Cjelina 2: Priroda i društvo
🔗 2 | 4 | Gramatika: Glagolski vid, 1. dio
Perfective and imperfective verbs
Aspect Pairs
You already know that in Croatian there is an imperfective aspect and a perfective aspect of most verbs. Each of these aspects is associated with specific ways of viewing actions. Look at the following two examples.
Jesi li pekla kolač?
- Implication: Have you (ever) tried to bake a cake? You are not interested in whether they fully made it or not.
Jesi li ispekla kolač?
- Implication: Have you finished baking a cake? You were expected to do this.
Imperfective verbs
They indicate duration of an action over a longer period of time, the action is not completed, or it happens often (repeats, happens regularly). Words that will trigger using imperfective verbs: ponekad (sometimes), često (often), nikada (never), svaki [dan] (every [day]).
Perfective verbs
They indicate that an action is complete, it happens only one time and it is completed action.
How to know whether a verb is perfective or imperfective?
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. You will need to learn pairs of imperfective and perfective verbs. Below you can find a list of some verbs that we covered so far. All the verbs are presented as pairs with perfective infinitives given first, followed then by imperfective infinitives.
Aspectual pair from today’s lesson:
| Perfective verb | Imperfective verb | English |
|---|---|---|
| doći | dolaziti | to arrive |
| donijeti | donosti | to bring |
| otići | odlaziti | to leave |
| posjetiti | posjećivati | to visit |
| povaditi | vaditi | to take out |
| primiti | primati | to receive |
| pripremiti | pripremati | to prepare |
| spremiti | spremati | to prepare / to tidy up |
2.4 Zadatak 1: Značenje
Read the sentences. Decide if the verb is perfective (completed, one-time result) or imperfective (habit, process, repetition).
2.4 Zadatak 2: Koji oblik?
Complete the sentences with the correct verb form (perfective or imperfective) in the present tense. In some cases, the sentence will require you to use the infinitive form instead. Pay close attention to whether the sentence emphasizes habit/process or a result.
2.4 Zadatak 3: Što znači?
Read each sentence carefully. Decide what the verb form implies. Does it focus on the result of a completed action (perfective), or on the process/habit of the action (imperfective)? Choose the correct option.
