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Thread: Дать или давать ?

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    Дать или давать ?

    Hello

    I know this is a trivial question but I can't answer it by myself and won't see my teachers for the next two weeks. I want to ask : "Did she give you the book ?". Which aspect should I use ?
    If I wanted to ask "Did you read the book ?" i should go for imperfective, otherwise it would mean "Did you finish the book which I know you started reading already ?" or something like that. So I would bet "Она тебе давала книгу ?" but I really am not confident ...

    Many thanks !

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    Re: Дать или давать ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zubr
    otherwise it would mean "Did you finish the book which I know you started reading already ?" or something like that.
    I wouldn't say so. "Она тебе дала книгу?" would mean that I told her do give you the book and now I want to know if she did.
    The question "Она тебе давала книгу?" is more polysemantic... It also could mean the same as the first sentence, but like I told her that long ago, and now I recall it, maybe even accidentally.
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

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    Re: Дать или давать ?

    So it seems that both are possible, depending on the context ... Lacking it, one should choose "давать" I guess ? Anyway, thanks ! I really have a hard time grasping this aspect thing, I can't but hope to get used to it eventually.

    Bye

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    Re: Дать или давать ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zubr
    So it seems that both are possible, depending on the context ... Lacking it, one should choose "давать" I guess ?
    Yes, I think so.
    Unfortunally, in this case, like it often happens in Russian, it is a question of feeling, not of rules or logic. But maybe I am wrong, and someone can explain it better.
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

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    Re: Дать или давать ?

    Она дала тебе книгу, наконец? (=Perfect?)

    Она давала когда-нибудь тебе книгу? (=Indefinite?)
    "Россия для русских" - это неправильно. Остальные-то чем лучше?

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    Re: Дать или давать ?

    Ok I think it is starting to make sense.
    Here is a similar one, please correct me if I am wrong. "Ты ел мёд ?" would mean "have you ever eaten honey ?" whereas "Ты съел мёд ?" is what you'd say if you bro finished your honey pot.
    Is it right ?

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    Re: Дать или давать ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zubr
    Ok I think it is starting to make sense.
    Here is a similar one, please correct me if I am wrong. "Ты ел мёд ?" would mean "have you ever eaten honey ?" whereas "Ты съел мёд ?" is what you'd say if you bro finished your honey pot.
    Is it right ?
    Right. But also:
    "Your mouth is sweet. Ты ел мёд ?" (=Continuous?)
    "Россия для русских" - это неправильно. Остальные-то чем лучше?

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