Russian

Alternative forms

• -ывать ‎(-yvatʹ)

Suffix

-ивать • ‎(-ivatʹ)

1. Used to form imperfective verbs from prefixed perfective verbs in -ить ‎(-itʹ) and sometimes -еть ‎(-etʹ), with iotation of the final consonant.

   оцени́ть pf ‎(ocenítʹ) → оце́нивать impf ‎(océnivatʹ)

   сноси́ть pf ‎(snosítʹ) → сна́шивать impf ‎(snášivatʹ)

   вы́здороветь pf ‎(výzdorovetʹ) → выздора́вливать impf ‎(vyzdorávlivatʹ)

2. Used as a spelling variant in place of -ывать ‎(-yvatʹ) to form imperfective verbs from prefixed perfective verbs in -ать ‎(-atʹ), -нуть ‎(-nutʹ) and sometimes -ить ‎(-itʹ) with root-final velars (к г х) and hushing consonants (ш ж ч щ), without iotation of the final consonant.

   вмеша́ться pf ‎(vmešátʹsja) → вме́шиваться impf ‎(vméšivatʹsja)

   вы́толкнуть pf ‎(výtolknutʹ) → выта́лкивать impf ‎(vytálkivatʹ)

   подскочи́ть pf ‎(podskočítʹ) → подска́кивать impf ‎(podskákivatʹ)

3. Used to form frequentative verbs from non-prefixed verbs in -ить ‎(-itʹ) and sometimes -еть ‎(-etʹ), with iotation of the final consonant.

   суди́ть ‎(sudítʹ, “to judge”) → су́живать ‎(súživatʹ, “to judge repeatedly”)

4. Used as a spelling variant in place of -ывать ‎(-yvatʹ) to form frequentative verbs from non-prefixed verbs in -ать ‎(-atʹ), -нуть ‎(-nutʹ) and sometimes -ить ‎(-itʹ) with root-final velars (к г х) and hushing consonants (ш ж ч щ), without iotation of the final consonant.

Usage notes

The frequentative and imperfectivizing suffixes are etymologically the same. The spelling-variant suffixes can be distinguished from the other suffixes by their iotation behavior, by the restriction of the second type to certain root-final consonants, and by the types of verbs they usually affect. Note also that in the spelling-variant type, an underlying root consonant that has been modified or deleted may reappear, as in подска́кивать impf ‎(podskákivatʹ), based on the root подскок-, which appears in iotated form in подскочи́ть pf ‎(podskočítʹ). For all suffixes, the stress is drawn onto the syllable before the prefix, and an о in that syllable usually changes into а.

See also

• -я́ть ‎(-játʹ) (another way to form imperfective verbs from prefixed perfective verbs, usually in -ить ‎(-itʹ), and with iotation)
• -а́ть ‎(-átʹ) (spelling variant of the above after hushing consonants (ш ж ч щ), which frequently result from iotation)
• -а́ть ‎(-átʹ) (a different, homophonous suffix used to form imperfective verbs from prefixed perfective verbs of certain classes, without iotation)
• -ва́ть ‎(-vátʹ) (a suffix used to form imperfective verbs from perfective verbs with vowel-final roots, as well as class-1 verbs in -еть ‎(-etʹ))