see television.
Please
note that in case two verbs are used together only one verb will be conjugated.
Note: Perfective verb cannot be used after a
imperfective in the future tense.
Я буду прочитать этот
роман потом.
Perfective
verb is used (alone) to denote actions which will be completed in the future.
Что ты будешь делать завтра
What will you be
doing tomorrow?
Завтра
я прочитаю
этот роман.
Tomorrow I will complete (reading)
the novel.
Note: We can also say:
Завтра
я буду читать
этот роман.
(Here, the speaker is not sure
about the completion of the action, whereas the other sentence implies the
possibility of completion of the action)
Завтра
я прочитаю
этот роман и
пойду гулять.
After
completing (reading) the novel I will go for a walk?
Note: Both the imperfective as
well as perfective verbs can be used in
many situations. The difference in meaning depends on the
situations and attitude of speaker.
Read the following sentences carefully.
Зима читает журнал.
Zeema is reading a
magazine.
Джон
будет читать
этот роман
потом.
John
will read this novel later.
Мама будет
готовить обед.
Mom
will prepare the dinner.
Джон прочитает
этот роман к вечеру.
John
will read this novel by the evening.
Максим
играл на гитаре
и пел.
Maxim
played on the guitar and sang.
Винот закончил
институт и поступил
в университет.
After
completing the institute Vinod joined the university.
Нина поёт хорошо
Nina
sings well
Сона и Сунил
будут идти в
школу.
Sona and Sunil will
be going to school
Сегодня
Мама
приготовит
обед вечером.
Mom
will prepare dinner today evening.
Зима пела на концерте.
Zeema sang at the
concert.
Антон не
говорит по-хинди
Anton
does not speak Hindi.
Обычно
Максим пьёт
кофе. Но,
сегодня он
выпил чай.
Usually
Maxim drinks coffee. But, today he drank tea.
Джим
плавает
хорошо
Jim swims well.
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