Verbal Aspect in Ukrainian
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Verbs in Ukrainian can be divided into two categories: perfective and imperfective.

In general, imperfective verbs are used to describe incomplete or ongoing action, and perfective verbs to describe action which has been or will be completed. Some textbooks and courses make the distinction that when using imperfective verbs, the focus is on the process, whereas with perfective verbs, the focus is on the result.

Both of these explanations are very useful in understanding the “concept” of verbal aspect, but as anyone who has learned an East Slavic language before knows, they are far from a complete explanation of when to use what!

This website breaks down the various contexts in which perfective and imperfective verbs can be used, and attempts to provide a system covering all the ways in which aspects are used in everyday spoken and written Ukrainian.

This is a first draft. Feedback and corrections are very welcome.

Verbs and aspectual pairs

Conventional wisdom states that Ukrainian verbs form aspectual pairs. For example, читати and прочитати are perfective and imperfective partner verbs respectively – both mean to read, but читати is used to form the imperfective aspect, and прочитати the perfective.

This is only half-true. In reality, there is not a 1:1 correspondence between perfective and imperfective verbs. Consider our previous example of читати. As well as the corresponding perfective verb прочитати, which is formed by the addition of the prefix про-, there is also дочитати, meaning to finish reading. Both of these perfective verbs can be said to be partners of читати, but they also have their own imperfective forms, which preserve the meanings of their respective prefixes – прочитувати and дочитувати. This is a very common pattern in Ukrainian morphology.

Confused? Don't worry! Just know that verbs in Ukrainian normally come in perfective/imperfective pairs, but that sometimes there are more complicated relationships between them.

There are two main ways that imperfective verbs can be made perfective:

  1. Addition of a prefix. For example, читати → прочитати. Ukrainian is rich in prefixes, which typically modify the meaning of a word, as well as making it perfective. More information on prefixes is available in section 11.6 of Read Ukrainian.
  2. Internal modification. For example, дочитувати → дочитати. This is particularly common where a prefix has already been applied. An in-depth discussion of the system of internal modification is beyond the scope of this website; if you are interested, please see Pugh and Press (1998), chapter 6.2 (pp. 204–210).

Aspect in the present

The present tense is easy: only imperfective verbs can be used.

When using the imperative (giving commands) or infinitive verbs (for example in conjunction with a modal verb) in the present tense, you still have a choice of aspect. See the relevant sections below.

Aspect in the future

In the future tense, both perfective and imperfective verbs can be used.

The future imperfective is formed using the verb бути (to be) and the infinitive form of the verb. For example, «я буду читати». There is also a synthetic form of the future imperfective: «я читатиму». For more information, see section 4.7 of Read Ukrainian.

The future perfective is formed using the same conjugations as the present tense, but with perfective verbs, which cannot be conjugated in the present. For example, «я прочитаю». For more information, see section 13.1 of Read Ukrainian.

Without negation

Imperfective

  • Stating whether a given action will or will not take place; stating which action will take place at a given time
    Ти будеш цього року вступати в університет?
    Підемо з нами в кіно! — Ні, дякую, я займатимуся.
  • Repeating action
    Щодня я буду робити вправи для вивчення української.
  • Parallel action
    Коли він прийде, я буду готувати вечерю. [I will already have started cooking when he arrives.]
  • A call to action
    Поїдемо додому й будемо дивитися новий епізод «Дільничного з ДВРЗ».

Perfective

  • Stating that an action will be completed
    «Ми зробимо територію нашої держави небезпечною для життя всіх громадян.» (Віктор Янукович)
  • Single action, focus on resulting state (not on the details of the action’s completion)
    Завтра я зроблю чотири вправи для вивчення української.
  • A series of consecutive actions
    Коли він прийде, я приготую вечерю. [I will start cooking as soon as he arrives.]
  • Consolidated action (the results of many smaller actions are consolidated into one perfective action)
    Я легко вивчу цей новий вірш: декілька разів прочитаю вголос і запам’ятаю.

With negation

Imperfective

  • Absence of a particular action
    «Якщо між нами не буде драми, про нас вже не зніматимуть кіно.» (гурт «Діти інженерів»)

Perfective

  • Failure to do that which might have been expected; refusal to do something; cancellation of a previously expected action
    Схоже, сантехнік не прийде!
    «Ой я й сам не піду, і тебе не пущу.» (Іван Котляревський)

Aspect in the past

In the past tense, both perfective and imperfective verbs can be used.

