за-

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [zə]

Prefix

за- • (za-)

1. (used with verbs) behind, beyond

   • идти́ ― idtí ― (impf.) to go
   • зайти́ ― zajtí ― (pf.) to go behind, to go beyond; to call on

2. (used with verbs) begin doing (describing an action of commencing)

   • говори́ть ― govorítʹ ― (impf.) to speak
   • заговори́ть ― zagovorítʹ ― (pf.) to begin to speak

3. (used with verbs) in advance (describing an action of doing something ahead of time)

   • гото́вить ― gotóvitʹ ― (impf.) to prepare
   • загото́вить ― zagotóvitʹ ― (pf.) to prepare

4. (used with verbs) to the finish, to the end (describing a completed result)

   • бетони́ровать ― betonírovatʹ ― (impf.) to concrete
   • забетони́ровать ― zabetonírovatʹ ― (pf.) to concrete
   • по́лнить ― pólnitʹ ― (impf.) to fill (now archaic, not to be confused with полни́ть)
   • запо́лнить ― zapólnitʹ ― (pf.) to fill
   • верши́ть ― veršítʹ ― (impf.) to manage, control, direct (literary usage)
   • заверши́ть ― zaveršítʹ ― (pf.) to finish, complete, accomplish

   заасфальти́ровать ― zaasfalʹtírovatʹ ― to re-surface

   забели́ть ― zabelítʹ ― to whiten

5. (used with verbs) (describing an action of covering something, of being covered, or hiding behind something)

   • ржа́веть ― ržávetʹ ― (impf.) to become rusty
   • заржа́ве́ть ― zaržávétʹ ― (pf.) to become rusty (as an emphasis, by being covered with rust)
   • целова́ть ― celovátʹ ― (impf.) to kiss
   • зацелова́ть ― zacelovátʹ ― (pf.) to cover with kisses, denoting kissing many times, that one's body is fully covered with kisses.

6. (used with verbs) (describing an intensified or extreme action or an action of doing something up to the point that an object becomes a junk)

   • чита́ть ― čitátʹ ― (impf.) to read
   • зачита́ть ― začitátʹ ― (pf.) to read (a book, as well as not returning it back; until it becomes all torn apart; simply reading out loud, denoting that the loud voice is a sign of intensified or extreme action)
   • засиде́ться ― zasidétʹsja ― (pf.) to sit down, stay for quite a long time (denoting that the long duration of sitting is a sign of intensified or extreme action)
   • заду́мать ― zadúmatʹ ― (pf.) to reflect, become lost in thoughts

7. (used with verbs) (describing an action that implies the existence of barriers, obstacles, or hinderance)

   • баллоти́ровать ― ballotírovatʹ ― (impf.) to vote (for someone)
   • забаллоти́ровать ― zaballotírovatʹ ― (pf.) to fail to elect
   • держа́ть ― deržátʹ ― (impf.) to hold, keep, support
   • задержа́ть ― zaderžátʹ ― (pf.) to detain, delay

8. with reflexive -ся, to do with abandonment

   заговори́ться ― zagovorítʹsja ― to spout nonsense; to rattle on; to have a long talk with, forgetting the time

9. place names

   Закарпатье ― Zakarpatʹje ― Transcarpathia

   Закавка́зье ― Zakavkázʹje ― Transcaucasia