-ать

Alternative forms

• -ять (-jatʹ)

Suffix

-ать or -а́ть • (-atʹ or -átʹ)

1. The infinitive suffix for many verbs. Usually indicates an imperfective verb.
2. Used in place of -я́ть (-játʹ) after the hushing sibilants ш щ ч ж and after жд, when used to derive imperfective verbs from prefixed perfective verbs in -ить (-itʹ). Always stressed.

   ме́тить impf (métitʹ, “to mark”) → поме́тить pf (pométitʹ, “to mark, to date”) → помеча́ть impf (pomečátʹ)

   роди́ть impf (rodítʹ, “to give birth”) → зароди́ть pf (zarodítʹ, “to engender”) → зарожда́ть impf (zaroždátʹ)

3. Used to derive imperfective verbs from certain classes of prefixed perfective verbs, where the stem ends in a non-palatal consonant (e.g. class 3, 6, 7, 8). Always stressed (which may be the only difference between the perfective and imperfective forms, esp. for class 6 perfectives). It is added to the underlying stem, minus the infinitive suffix -нуть (-nutʹ) (class 3), -ать (-atʹ) (class 6), -ть (-tʹ) (class 7). In some cases, the underlying stem is not apparent in the infinitive. In such a case, the stem may appear in the present tense (in class 7 verbs such as напа́сть (napástʹ), underlying stem напа́д- visible in present 1st singular нападу́ (napadú), or in class 8 verbs such as отсе́чь (otséčʹ), underlying stem отсе́к- visible in present 1st singular отсеку́ (otsekú)) or may not (in class 3 verbs in -нуть, e.g. поки́нуть (pokínutʹ), underlying stem поки́д-).

   мо́лкнуть impf (mólknutʹ, “to fade, to grow quiet”) → замо́лкнуть pf (zamólknutʹ, “to become silent”) → замолка́ть impf (zamolkátʹ)

   грызть impf (gryztʹ, “to gnaw”) → обгры́зть pf (obgrýztʹ, “to gnaw around”) → обгрыза́ть impf (obgryzátʹ)

   пасть impf (pastʹ, “to fall”) → напа́сть pf (napástʹ, “to fall on, to attack”) (underlying stem напа́д-) → напада́ть impf (napadátʹ)

   сечь impf (sečʹ, “to cut, to chop”) → отсе́чь pf (otséčʹ, “to cut off, to chop off”) (underlying stem отсе́к-) → отсека́ть impf (otsekátʹ)

   ре́зать impf (rézatʹ, “to cut, to carve”) → разре́зать pf (razrézatʹ, “to cut off”) → разреза́ть impf (razrezátʹ)

   ки́нуть impf (kínutʹ, “to throw”) → поки́нуть pf (pokínutʹ, “to leave, to abandon”) (underlying stem поки́д-) → покида́ть impf (pokidátʹ)

4. Occasionally, irregularly used to derive imperfective verbs from class 4 and class 5 verbs where the stem ends in a paired palatal consonant. Always stressed.

   ступи́ть pf (stupítʹ, “to tread, to step”) → ступа́ть impf (stupátʹ)

   купи́ть impf (kupítʹ, “to buy”) → скупи́ть pf (skupítʹ, “to buy up”) → скупа́ть impf (skupátʹ)

   руби́ть impf (rubítʹ, “to chop”) → отруби́ть impf (otrubítʹ, “to chop off”) → отруба́ть impf (otrubátʹ)

Alternative forms

• -е́ть (-étʹ) (not after hushing sibilants or /j/)
• -я́ть (-játʹ) (after underling /j/)

Suffix

-а́ть • (-átʹ)

1. Used in place of -е́ть (-étʹ) after the hushing sibilants ш щ ч ж, when used to derive class-5 imperfective verbs from nouns, especially onomatopoeic verbs. Probably no longer productive.