Chung wrote:StringerBell wrote:From this chapter it seems that the perfective form is equivalent to the English "I was doing..." and you use it to describe an action in the past that wasn't completed or was interrupted. The imperfective form is only for an action that was completed 100%. However, I'm not confident about this conclusion because I think it's a little more complicated than this, plus they don't even mention future tense here. But maybe it really is this simple???
It's the other way around: IMperfective forms are used to describe incomplete or interrupted actions (~ they are not "perfect" / completed actions). Perfective forms are used to describe completed actions (~ they are "perfect" / completed actions)
Thanks for the explanations
Chung! I was a little confused this time. To avoid that, I suggest using Polish grammatical terms. In Polish, there are "niedokonany" and "dokonany" verbs. The first one is incomplete and the second is completed. I read this on my smartphone and I had some time before I could sit in front of a computer and write a reply. I figured out something interesting, and hopefully useful. There are some exceptions, but is seems to be a rule.
If you take "niedokonany" verb in a present tense and add a right prefix to it, you receive "dokonany" verb in the future tense:
czytam + prze => przeczytam
czytasz + prze => przeczytasz
uczę + na -> nauczę
myję + u -> umyję
zbieram + u -> uzbieram
This leads to your question about the future tense of the "dokonany" verbs. It is easy - if you want to express that you plan to finish reading the book, not the fact that you will just read it, you will use "dokonany"
"Będę czytał jutro książkę" -> I will read a book tomorrow (I may finish it, but I may not. Reading is more important than completing)
"Jutro przeczytam książkę" -> I will finish a book tomorrow
The examples
("niedokonany) ("dokonany")
"z":
myć -> zmyć (to wash a spot from clothing or table)
Myłem podłogę (floor may be clean but may not)
Zmyłem plamy z podłogi
"u"
myć -> umyć
Myłem ręce, ale nie wiem czy są czyste (I wash my hands but I don't know if they are clean)
Umyłem ręce (I washed my hands completely)
zbierać -> uzbierać
Zbierałem pieniądze na wyjazd (I was gathering money for a trip - I may have enough, but may not)
Uzbierałem pieniądze na wyjazd (I have gathered money for a trip - I have enough to pay for the trip)
"prze"
pisać -> przepisać
Cały dzień pisałem zadanie domowe (I was writing a homework a whole day)
Przepisałem zadanie domowe od kolegi (I copied homework from a colleague
myć -> przemyć
"Przemyć" is mostly used as "to perform a disinfection of a wound"
Przemyłem dziecku ranę na nodze.
czytać -> przeczytać
[This was already explained I think]
"na"
pisać -> napisać
Pisałem wczoraj opowiadanie (I was writing a story yesterday)
Napisałem wczoraj opowiadanie (I wrote a story yesterday - The story is completed)
rysować -> narysować
Rysowałem wczoraj statek (I was drawing a ship yesterday)
Narysowałem wczoraj statek (I drawed a ship yesterday)
malować -> namalować
Malowałem wczoraj obraz (I was painting a picture yesterday)
Namalowałem wczoraj obraz (I painted (and finished) a picture yesterday
[note that in the following examples besides adding a prefix, you have to make the verb reflexive]
jeść -> najeść się
Wczoraj jadłem obiad (I was eating a lunch/dinner yesterday)
Wczoraj najadłem się obiadem (I ate a lunch/dinner and was not hungry anymore)
pić -> napić się
Wczoraj piłem dużo wody (I was drinking a lot of water yesterday - but I could still be thirsty)
Wczoraj napiłem (dużo) się wody (I drank water yesterday and was not thirsty. "dużo" should rather be skipped in this case)
I wrote too much in Polish to use Grammarly, so sorry for the mistakes in English. I hope that, nevertheless, it will be clear enough for you. This is rather general explanation. If you wish some details, let me know.
"Iść" is not an easy verb since it changes a form
iść -> pójść
Wczoraj szedłem do szkoły (male)
Wczoraj szłam do szkoły (female) -> Yesterday I was going to school - but I might not even have an intention to reach it
Wczoraj poszedłem do szkoły - I went to school yesterday
Wczoraj poszłam do szkoły