Thread: A question

Hello friends. i have a question , well, it maybe simple for you but :P i really don't understand the diffrent.
For example :

бегать - побежать  (to run) быть - побыть  (to be)
видеть - увидеть  (to see) говорить - сказать  (to speak)
давать - дать  (to give) делать - сделать  (to do)
...and it goes on.

one of them is for the past tense ? what is it?
Thanks o lot.

All of these verbs are in present tense.
They differ by aspect (perfecitve/imperfective).

English has Perfect tense for that, Russian has verb aspects. The difference is that you can use perfective aspects even in future tense.

sorry ?? =) didn't understand buddy. can you please give me some examples.

Originally Posted by samet

sorry ?? =) didn't understand buddy. can you please give me some examples.

ОК. Verbs in the Russian language can be in two aspects - perfective and imperfective.

Imperfective aspect describes an action in the process (the action has not yet ended).
Perfective aspect means that the action has already ended.

бежать = to run (just to run)
побежать = to start running

видеть = to see ( Я вижу небо = I see the sky)
увидеть = have seen ( Я увидел, наконец, Эйфелеву башню = I have seen at last the Eiffel tower)

давать = to give (a process that is continuous in time, i.e. I give all my life to that cause).
дать = to have smth. given to smb (я дал тебе яблоко = I gave you an apple or even I've given you an apple)

быть = to be (Я был там = I was there )
побыть = to be and then cease being (well, Я побыл там = I stayed there a little while, it means that you've been there and have already left)

говорить = Я говорил с ним вчера ( I spoke with him yesterday)
сказать = Я сказал ему вчера, чтобы он уезжал ( I told him yesterday to leave )

делать = Я делал ... ( I did)
сделать = Я сделал ... (I have done)

Yes yes. ok . THANK YOU . it is much more clear now. =) Thank you friend.

Originally Posted by samet

бегать - побежать  (to run)

These two also differ in directionness(?) where бегать is multidirectional, and (по)бежать is unidirectional.