Russian Prefixes

Introduction

• Russian word forms example: gavarit: means “to be talking”, dagavarit: means “to finish talking”
• Prefix in Russian adds before a verb to change meaning

Basics of Russian Prefixes

• Russian has about 40 prefixes
• Prefixes highlighted in green are variations of others
• Prefix: Added before verb/action word, changes the meaning

Functions of Prefixes

Changing Meaning

• Prefixes change the meaning of the base verb
• Example:
  • gavarit: to be talking
  • dagavarit: to finish talking
• Meaning change is often subtle, adding extra detail

Changing Aspect

• Imperfective Aspect: Focus on process, not outcome
  • Ex: “I was talking on the phone the entire evening”
  • Gavarit is imperfective
• Perfective Aspect: Focus on outcome, not process
  • Ex: “Did you finish talking?”
  • Dagavarit is perfective
• Adding a prefix can change aspect of the verb
• All prefixes change the verb’s aspect in Russian

Categories of Meaning Changes by Prefixes

Motion Verbs

• Prefix indicates reaching destination
• yest: to drive
  • door yeyo: I got there by driving

Outside Motion Verbs

• Common meaning: To finish doing something
• Yed: to eat
  • dayyed: to finish eating
• Similar to motion verbs in concept

Unique Interactions

• Unpredictable meanings with individual words
• Prosh: to ask a question
  • dockerisit: to interrogate
  • Meaning here is not predictable

Tips for Learning Prefixes

• Best to learn prefixes one by one
• It's crucial to practice for mastery

Resources

• Master Russian Prefixes course: Includes breakdown of each prefix, list of common words with that prefix, practice exercises
• Available for "Be Fluent" class students now

Conclusion

• Understanding and mastering prefixes is essential
• Additional resources are available to facilitate this learning