- Imperfective: Describes an action as ongoing, repeated, or with no specific endpoint. Think of it as focusing on the process of the verb.
- Perfective: Describes an action as completed, finished, or with a definite endpoint. It emphasizes the result of the verb.
How Czech Forms Perfective Verbs
Czech employs several ways to create perfective verbs from their imperfective counterparts:
- Prefixation: This is the most common method. Adding a prefix to an imperfective verb often changes it to perfective. The prefixes can be different.
- psát (to write – imperfective) → napsat (to write [something specific], to finish writing – perfective)
- číst (to read – imperfective) → přečíst (to read [something] through to the end – perfective)
- vidět (to see)
– Perfective: uvidět (to see, to catch sight of)
– Imperfective: vidět (to see)
- Suffixation: Though less frequent than prefixes, some suffixes can also create perfective verbs.
- křičet (to shout – imperfective) → křiknout (to give a shout – perfective)
- Suppletion: In a few cases, completely different verbs are used for the imperfective and perfective aspects.
- brát (to take – imperfective) → vzít (to take – perfective)
- klást (to lay, to put – imperfective) → položit (to lay down, to put down – perfective)
- Changes in Root Vowel: Sometimes a change in the root vowel of the verb signifies a change in aspect.
- sedět (to sit – imperfective) → sednout (si) (to sit down – perfective)
Why is Aspect Important?
The aspect is manifested in all tenses, also in the past tense:
- “Psal jsem dopis.” (I was writing a letter. – imperfective, ongoing action)
- “Napsal jsem dopis.” (I wrote a letter. – perfective, completed action)
Perfective and Imperfective Aspects in Czech Future Tense
Imperfective Aspect in Future Tense
Examples:
- Psát (to write): Budu psát dopis. (I will be writing a letter.)
- Číst (to read): Budu číst knihu. (I will be reading a book.)
- Učit se (to learn/study): Budu se učit anglicky. (I will be learning/studying English.)
Perfective Aspect in Future Tense
Examples:
- Napsat (to write): Napíšu dopis. (I will write/finish writing a letter.)
- Přečíst (to read): Přečtu knihu. (I will read/finish reading a book.)
- Naučit se (to learn/study): Naučím se anglicky. (I will learn/have learned English.)
Compare!!!:
- Psát (imperfective “to write:): Píšu dopis. (I am writing a letter.)
- Číst (imperfective “to read”): Čtu knihu. (I am reading a book.)
- Učit se (imperfective: “to learn/study”): Učím se anglicky. (I learn English.)
Czech Language Lessons & Translations 