TODO

Aspect when using the infinitive

The infinitive is the dictionary form of a verb, for example, читати. The infinitive is most often used in conjunction with another verb or adverb. For example: «Вона почалася дивитися телевізор.» (She started to watch television).

Without negation

Imperfective

  • Repeating action
    Коли син їхав вчитися у Львові, він обіцяв матері часто писати.
  • A call to action
    Вже сьома година. Пора вставати!

Perfective

  • One-time action
    Коли син їхав вчитися у Львові, він обіцяв матері написати одразу після приїзду.

Particular groups of verbs

Imperfective

  • Verbs indicating the beginning, continuation, or end of an action
    Я почав дивитися телевізор.
  • Verbs indicating a reluctance/unwillingness/opposition to carrying out an action
    Батьки відрадили мене вступати до Львівського університету.
  • Other verbs which focus on a repeated/incomplete action or the process of carrying out an action
    Я тепер звик вставати рано.

Perfective

  • Verbs which indicate completed or expected action – primarily забути, встигнути, вдатися
    Я забув привітати друга з днем народження.

With negation

Imperfective

  • Annulling a planned action; deciding not to do something; not wishing to do something
    Ми вирішили не купувати новий телевізор.
    «Я не хочу бути героєм Україні.» (гурт «Тартак»)
  • Forbidden action
    Заборонено входити в зал під час екзамену.
    Не можна входити в зал під час екзамену.

Perfective

  • Impossible action
    Ми не можемо зайти в зал, тому що в нас немає ключа.

Aspect when using the imperative

The imperative mood is used to give commands, orders, and requests. For example: «Поверніть праворуч!» (Turn right!).
More information on imperatives can be found in Read Ukrainian, section 13.6.

Without negation

General use of the non-negated imperative

Imperfective

  • Request to perform an action regularly
    Щоранку, будь ласка, відкривайте вікно і провітрюйте кімнату.
  • Request to do something a certain way
    Читайте вірш повільно, з правильними наголосами.

Perfective

  • Request to perform an action only once
    Тут душно. Будь ласка, відкрийте вікно і провітріть кімнату.
    «Чесно мені скажи, як тебе звати?» (Святослав Вакарчук)
  • Request to complete an action
    Прочитайте всі ці вірші вдома.

Cases in which the imperfective has a special modal function

Imperfective

  • Signal that it is time to start an action
    Вже дев’ята година, вмикай телевізор, починається передача «Слуги народу»!

Perfective counter-example

  • Neutral request, assignment of a task
    Мені так нудно, ввімкни телевізор!
  • An invitation
    Приходьте до нас в гості в п’ятницю!
  • A neutral request
    Прийдіть в п’ятницю на роботу.
  • Giving permission
    — Можна зайти?
    — Будь ласка, заходьте.
  • Neutral request or order
    Зайдіть в ту кімнату.

With negation

Imperfective

  • In general, the negated imperative usually takes imperfective – reflecting the undesirability of a particular action
    Ніколи не дзвоніть мені!
    Не дзвоніть мені сьогодні, я буду на роботі.
    «Не бійся українізації!» (Остап Вишня)
    «Не стидайся – то твоя земля; не стидайся – то Україна.» (Андрій Кузьменко)

Perfective

  • Warning against an undesirable/risky action; action with unintended consequences
    Обережно, не впади, тут лід.
    Не забудьте привітати друга з днем народження.

About this website

This website was created to serve as a resource for learners of Ukrainian getting to grips with the concept of verbal aspect. It is by no means exhaustive documentation of the system of verbal aspect in Ukrainian, but should cover all the details of aspect usage in everyday spoken and written Ukrainian.

Comments, suggestions, and errata are most welcome. Please contact E-mail address hidden for anti-spam purposes..

If you are looking for a general-purpose Ukrainian grammar reference, please see the excellent Read Ukrainian course by Marta Jenkala.

Acknowledgements

This website owes its existence to the following works which document the aspectual system in East Slavic languages:

Pugh, Stefan M., and Press, Ian. 1999. Ukrainian: A Comprehensive Grammar (New York: Routledge).

Wade, Terence, Gillespie, David, Gural, Svetlana, and Korneeva, Marina. 2020. A Comprehensive Russian Grammar (4th edition) (Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell).

Many thanks also to users of the /r/Ukrainian online community for proof-reading materials and providing feedback.

Слава Україні!