In Russian, verbal adverbs (деепричастие transcribed dyeyepriCHAstiye) are verbs that are used as adverbs — to add information about another action or process. Verbal adverbs have some characteristics of verbs and some characteristics of adverbs. For example:
- Прочитав письмо, он сразу начал писать ответ.Transcription: prachiTAF pisMO, on SRAzoo NAchal piSAT atVYETTranslation: Having read the letter, he immediately began writing a response.
- Читая быстро, она ничего не понимает.Transcription: chiTAya BYStra, aNA nichiVO ni paniMAitTranslation: Reading quickly, she doesn't understand anything.
| Verb Characteristics | Adverb Characteristics |
|---|---|
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Verbal adverbs, like прочитав and читая, are almost exclusively used in written Russian and very rarely in colloquial everyday speech. They are sometimes called “adverbial participles” because many of them can be translated into English participles like “reading” and “having read.”
Do you want to learn more about verbal adverbs, how they are formed and observe them in sentences? Continue reading!
What are the types of Russian verbal adverbs?
In Russian, we use verbal adverbs to describe an action or situation, just like you might use an adverb.
Verbal adverbs are a type of adverb, but they come from verbs, so they can be associated with other words and phrases that are typically associated with verbs, like objects, adverbs, or prepositional phrases. You should use the same case for a noun associated with a verbal adverb that you would use if you were using the verb in another context.
- verbal adverbinstrumental caseЗанимаясь спортом, вы будете чувствовать себя лучше.Transcription: zaniMAyas SPORtam, vy BOOditi CHOOStvavat siBYA LOOCHsheTranslation: By doing sports you will feel better.This is a verbal adverb used with a noun in the instrumental case, which is the same case we would use when using the verb заниматься спортом transcribed zaniMAtsya SPORtammeaning to do sports.
- verbal adverbaccusative caseПодписав договор, президенты пожали друг другу руки.Transcription: padpiSAF dagaVOR, priziDYENty paZHAli drook DROOgoo ROOkiTranslation: Having signed the agreement, the presidents shook hands.This is a verbal adverb used with a direct object noun in the accusative case. It’s the same case we would use for the object of the verb подписать договор transcribed padpiSAT dagaVORmeaning to sign an agreement.
In Russian, verbal adverb phrases (verbal adverbs and their associated words) are positioned in the sentence like an adverb, at the beginning, at the end, or after the subject. For instance:
- Получив деньги за работу, он успел раздать долги.Transcription: palooCHEEF DYENgi za raBOtoo, on oosPYEL razDAT dalGEETranslation: Having received money for his work, he managed to pay off his debts.
- Он успел раздать долги, получив деньги за работу.Transcription: on oosPYEL razDAT dalGEE, palooCHEEF DYENgi za raBOtooTranslation: He managed to pay off his debts, having received money for his work.
- Он успел, получив деньги за работу, раздать долги.Transcription: on oosPYEL, palooCHEEF DYENgi za raBOtoo, razDAT dalGEETranslation: He managed, having received money for his work, to pay off his debts.
Notice that, in writing, the verbal adverb phrase is always separated out by commas.
There are two types of verbal adverbs in Russian: imperfective and perfective. Imperfective verbal adverbs are formed from imperfective verbs and perfective verbal adverbs are formed from perfective verbs.
- Imperfective:Вставая рано утром, вы будете успевать сделать больше за день.Transcription: fstaVAya RAna OOTram, vy BOOditye oospiVAT ZDYElat BOLshe za dyenTranslation: By getting up early in the morning, you will have time to get more done in a day.
- Perfective:Встав рано утром, она успела сделать больше за день.Transcription: fstaf RAna OOTram, aNA oosPYEla ZDYElat BOLshe za dyenTranslation: Having gotten up early in the morning, she managed to get more done in a day.
Each type is formed and used a little differently. Let’s have a look at the differences!
How to use imperfective verbal adverbs in Russian?
In Russian, we use imperfective verbal adverbs to describe an action or situation that goes simultaneously with the main action of the sentence – they answer the question when/while doing what? The verbal adverb itself does not change with the tense (past/present/future) of the rest of the sentence, the time it refers to will be the same as the tense of the main verb. For example:
| Past | Слушая музыку Моцарта, он забыл обо всём. Transcription: SLOOshaya MOOzykoo MOtsarta, on zaBYL aba fsyom Translation: Listening to Mozart's music, he forgot about everything. |
|---|---|
| Past | Слушая музыку Моцарта, он забывает обо всём. Transcription: SLOOshaya MOOzykoo MOtsarta, on zabyVAit aba fsyom Translation: Listening to Mozart's music, he forgets about everything. |
| Future | Слушая музыку Моцарта, он забудет обо всём. Transcription: SLOOshaya MOOzykoo MOtsarta, on zaBOOdit aba fsyom Translation: Listening to Mozart's music, he will forget about everything. |
In general, the action of the verbal adverb indicates the time of the main action, the reason for the main action, the conditions that resulted in the main action, or the manner in which the main action was completed. They can be replaced by subordinate clauses beginning with words like: когда transcribed kagDAmeaning when or пока transcribed paKAmeaning while, так как transcribed tak kakmeaning because or потому что transcribed pataMOOshtameaning because, or если transcribed YSlimeaning if.
