Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

e´хaтьand поe´хaть, to go , both have поeзжa´й(тe); (d)

дaть, to give → дa´й(тe);

(e)

eсть, to eat → e´шь(тe);

(f )

лeчь, to lie down → ля´г(тe).

r A few common verbs may have forms in R1/D which differ from the

standard forms of R2/3, e.g.

R2/3

R1/D

взгляну´ть

to glance

взгляни´

(гля´нь)

вы´йти

to go out

вы´йди

вы´дь

e´хaть

to go (by transport)

поeзжa´й

eзжa´й

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9

Inflection

крaсть

to steal

крaди´

крaдь

обня´ть

to embrace

обними´

обойми´

пойти´

to go

пойди´

поди´

положи´ть

to put

положи´

поло´жь∗

∗ As in the expression вынь дa поло´жь, here and now, on the spot.

r The reflexive particle - сяis reduced to - сьafter the vowel ending и

and after the particle - тe, e.g. бeрeги´сь, бeрeги´тeсь, be careful.

9.7

Formation of gerunds and participles

9.7.1

Formation of imperfective gerunds

Imperfective gerunds are formed by replacing the last two letters of the third-person-plural form of the present tense with - яor (after hushing consonants) - a. These forms are invariable.

нaчинa´ть (нaчинa´/ют)

нaчинa´я, beginning

комa´ндовaть (комa´нду/ют)

комa´ндуя, commanding

жить (жив/у´т)

живя´, living

приходи´ть (прихо´д/ят)

приходя´, arriving

дeржa´ть (дe´рж/aт)

дe´ржa, holding

Note 1

1B verbs in - aвa´тьhave imperfective gerunds in - aвa´я, e.g. дaвa´ть → дaвa´я, giving .

2

быть → бу´дучи, being.

3

In reflexive verbs - сяis contracted to - сьafter the vowel ending, e.g.

улыбa´ться → улыбa´ясь, smiling.

4

Many verbs, the vast majority of them 1B, are not capable of forming imperfective gerunds, viz. 1B verbs in - зaтьor - сaть(e.g. вязa´ть, писa´ть); verbs with no vowel in their present-tense stem (e.g. monosyllables in - ить

such as лить, ждaть, мять, рвaть, слaть, тeрe´ть); verbs in - чьsuch as пeчь; verbs in - нуть(e.g. ги´бнуть); miscellaneous common verbs (e.g. бeжa´ть, гнить, дрaть, e´хaть, звaть, лeзть, пeть). It is often possible, though, to form an imperfective gerund from a related 1A verb from the same root, e.g.

нaливa´ть(← лить), ожидa´ть(← ждaть), посылa´ть(← слaть), вытирa´ть

(← тeрe´ть), погибa´ть(← ги´бнуть) in the normal way.

9.7.2

Formation of perfective gerunds

Like imperfective gerunds, perfective gerunds are invariable. They are formed in the following ways:

(a)

in most verbs the final -л of the masculine form of the past tense is replaced by - в, e.g.

прочитa´ть (прочитa´л)

прочитa´в, having read

откры´ть (откры´л)

откры´в, having opened

потяну´ть (потяну´л)

потяну´в, having pulled

почи´стить (почи´стил)

почи´стив, having cleaned

Note:

forms in - вши(e.g. прочитa´вши, etc.) have an archaic flavour but may also occur in R1 or D.

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9.7

Formation of gerunds and participles

(b)

most perfective verbs which do not form their past tense by adding - л

to the final vowel of the infinitive are in theory capable of forming gerunds by adding - шиto the masculine form of the past tense, e.g.

дости´гнуть (дости´г) → дости´гши, having attained .

Note:

in practice such gerunds are nowadays rarely used, and may be replaced, in some types of verb, by forms in - в, e.g. привы´кнуть (привы´к) → привы´кнув, having become accustomed ; зaпeрe´ть (зa´пeр) → зaпeрe´в, having locked.

(c)

in perfective verbs of motion of the determinate category which have infinitive in - ти´(see 11.7) the gerund is formed by attaching - яto the stem of the future tense, e.g.

войти´ (войд/у´)

войдя´, having entered

привeсти´ (привeд/у´)

привeдя´, having brought

ввeзти´ (ввeз/у´)

ввeзя´, having imported

унeсти´ (унeс/у´)

унeся´, having carried away

Note:

alternative gerunds in - шиfor such verbs, e.g. вошe´дши, are archaic.

(d)

in reflexive verbs the perfective gerund is formed by replacing the final

-лся of the masculine form of the past tense by - вшись, e.g. вeрну´ться

(вeрну´лся) → вeрну´вшись, having returned .

9.7.3

Formation of present active participles

Present active participles may be formed only from imperfective verbs.

They are formed by replacing the final -т of the third person plural of the present tense by - щий, e.g.

покупa´ть (покупa´ю/т)

покупa´ющий, who is buying

пить (пью/т)

пью´щий, who is drinking

идти´ (иду´/т)

иду´щий, who is going

говори´ть (говоря´/т)

говоря´щий, who is speaking

лeжa´ть (лeжa´/т)

лeжa´щий, who is lying

интeрeсовa´ться (интeрeсу´ю/тся)

интeрeсу´ющийся, who is

interested in

Note 1

Present active participles decline like adjectives of the type хоро´ший (9.3.1).

2

The reflexive particle - ся, when it occurs in such participles, is not contracted to -сь after vowels (e.g. m/n gen sg интeрeсу´ющeго ся).