Thread: Успеть

Только что понял, что не знаю как по-английски "успеть" "успевать" и тому подобное. Такого слова в английском нет или ,по крайней мере, я его не нашел. Словарь выдает "have time"... Sounds strange

"Успеть" - это совершенный вид "успевать"... По идее глагола имеют смысл to do sьth on time, to have enough time to do smth... Так и говорят, I have (enough) time to do this and that...

You can also use "to manage". It really depends on the context. For example:

я только что успел закончить работу, когда он мне звонил
I had just managed to finish work, when he called me

Я успеваю на концерт
I have enough time to make the concert/ I'll make the concert

Я успел на концерт
I made the concert on time

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

You can also use "to manage". It really depends on the context. For example:

я только что успел закончить работу, когда он мне звонил
I had just managed to finish work, when he called me

Я успеваю на концерт
I have enough time to make the concert/ I'll make the concert

Я успел на концерт
I made the concert on time

So if I want to say in Russian "I'm sorry, I didn't have/haven't had time to make a copy of the CD", could I say извини, но я не успел сделать копию компакт-диска?

Спасибо,

Белка.

I think it would be "Я не сумел диск переписать."

Суметь = to be able, to manage.

Успеть seemes like it leans more towards stress on time.

I don't know... I thought Belka's example sounded find to me... but I am no native!

With успеть/успевать stress falls more on time context...

Originally Posted by SSSS

With успеть/успевать stress falls more on time context...

Yes, so is it OK to use it to mean "I haven't had time to do something"?

Белка.

Sure...

Originally Posted by belka

so is it OK to use it to mean "I haven't had time to do something"?

Yes, it is.

Generally speaking, "не успеть что-то сделать" may imply not only lack of time (for example, burning CD takes 20 minutes and you had only 15), but also inefficiency of a performer (you had an hour, but wasted all that time because you are not familiar with a recording program).
So, if it is your boss who you are talking to, and you don't want to risk giving him or her wrong ideas, you may want to say, just like in the original,
"Извините, но у меня не было времени (чтобы) сделать копию компакт-диска."

And be warned - if you say
"Извините, но я не сумел сделать копию компакт-диска",
it would almost certainly (but then again - not necessarily) mean that you are a bungler.

Can't успеть also mean "to be late" or something?

Я не успел на работу. I wasn't in time for work.

I can't remember.

Originally Posted by basurero

Can't не успеть also mean "to be late" or something?

Я не успел на работу. I wasn't in time for work.

Correct.

be late means опоздать, опаздывать.

I've also heard that
Успеть на поезд/автобус = to catch a train/bus

That's correct... Looks like that успевать is like to get in English... Many uses, many meanings...

Thanks, guys.
As a result:
In Russian we use "успеть" and it's quite simple but in English we should use different words and even phrases to express "успеть" and it depends on situation. Am I right?

You got it!

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

You got it!

I did

Originally Posted by Ramil

be late means опоздать, опаздывать.

I've also heard that
Успеть на поезд/автобус = to catch a train/bus

Because Успеть means to be in time for. "I was intime for the bus". не успел, i wasnt in time. I got there too late.