Archives for: September 2009, 30
Брать/взять (часть первая)
September 30th, 2009 by DonThe basic verb that means “to take” in Russian is брать/взять. Notice that for both verbs the past/infinitive stem differs from the present/future/imperative stem. Note also the ь that appears in the middle of the future/imperative forms of взять.
| to take | ||
| Imperfective | Perfective | |
| Infinitive | брать | взять |
| Past | брал брала брало брали |
взял взяла взяло взяли |
| Present | беру берёшь берёт берём берёте берут |
No such thing as perfective present in Russian. |
| Future |
буду брать будешь брать будет брать будем брать будете брать будут брать |
возьму возьмёшь возьмёт возьмём возьмёте возьмут |
| Imperative | бери(те) | возьми(те) |
The simplest meaning of the verb is “to grasp/pick up something with the hands”:
| Дима взял ручку и записал свой адрес. | Dima picked up a pen and wrote down his address. |
| Возьми эту отвёртку и отвинти вешалку со стены. | Take this screw driver and unscrew the coat rack from the wall. |
The verb pair can also mean “to remove from its previous position”:
| Кто взял мелочь из банки? Я её копил на пиво! | Who took the change from the jar? I was saving it up for beer! |
Very often the verb is used in the context where Americans would use “to get”:
| Ты возьми сигареты, а я возьму водку. | You get the cigarettes, and I'll get the vodka. |
Sometimes the verb is essentially the same as “to buy,” at least when the context is clear:
| Что ты взяла в магазине? | What did you buy/get at the store? |
| Почему вы взяли сигареты и водку? Вы ведь знаете, что я не пью и не курю. | Why did you buy/get cigarettes? After all, you know that I don't drink or smoke. |
Although we won't go over them here, it's a good idea to remember that брать/взять has quite a few other meanings as well, just as “to take” does in English. Among them are:
- to rent (a car, etc.)
- to accept someone into a group
- to take control of
- to make a sound
- to go in a particular direction
As a beginning language student, it is always good to remember that if a word doesn't seem to make sense in a particular context, it may well have other meanings in addition to those you already know. Always have a good paper dictionary which you can consult when the internet is down. And always know two or three online dictionaries that you can consult. Actually, what dictionaries to use is a good topic of discussion as well, but we'll save that for another day.
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