Delati and narediti: aspect, and why the prefix changes more than the meaning
In the flow-of-work unit almost every word stands in a pair: prenehati — nehati, dokončati — končati, premikati se — premakniti se. These are not synonyms but aspect, and it works like the difference English draws between 'was doing' and 'have done' — only it is a property of the verb, not of the tense. For example: “Vsak dan delam, danes pa bom naredil vse do konca” — Every day I work, but today I will get…
How it works
In the flow-of-work unit almost every word stands in a pair: prenehati — nehati, dokončati — končati, premikati se — premakniti se. These are not synonyms but aspect, and it works like the difference English draws between 'was doing' and 'have done' — only it is a property of the verb, not of the tense.
The imperfective (nedovršni) answers 'what to do': the process, repetition, habit. delati, premikati se, odlašati, uporabljati. The perfective (dovršni) — 'what to get done': once, to the end, with a result. narediti, premakniti se, odložiti, uporabiti.
How a pair is made. Most often by a prefix: delati → narediti, pisati → napisati, meriti → izmeriti. Sometimes by a suffix inside the word: premakniti → premikati, dokončati → dokončevati, kupiti → kupovati. Rarely by different roots: vzeti — jemati.
The rule English has no trace of. A perfective verb does not form a present tense. Naredim does not mean 'I am doing' — it is a future or a condition: Ko naredim, ti povem — when it's done, I'll tell you. To say 'I am doing it now' there is exactly one choice: delam.
And the rule about the future. The future of a perfective is built with the ordinary bom + -l: bom naredil. The imperfective has the same (bom delal), but in a time clause after ko, dokler Slovenian often keeps the perfective present: Ko končam, grem domov.
A prefix changes more than the aspect. iti — to go, priti — to arrive, oditi — to leave, obiti — to go around, mimo iti — to pass by. The same with staviti: postaviti (to set up), prestaviti (to move), odstaviti (to remove from office), nastaviti (to configure). It is better to learn them not as a list of prefixes but as triads 'verb — prefix — meaning', like the cards of this unit.
Table
| imperfective | perfective | the English | how the pair is made |
|---|---|---|---|
| delati | narediti | to work — to get done | a prefix |
| pisati | napisati | to write — to write out | a prefix |
| premikati se | premakniti se | to be moving — to shift | a suffix |
| odlašati | odložiti | to delay — to put off | a suffix |
| uporabljati | uporabiti | to keep using — to use up | a suffix |
| nehati | prenehati | to stop — to cease | a prefix |
| jemati | vzeti | to take (repeatedly) — to take | different roots |
| hoditi | iti | to walk — to go | different roots |
By example
- Vsak dan delam, danes pa bom naredil vse do koncaEvery day I work, but today I will get everything done to the end
- Vlak se premika počasi, zdaj se bo premaknil naprejThe train is moving slowly; now it will shift forward
- Ko dokončam poročilo, ti ga pošljemWhen I finish the report, I will send it to you
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Delati vs narediti?
In the flow-of-work unit almost every word stands in a pair: prenehati — nehati, dokončati — končati, premikati se — premakniti se. These are not synonyms but aspect, and it works like the difference English draws between 'was doing' and 'have done' — only it is a property of the verb, not of the…
How a Slovenian aspect pair is made?
The imperfective (nedovršni) answers 'what to do': the process, repetition, habit. delati, premikati se, odlašati, uporabljati. The perfective (dovršni) — 'what to get done': once, to the end, with a result. narediti, premakniti se, odložiti, uporabiti.
What the Slovenian prefix pri, od or pre changes?
How a pair is made. Most often by a prefix: delati → narediti, pisati → napisati, meriti → izmeriti. Sometimes by a suffix inside the word: premakniti → premikati, dokončati → dokončevati, kupiti → kupovati. Rarely by different roots: vzeti — jemati.
Why the Slovenian perfective has no present?
The rule English has no trace of. A perfective verb does not form a present tense. Naredim does not mean 'I am doing' — it is a future or a condition: Ko naredim, ti povem — when it's done, I'll tell you. To say 'I am doing it now' there is exactly one choice: delam.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Vsak dan delam, danes pa bom naredil vse do konca” — Every day I work, but today I will get everything done to the end. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.