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Ruso! Hello everyone! Could someone help me understand the Russian "tenses"? I have a few examples i made here. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure this out but want to make sure my understanding is correct. Thank-you so much!!! Я делаю завтрак каждое утро. (I make breakfast every morning.) --repetitive action-- Я уже сделал завтрак. (I already made breakfast.) Я делал завтрак когда.... (I was making breakfast when....) Завтра я буду делать завтрак. (Tomorrow I will be making breakfast.) --Incomplete action-- Завтра я сделаю завтрак. (Tomorrow I will make breakfast) --completed action-- -------- Я читаю книгу. I'm reading a book, but haven't finished it...ongoing action. Я читал книгу. I was reading a book...past continuous. Я уже прочитал книгу. I read the book...and finished it. Я буду читать книгу...I will be reading the book (future continuous) Завтра я прочитаю книгу....I will read, and finish the book

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Ruso!

Hello everyone! Could someone help me understand the Russian "tenses"? I have a few examples i made here. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure this out but want to make sure my understanding is correct. Thank-you so much!!!

I applaud your enthusiasm, Russo, for tackling such a complicated topic in Russian. Let me give you an explanation of how this works :) 


Я делаю готовлю завтрак каждое утро. (I make breakfast every morning.) --repetitive action--

"Готовить завтрак" is more common. (I realize the temptation to say "делать завтрак" though, given that it's "make breakfast" in English)


Я уже сделал приготовил завтрак. (I already made breakfast.)

Я делал завтрак когда.... Я приготавливал/готовил 
(I was making breakfast when....)

Завтра я буду делать готовить завтрак. (Tomorrow I will be making breakfast.) --Incomplete action--

Завтра я сделаю приготовлю завтрак.
(Tomorrow I will make breakfast)
--completed action--

OK. It's important to realize that these verb forms are not exactly different in terms of tense per se. To illustrate, both приготовил and приготавливал/готовил are instances of Past Tense. Now hold up, you might say, what's the difference, then? The difference is (as you correctly pointed when mentioning repetitive action vs otherwise) in their ASPECT., which signifies whether the action is on going or completed. So, приготовил would have a perfective aspect (meaning the action is completed). By the same token, приготавливал/готовил has an imperfective aspect (meaning an action was taking place at a certain time.) Same goes for future tense: буду готовить (imperfective) and приготовлю (perfective)

Note: aspects may or may not manifest in Present Tense. For instance, you can say "Я готовлю ужин" to refer to either repetitive or ongoing actions depending on the contexts ("Я готовлю ужин СЕЙЧАС" vs "Я готовлю ужин каждое утро")   

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Я читаю книгу. I'm reading a book, but haven't finished it...ongoing action. 

Я читал книгу. I was reading a book...past continuous. Not quite like past continuous, though. NOTE: Russian doesn't distinguish between continuous vs non-continuous action, it's more about perfective vs imperfective. See above


Я уже прочитал книгу. I read the book...and finished it. Again, perfective ASPECT. 

Я буду читать книгу...I will be reading the book (future continuous) Imperfective aspect 

Завтра я прочитаю книгу....I will read, and finish the book Perfective Aspect. 

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Ruso!

Hello everyone! Could someone help me understand the Russian "tenses"? I have a few examples i made here. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure this out but want to make sure my understanding is correct. Thank-you so much!!!

Я делаю завтрак каждое утро. (I make breakfast every morning.) --repetitive action--

Я уже сделал завтрак. (I already made breakfast.)

Я делал завтрак когда....
(I was making breakfast when....)

Завтра я буду делать завтрак. (Tomorrow I will be making breakfast.) --Incomplete action--

Завтра я сделаю завтрак.
(Tomorrow I will make breakfast)
--completed action--

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Я читаю книгу. I'm reading a book, but haven't finished it...ongoing action.

Я читал книгу. I was reading a book...past continuous.

Я уже прочитал (alternatively, you can use the verb дочитал)  книгу. I read the book...and finished it.

Я буду читать книгу...I will be reading the book (future continuous)

Завтра я прочитаю (alternatively, you can use the verb дочитаю) книгу....I will read, and finish the book.

 

The phrase "делать (делал, сделаю, буду делать) завтрак (обед, ужин) is often used by Russian native speakers.

 

 

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Another example of this usage: ты уже посмотрел этот фильм? (completeness/success is stressed. Likely i think, you have or had such a plan). ты уже смотрел/видел этот фильм? (everybody watched it... so I think you will watch it too). ты смотрел этот фильм? (have you seen it?)
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As to imperfective, there is another possible usage: Я уже готовил завтрак --- means you have such an experience... it also can be said when John, Mary and Bob agreed that each of them will do it exactly once druing their 3-day long trip. The same with "я читал эту книгу": 1. [that moment] I was reading it 2. I used to read it often 3. "have you ever read this book?"
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Alan, perfective denotes an event. A single successful action. -- Я уже приготовил завтрак --- With (and without) "уже", 'already', it may mean that you have finished it and so it is/was _prepared_ (completeness is stressed). From the context we guess that it IS (rather than was) prepared. --- Mostly you use it when you describe some events or sequence of actions in past: I woke up, made my breakfast and went out to meet Mary.

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