Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: other languages with imperfect/perfect verbs?

  1. #1
    Завсегдатай sperk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    США
    Posts
    2,285
    Rep Power
    16

    other languages with imperfect/perfect verbs?

    Are there any other languages with imperfect/perfect verbs?
    thanks
    Кому - нары, кому - Канары.

  2. #2
    Подающий надежды оратор randem's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Чикаго
    Posts
    37
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: other languages with imperfect/perfect verbs?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_aspect

    Slavic languages have separate lexical entries (that is, different words) for different aspects of verbs.

    Most languages use verb morphing (either prefixes, suffixes, or different conjugations) to mark different aspects.

    English is a notable exception since it uses neither. Verb aspect is determined contextually, like most things in our crazy language.

  3. #3
    Завсегдатай
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    3,216
    Rep Power
    16

    Re: other languages with imperfect/perfect verbs?

    Spanish has the preterite/imperfect tenses which are used in a similar fashion, however only in the past tense. None of this stuff where you have two separate verbs for each aspect.

  4. #4
    Завсегдатай it-ogo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Ukraine
    Posts
    3,048
    Rep Power
    29

    Re: other languages with imperfect/perfect verbs?

    Morphing is spread in many languages. The problem is when a form of the verb is concidered a new separate verb or just a form of the base verb. I think the difference is in a number of special cases vs rules. I.e. when you make a new perfective verb according to some rule in Russian you never really sure if this form does really exist and what does it mean. One should know the very verb, knowing the general rule is not enough.
    "Россия для русских" - это неправильно. Остальные-то чем лучше?

  5. #5
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Tempe, AZ
    Posts
    653
    Rep Power
    12

    Re: other languages with imperfect/perfect verbs?

    Quote Originally Posted by sperk
    Are there any other languages with imperfect/perfect verbs?thanks
    Yes. I believe all the Slavic languages make the distinction (though I don't remember for sure about Lusatian or Slovene). Polish certainly does. The Polish equivalent of the pair давать/дать is dawać/dać. Bulgarian also distinguishes imperfective and perfective, although it doesn't have infinitives, so you don't see it cited as often in fast and dirty comparisons like this one.

  6. #6
    Завсегдатай sperk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    США
    Posts
    2,285
    Rep Power
    16

    Re: other languages with imperfect/perfect verbs?

    Quote Originally Posted by doninphxaz
    Bulgarian also distinguishes imperfective and perfective, although it doesn't have infinitives
    verbs w/o infinitives, that's interesting...
    Кому - нары, кому - Канары.

Similar Threads

  1. Simple Perfect / Imperfect Question (again...)
    By Hanna in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: January 4th, 2010, 01:45 AM
  2. imperfect participles?
    By sperk in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: October 15th, 2006, 08:02 AM
  3. perfect
    By Chuvak in forum Learn English - Грамматика, переводы, словарный запас
    Replies: 39
    Last Post: August 23rd, 2006, 07:36 AM
  4. A perfect website
    By SashaT in forum Getting Started with Russian
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: April 29th, 2005, 12:21 AM
  5. present perfect again
    By Alexander in forum Learn English - Грамматика, переводы, словарный запас
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: March 24th, 2004, 11:46 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary