Even More Perfective and Imperfective Goodness

Jan

2009

Yes, I am still enjoying myself in Antigua and Barbuda. But I couldn’t just go away and leave you without a new post.
So, I thought we might as well continue with the perfective and imperfective stuff. It’s always a pain to learn, and I’m pretty sure we could keep talking about for the next 10 weeks and not get bored.

Remember how I mentioned once before that some Polish verbs turn from imperfective into perfective through the use of prefixes? I read somewhere that there are about 18 of those prefixes, but fortunately for us, these eight are the most common:

na-
z-
za-
po-
u-
o-
prze-
wy-

And I know you’re just itching to see them in action. So, here they come, just a few examples:

czytać (imperfective) – przeczytać (perfective) – to read
golić (imperfective) – ogolić (perfective) – to shave
słyszeć (imperfective) – usłyszeć (perfective) – to hear
pisać (imperfective) – napisać (perfective) – to write
rozumieć (imperfective) – zrozumieć (perfective) – to understand
robić (imperfective) – zrobić (perfective) – to do
płacić (imperfective) – zapłacić (perfective) – to pay
pić (imperfective) – wypić (perfective) – to drink
jechać (imperfective) – pojechać (perfective) – to ride, to go (not no foot),
dziękować (imperfective) – podziękować (perfective) – to thank
gotować (imperfective) – ugotować (perfective) – to cook
prosić (imperfective) – poprosić (perfective) – to ask
myć (imperfective) – umyć (perfective) – to wash
dzwonić (imperfective) – zadzwonić (perfective) – to ring, to call on the phone

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to predict which prefix goes with which verb. Sometimes a prefix that makes one verb perfective can completely change the meaning of another verb. So, sadly, the only way to figure it out is to memorize the verbs and the prefixes as you go along.

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2 Comments

Tom Simon commented on January 21, 2009 at 10:03 am |Permalink

Hope you’re enjoying your visit to my old stomping grounds! Try to arrange a ride down Fig tree drive and cool off after at Turner’s beach…well..there’s just too much to recommend but I suppose you’re finding that out yourself!

Love your posts and I DO try to get something from every one!

Greetings from Gdansk! (yes - from Antigua to Gdansk! Imagine ;))
Anna commented on January 22, 2009 at 6:48 pm |Permalink

Hi Tom!!!
That is just too awesome! Antigua was lovely! We drove all over the island, did the Fig Tree Drive too. My guy fell in love with Darkwood Beach. We are definitely going back, that much is certain. In the end we didn’t make it to Barbuda, wasted too much time at the High Court and MoFA
I’ll be in Gdańsk in a couple of weeks and I just HAVE to hear your story. From Antigua to Gdańsk! LOL!

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