| Sentence with Imperfective Verbal Adverbs | Sentence with a Subordinate Clause |
|---|---|
Она готовила завтрак, разговаривая по телефону. Transcription: aNA gaTOvila ZAFtrak, razgaVArivaya pa tiliFOnoo Translation: She was preparing breakfast, (while) talking on the phone. | Она готовила завтрак, когда разговаривала по телефону. Transcription: aNA gaTOvila ZAFtrak, kagDA razgaVArivala pa tiliFOnoo Translation: She was preparing breakfast when she was talking on the phone. |
Не зная законы страны, я не мог ничего сделать. Transcription: ni ZNAya zaKOny straNY, ya ni mok nichiVO ZDYElat Translation: Not knowing the laws of the country, I could not do anything. | Так как я не знал законы страны, я не мог ничего сделать. Transcription: tak kak ya ni znal zaKOny straNY, ya ni mok nichiVO SDYElat Translation: Since I didn't know the laws of the country, I couldn't do anything. |
Читая больше на русском, вы будете лучше говорить и понимать. Transcription: chiTAya BOLshe na ROOSkam vy BOOditye LOOCHshe gavaREET i paniMAT Translation: (By) reading more in Russian, you will speak and understand better. | Если вы будете читать больше на русском, вы будете лучше говорить и понимать. Transcription: YESli vy BOOditye chiTAT BOLshe na ROOSkam vy BOOditye LOOCHshye gavaREET i paniMAT Translation: If you read more in Russian, you will speak and understand better. |
How to form imperfective verbal adverbs in Russian?
Imperfective verbal adverbs are formed by adding -а transcribed a or -я transcribed ya to the present tense base of an imperfective verb. This present tense base can be formed by removing the last two letters from the present tense, third person plural (“they”) form in the present tense.
Imperfective verb
(infinitive)
Third person plural
(present tense)
Remove
the last two letters
Add
-а transcribed a after ж transcribed zh, ш transcribed sh, ч transcribed ch, щ transcribed shch
-я transcribed ya after other letters
Now let’s see how it works:
| Imperfective infinitive | 3rd person plural present tense | Remove | Base | Verbal adverb ending | Imperfective verbal adverb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
говорить Transcription: gavaREET Translation: to speak | говорят Transcription: gavaRYAT | -ят | говор- Transcription: gavaRY- | я transcribed ya | говоря Transcription: gavaRYA Translation: speaking |
слышать Transcription: SLYshat Translation: to hear | слышат Transcription: SLYshat | -ат | слыш- Transcription: SLYsh- | а transcribed a | слыша Transcription: SLYsha Translation: hearing |
думать Transcription: DOOmat Translation: to think | думают Transcription: DOOmayut | -ют | дума- Transcription: DOOma- | я transcribed ya | думая Transcription: DOOmaya Translation: thinking |
учиться* Transcription: ooCHEEtsa Translation: to study | учатся Transcription: OOchatsa | -ат and ся (reflexiveness) | уч- Transcription: OOch- | а transcribed a and сь transcribed s (reflexiveness) | учась Transcription: ooCHAS Translation: studying |
Идти Transcription: iTEE Translation: to go | идут Transcription: iDOOT | -ут | ид- Transcription: iD- | я transcribed ya | идя Transcription: iDYA Translation: going |
You can turn a passive verb into a verbal adverb by using the verbal adverb form of быть transcribed bytmeaning to be. For example:
How to use perfective verbal adverbs in Russian?
In Russian, we use perfective verbal adverbs to describe a finished action that preceded the main action or situation of the sentence. Perfective adverbs answer the question “having done what?” or “after doing what?” For example:
Often you can use a perfective verbal adverbs like you would use a subordinate clause that starts with words like когда transcribed kagDAmeaning when, потому что transcribed pataMOOshtameaning because, or если transcribed YSlimeaning if.
