Делать vs Сделать: Understanding Russian Perfective and Imperfective Verbs
One of the first challenges in Russian grammar is aspect: many verbs come in pairs—imperfective (делать) and perfective (сделать). Aspect is a feature unique to Slavic languages — there's no direct equivalent in English, though the difference between "I was reading" (continuous) and "I read the whole book" (simple) comes close. Understanding aspect will help you speak more naturally and avoid common mistakes.
- What verbal aspect is and why it matters in Russian
- When to use делать (imperfective) vs сделать (perfective)
- A comparison table for quick reference
- Common aspect pairs every learner should know
- Tips for remembering which form to use
What Is Aspect?
Russian aspect divides verbs into imperfective (ongoing, repeated, or general actions) and perfective (completed, one-time actions with a result). Делать is imperfective ("to do / be doing"), while сделать is perfective ("to do and finish"). Mastering this distinction is a key requirement at CEFR B1 level.
In Russian, aspect shows whether an action is:
- Completed (perfective): результат есть — the result exists. I did it.
- In progress / repeated / general (imperfective): процесс или факт. I was doing it / I do it / I used to do it.
Делать (imperfective) = to do, to be doing
Сделать (perfective) = to do (and finish), to have done
When to Use Делать (Imperfective)
Use делать when:
- The action is in progress: Я делаю уроки. (I'm doing my homework.)
- You talk about habit or ability: Я умею делать суп. (I can make soup.)
- You ask what someone is doing: Что ты делаешь? (What are you doing?)
- The action is repeated: Каждый день я делаю зарядку. (Every day I do exercises.)
- You deny that something was done (often with не): Я не делал этого. (I didn't do that.)
Want to practice Russian verb aspect with a native teacher? Book a free trial and get real-time feedback on when to use делать vs сделать.
When to Use Сделать (Perfective)
Use сделать when:
- The action is completed or will be completed: Я сделал уроки. (I've done my homework.)
- You focus on the result: Наконец я сделал это! (I finally did it!)
- You promise or plan one completed action: Я сделаю это завтра. (I'll do it tomorrow.)
- With уже (already): Я уже сделал. (I've already done it.)
Quick Comparison Table
| Situation | Imperfective (делать) | Perfective (сделать) |
|---|---|---|
| In progress | Я делаю. (I'm doing it.) | — |
| Completed | — | Я сделал. (I did it.) |
| Habit | Я делаю каждый день. | — |
| Future (one time) | — | Я сделаю завтра. |
| "Can do" | Я умею делать. | — |
Common Pairs to Remember
- делать / сделать — to do, to make
- писать / написать — to write
- читать / прочитать — to read
- говорить / сказать — to say, to speak
- понимать / понять — to understand
Notice that many perfective forms are created by adding verb prefixes — learning how prefixes work will help you recognize and form aspect pairs naturally.
Aspect clicks fastest with guided practice. Our teachers help you build intuition for imperfective vs perfective through real conversations. Try a Russian lesson.
Tips for Learners
- Learn both forms together when you learn a new verb.
- Perfective has no present tense — only past and future (because a completed action can't be "now").
- Negation: Не делал = didn't do (imperfective). Не сделал = didn't do it (perfective, emphasis on "didn't complete").
Aspect also plays a key role in verbs of motion and interacts closely with case endings when verbs take objects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does English have aspect?
Not in the same way. English uses continuous tenses ("I was reading") and simple tenses ("I read") to express something similar, but Russian aspect is a built-in property of the verb itself. Every Russian verb is either imperfective or perfective — you can't avoid choosing.
When should I use the perfective form?
Use perfective when you want to emphasize a completed result: "I did it," "I'll finish it," "I already wrote it." If the action is one-time and has a clear endpoint or outcome, perfective is usually the right choice.
How do I remember aspect pairs?
Learn each new verb as a pair from the start — for example, писать / написать together, not separately. Many perfective forms are simply the imperfective plus a prefix (на-, с-, про-, etc.), so learning common prefixes gives you a powerful shortcut.
Practice in Real Lessons
Getting the aspect right takes practice with real sentences and feedback. At VividRussian School we practice verb pairs in context so you learn when to use делать vs сделать naturally. Book a free trial lesson and try it with a native teacher.