Secondary imperfective verbs
In short
| Perfective (once) | Secondary impf. (regularly) | ja | on/ona |
|---|---|---|---|
| potpisati | potpisivati | potpisujem | potpisuje |
| uključiti | uključivati | uključujem | uključuje |
| završiti | završavati | završavam | završava |
| proveriti | proveravati | proveravam | proverava |
| predati | predavati | predajem | predaje |
| prodati | prodavati | prodajem | prodaje |
| saznati | saznavati | saznajem | saznaje |
The prefix and its meaning stay. -iva- → -uje-; in -davati / -znavati, -va- → -je-. Habit (svaki dan, obično, uvek, stalno) → secondary imperfective.
B1 · Lesson 22 · Sekundarni imperfektiv: -ivati, -avati
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
You already know that a prefix makes a verb perfective: pisati (to write, ongoing) becomes potpisati (to sign — one finished act). The prefix also changes the meaning: pot- turns writing into signing. But what if you sign contracts every day? A single finished act does not fit a habit, and plain pisati no longer means 'sign'. Serbian solves this with a suffix.
The three-step chain
Take the prefixed perfective and add -ivati, -avati or -vati. The result is imperfective again, but it keeps the prefix and the meaning the prefix added. This third verb is called the secondary imperfective.
| Base verb (impf.) | Prefixed (pf.) — once | Secondary impf. — regularly | Present (ja) | Suffix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pisati (write) | potpisati (sign) | potpisivati | potpisujem | -ivati |
| pisati (write) | zapisati (note down) | zapisivati | zapisujem | -ivati |
| kazati (say) | pokazati (show) | pokazivati | pokazujem | -ivati |
| — | uključiti (switch on) | uključivati | uključujem | -ivati |
| — | završiti (finish) | završavati | završavam | -avati |
| — | proveriti (check) | proveravati | proveravam | -avati |
| — | zaključati (lock) | zaključavati | zaključavam | -avati |
| — | popuniti (fill in) | popunjavati | popunjavam | -avati |
| dati (give) | predati (hand in) | predavati | predajem | -vati |
| dati (give) | prodati (sell) | prodavati | prodajem | -vati |
| znati (know) | saznati (find out) | saznavati | saznajem | -vati |
- -ivati (potpisivati, zapisivati, pokazivati, uključivati): in the present, -iva- becomes -uje-, so potpisujem, pokazuješ, uključuje.
- -avati (završavati, proveravati, zaključavati): the present is regular a-class, so završavam, proveravaš, zaključavamo.
- -vati (predavati, prodavati, saznavati): after a stem ending in a vowel, just -vati is added. In the present of the verbs built on dati and znati, -va- drops to -je-, so predajem, prodaje, saznajemo. A few other -vati verbs keep -va- and conjugate like a-class verbs: obuvati (put on shoes) → obuvam.
| -ivati: potpisivati | -avati: proveravati | -vati: predavati | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ja | potpisujem | proveravam | predajem |
| ti | potpisuješ | proveravaš | predaješ |
| on / ona | potpisuje | proverava | predaje |
| mi | potpisujemo | proveravamo | predajemo |
| vi | potpisujete | proveravate | predajete |
| oni | potpisuju | proveravaju | predaju |
You do not have to build these verbs yourself — the stem often changes on the way (popuniti → popunjavati, pisati → potpisivati). Learn each secondary imperfective as a word next to its perfective. What you DO have to learn is when to use which one.
The prefix stays, and so does its meaning
The secondary imperfective is not the base verb. Pišem ugovore means 'I write contracts'; Potpisujem ugovore means 'I sign contracts'. In the same way zapisivati keeps the prefix za- and its meaning 'note down', and prodajem (I sell) is not dajem (I give). If you drop the prefix, you lose the meaning.
Once versus regularly
Use the perfective for one complete act: Juče sam potpisao ugovor. (Yesterday I signed the contract.) Use the secondary imperfective for the same act repeated, as a habit or routine: Svakog dana potpisujem ugovore. (Every day I sign contracts.) Words like svaki dan, svakog jutra, obično, uvek, stalno, često, ponekad and nikad almost always call for the imperfective — in the past too: Stalno sam popunjavala formulare (I was always filling in forms).
| Once (perfective) | Regularly (secondary imperfective) |
|---|---|
| Danas sam završio posao u pet. | Obično završavam posao u pet. |
| Predala je izveštaj u petak. | Petkom predaje izveštaj. |
| Proverio sam imejl. | Uvek proveravam imejl pre sastanka. |
| Popunila sam formular. | Stalno sam popunjavala formulare. |
The trap: to say what you regularly do, reach for the -ivati / -avati / -vati verb: Svaki dan potpisujem ugovore, Obično završavam posao u pet. In casual speech you will sometimes hear a perfective present in a habit, usually in a chain of steps done one after another, but the imperfective is always the safe, neutral choice for a routine.
Check what you read
6 of the 14 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
Svakog dana ___ ugovore. (I sign contracts every day.)
Obično ___ posao u pet.
Svakog petka ___ izveštaj šefu.
Sekretarica svakog jutra(uključivati) računar.
Direktor(potpisivati) ugovore svakog dana.
Mi obično(saznavati) novosti na pauzi.
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Petkom predaje izveštaj.
She hands in the report on Fridays.
Svakog dana potpisujem ugovore.
Every day I sign contracts.
Obično završavam posao u pet.
I usually finish work at five.
Zašto uvek kasno predaješ izveštaje?
Why do you always hand in your reports late? (to one person)
Uvek proveravam imejl pre sastanka.
I always check my email before a meeting.
Kancelariju zaključavamo svake večeri u osam.
We lock the office every evening at eight.
Radnici predaju izveštaje šefu svakog petka.
The workers hand in reports to the boss every Friday.
Naš poslodavac ne dozvoljava prekovremeni rad.
Our employer doesn't allow overtime work.
Menadžer svakog ponedeljka zadaje zadatke zaposlenima.
Every Monday the manager assigns tasks to the employees.
Računovođa isplaćuje plate svakog petnaestog u mesecu.
The accountant pays out the salaries on the fifteenth of every month.
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 48
Try it yourself
Translate a sentence that uses this rule. The check marks the word that went wrong and names the rule behind it, as in the app.
Sentences
Write it in Serbian
I usually finish work at five.