| Sentence with Perfective Verbal Adverbs | Sentence with Conjunction |
|---|---|
Войдя в комнату, он начал уборку. Transcription: vayDYA f KOMnatoo, on NAchal ooBORkoo Translation: Having entered the room, he began cleaning. | Когда он вошёл в комнату, он начал уборку. Transcription: kagDA on vaSHOL f KOMnatoo, on NAchal ooBORkoo Translation: When he entered the room, he began cleaning. |
Узнав о трагедии, мы позвонили родителям. Transcription: oozNAF a traGYEdii, my pazvaNEEli raDEEtilyam Translation: Having learned about the tragedy, we called our parents. | Мы позвонили родителям, потому что узнали о трагедии. Transcription: my pazvaNEEli raDEEtilyam, pataMOO shta oozNAli a traGYEdii Translation: We called our parents because we learned about the tragedy. |
Только закончив доклад, я смогу обсудить его с тобой. Transcription: TOLka zaKONchif dakLAT, ya smaGOO absooDEET iVO s taBOY Translation: Only (after) having finished the report will I be able to discuss it with you. | Только если я закончу доклад, я смогу обсудить его с тобой. Transcription: TOLka YESli ya zaKONchoo dakLAT, ya smaGOO absooDEET iVO s taBOY Translation: Only if I finish the report will I be able to discuss it with you. |
How to form perfective verbal adverbs in Russian?
Perfective verbal adverbs can be formed only from perfective verbs. To form perfective verbal adverbs, add the suffixes -в transcribed v, -вши transcribed vshi, -ши transcribed shi, or -а transcribed a/-я transcribed ya to the stem of the past tense of the verb.
Perfective verb
(infinitive)
Masculine singular
(past tense)
Remove
the last letter
-л transcribed lAdd
-в transcribed v-вши transcribed fshy-ши transcribed shy-я transcribed yaNow let’s see how it works:
If the masculine singular past tense form ends in -л transcribed l (or -лся transcribed lsya, for reflexives), replace -л with -в transcribed v or -вши transcribed fshy. With non-reflexive verbs it is usually best to use -в transcribed v, and with reflexive verbs it’s best to use -вши transcribed fshy, which will look like -вшись transcribed fshys after you add the reflexive ending back on, but there is some flexibility.
Perfective
infinitiveMasculine
singularRemove Verbal adverb ending Perfective
verbal adverbпоговоритьTranscription: pagavaREETTranslation: to speakпоговорилTranscription: pagavaREEL-л transcribed lв transcribed vпоговоривTranscription: pagavaREEFTranslation: having spokenуслышатьTranscription: oosLYshatTranslation: to hearуслышалTranscription: oosLYshalв transcribed vуслышавTranscription: oosLYshafTranslation: having heardотучитьсяTranscription: atooCHEEtsaTranslation: to graduateотучилсяTranscription: atooCHEELsyaвши transcribed a and сь transcribed s
(reflexiveness)
отучившисьTranscription: atooCHEEfshysTranslation: having graduatedIf the past tense ends in some other consonant, you will usually add the -ши transcribed shy to the past tense.
Perfective
infinitiveMasculine
singularRemove Verbal adverb ending Perfective
verbal adverbиспечьTranscription: isPYECHTranslation: to bakeиспёкTranscription: isPYOK-
ши transcribed shyиспёкшиTranscription: isPYOKshiTranslation: having bakedBut there are two special cases where you do something a bit different:
If a perfective verb in infinitive has suffix -ну transcribed noo but lost it in the past tense masculine singular form, it will be back in verbal adverb perfective form.
Perfective
infinitiveMasculine
singularRemove Verbal adverb ending Perfective
verbal adverbпривыкнутьTranscription: priVYKnootTranslation: to get used toпривыкTranscription: priVYK-
Suffix ну transcribed noo is back +в transcribed v
привыкнувTranscription: priVYKnoofTranslation: having got used toSome perfective verbs with a stem ending in з transcribed z, с transcribed s, or д transcribed d, т transcribed t, or prefixed verbs of motion ending in -йти transcribed yti, form perfective verbal adverbs with -я transcribed ya, same as imperfective verbs.
Perfective
infinitiveMasculine
singularRemove Replace with
-в transcribed v or -вши transcribed vshee
or -я transcribed yaPerfective
verbal adverbпривезтиTranscription: privisTEETranslation: to bringпривёзTranscription: priVYOS-
я transcribed yaпривезяTranscription: priviZYATranslation: having brought
Summary
Let's review what we've learned about verbal adverbs.
There are imperfective (formed from imperfective verbs) and perfective (formed from perfective verbs) verbal adverbs in Russian.
They are mostly used in written Russian.
Imperfective verbal adverbs are formed with suffixes -а transcribed a or -я transcribed ya.
Perfective verbal adverbs are formed with -в transcribed v, -вши transcribed vshee, -ши transcribed shi, or -я transcribed ya.
Imperfective and perfective verbal adverb can be replaced by the clauses using conjunctions когда transcribed kagDAmeaning when, потому что transcribed pataMOOshtameaning because, etc.
In writing, the verbal adverbs are separated by commas.
Now let’s do some Russian verbal adverb exercises!
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