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pa - as prefix to many verbs

stefandutoit
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Posts: 1
Joined: November 7th, 2008 11:07 pm

pa - as prefix to many verbs

Postby stefandutoit » January 21st, 2009 3:54 pm

When do you add 'pa' to a verb? eg. paprobavat'; pakushat' etc.

toharsky
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Posts: 3
Joined: October 6th, 2008 3:59 pm

Re: pa - as prefix to many verbs

Postby toharsky » January 23rd, 2009 12:01 pm

stefandutoit wrote:When do you add 'pa' to a verb?


По- can be used not only with verbs, but also adjectives and adverbs.
The main cases for the verbs are
- when something is finished
пообедать (have dinner), познакомиться (make the acquaintance). it's somewhat of a sing that the verb is perfective
- when something continues for a period of time
потанцевать (to dance - for some time is implied), попутешествовать (to travel (for sometime))
- when something is started
побежать - to run (after someone for example)
- when something gains a certain quality
порозоветь (turn pink - about the sky before dawn or something like that)

The system doesn't seem to be overly logical though)
Hope I haven't forgotten too much))

Your examples are of perfective meaning, anyway. Попробовать also has this one-time action nuance.
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