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Thread: verb aspect issues

  1. #1
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    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.

  2. #2
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    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.
    «И всё, что сейчас происходит внутре — тоже является частью вселенной».

  3. #3
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    Re: verb aspect issues

    Quote Originally Posted by basurero
    Это произошло/происходило много раз (вчера).
    В течение недели он увидел/видел четверых людей.
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

  4. #4
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    "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"
    Could you please occasionally correct my stupid errors!
    Korrigiert bitte ab und zu meine dummen Fehler!

  5. #5
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    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...

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Propp
    I have two slightly different pictures in my inner mind
    Vivid imagination!
    «И всё, что сейчас происходит внутре — тоже является частью вселенной».

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