Thread: verb aspect issues

When you use the perfective aspect of the verb, does it matter if, say, the action happened several times as long as it is completed or does it have to be just once? In that case do you use the perfective or what?

Here are some examples of what I mean:
Он убил/убивал многих людей в марте.
Это произошло/произходил много раз (вчера).
В течение недели он увидел/видел четырех людей.
Он вчера просмотрел/смотрел два фильма (not at same time, ie with a 5 hour break in between)

Hmm, I hope you know what I'm on about because I don't.

Thanks a lot.

The perfective in your examples just point the result out while the non-perfective make think of the long-time actions taken. It's obvious that "убил многих людей", for example, is repetitive. "Убивал" is more concentrated on the action, not times doing in.

Originally Posted by basurero

Это произошло/происходило много раз (вчера).
В течение недели он увидел/видел четверых людей.

"Он убил многих людей в марте" - "He has killed many people in the march"

"Он убивал многих людей в марте" - "He used to kill many people in the march" or "He killed many people in the march"

I have two slightly different pictures in my inner mind:
Он убил многих людей: Corpses scattered everywhere, the list of victims in a police report...
Он убивал многих людей: How he was sneaking up to those people, pulled out his knife or rope and was actually doing it...

Originally Posted by Propp

I have two slightly different pictures in my inner mind

Vivid imagination!