The perfective prefixes and what they mean
по-, на-, с-, про-, пере-, до-, за-, вы-, у- and при- build perfectives — and very often change the meaning as well as the aspect.
The prefix is Russian's main machine for making a perfective verb, and each prefix carries a core idea that recurs across dozens of verbs. По- marks inception or a short, bounded spell: почита́ть (to read for a while), поговори́ть (to have a talk), пойти́ (to set off). На- marks completion by accumulation or saturation: написа́ть (to write out, to finish writing), накопи́ть (to save up), нае́сться (to eat one's fill). С- marks completion, and in motion verbs a downward direction: сде́лать, сказа́ть, съесть, спусти́ться.
Про- means 'through', or time spent: прочита́ть (to read through), пройти́ (to pass, to walk through), прожи́ть (to live through), просиде́ть (to sit for a spell). Пере- means 'again' or 'across': переписа́ть (to rewrite), перечита́ть (to reread), перее́хать (to move house), перейти́ (to cross). До- means 'up to a limit': дочита́ть (to read to the end), дойти́ (to walk as far as), дожи́ть (to live until). За- marks inception or fetching: закрича́ть (to start shouting), засну́ть (to fall asleep), зайти́ (to drop in), записа́ть (to write down).
Вы- means 'out', and by extension 'thoroughly, to completion': вы́йти (to go out), вы́пить (to drink up), вы́учить (to learn by heart), вы́спаться (to sleep one's fill). У- means 'away' or 'off': уйти́ (to leave on foot), уе́хать (to leave by vehicle), убежа́ть (to run off). При- means arrival: прийти́ (to arrive on foot), прие́хать (to arrive by vehicle), принести́ (to bring), пригото́вить (to prepare).
The warning that matters most is this: prefixation very often changes the lexical meaning, not only the aspect. Писа́ть is 'to write'; подписа́ть is 'to sign'; списа́ть is 'to copy out'; вы́писать is 'to write out' or 'to discharge'; описа́ть is 'to describe'. These are four distinct verbs that happen to share a root, not four aspects of one verb. One consequence follows automatically: because a prefixed perfective usually means something new, it acquires a new imperfective of its own, normally with -ыва- or -ива-: подписа́ть → подпи́сывать, вы́писать → выпи́сывать, рассказа́ть → расска́зывать. Treat every prefixed verb as new vocabulary and learn its partner with it.
Examples
- Я почита́ю немно́го и ля́гу спать. I shall read for a bit and then go to bed. — по- for a short bounded spell Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я почита́ю немно́го и ля́гу спать.
- Она́ подписа́ла докуме́нт. She signed the document. — the prefix has changed the meaning, not just the aspect Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Она́ подписа́ла докуме́нт.
- Мы дошли́ до вокза́ла за два́дцать мину́т. We walked as far as the station in twenty minutes. — до- up to a limit Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Мы дошли́ до вокза́ла за два́дцать мину́т.
- Он вы́учил все слова́. He learnt all the words by heart. — вы- to completion Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Он вы́учил все слова́.
- Они́ прие́хали ве́чером и уе́хали у́тром. They arrived in the evening and left in the morning. — при- arrival, у- departure Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Они́ прие́хали ве́чером и уе́хали у́тром.
- Расскажи́ мне э́ту исто́рию. Tell me that story. — с- for completion Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Расскажи́ мне э́ту исто́рию.