успеть
Russian
Etymology
у- (u-) + спеть (spetʹ)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ʊˈspʲetʲ]
Audio (file)
Verb
успе́ть • (uspétʹ) pf (imperfective успева́ть)
- to have time, to find time
- to manage (to do something), to succeed
- to arrive in time (for), to be in time (for)
- to catch (a train, bus)
Usage notes
One of the notable ways to use the verb успеть is to indicate two events happening subsequently in a sudden way. The main clause includes не успел/успела/успело/успели and the subordinate clause starts with как. For example:
- Не успе́л он заверши́ть свою́ рабо́ту на компью́тере, как случи́лась ава́рия в энергосисте́ме зда́ния.
- Ne uspél on zaveršítʹ svojú rabótu na kompʹjútɛre, kak slučílasʹ avárija v enɛrgosistéme zdánija.
- Just as he (almost) finished his work on a computer, a blackout occurred in the building.
The main clause has an additional perfective infinitive verb due to the finite verb, успел, also being perfective. Thus, the main clause evokes an action that intends to reach completion, but is suddenly interrupted with another event (as described by the main clause). Thus, the two subsequent events may be slightly overlapped with each other or lack any interval.
Conjugation
Conjugation of успе́ть (class 1a perfective intransitive)
| perfective aspect | ||
|---|---|---|
| infinitive | успе́ть uspétʹ | |
| participles | present tense | past tense |
| active | — | успе́вший uspévšij |
| passive | — | — |
| adverbial | — | успе́в uspév, успе́вши uspévši |
| present tense | future tense | |
| 1st singular (я) | — | успе́ю uspéju |
| 2nd singular (ты) | — | успе́ешь uspéješʹ |
| 3rd singular (он/она́/оно́) | — | успе́ет uspéjet |
| 1st plural (мы) | — | успе́ем uspéjem |
| 2nd plural (вы) | — | успе́ете uspéjete |
| 3rd plural (они́) | — | успе́ют uspéjut |
| imperative | singular | plural |
| успе́й uspéj | успе́йте uspéjte | |
| past tense | singular | plural (мы/вы/они́) |
| masculine (я/ты/он) | успе́л uspél | успе́ли uspéli |
| feminine (я/ты/она́) | успе́ла uspéla | |
| neuter (оно́) | успе́ло uspélo | |
Related terms
- успе́х (uspéx), успе́шность (uspéšnostʹ)
- успе́шный (uspéšnyj)
- успева́ть (uspevátʹ), преуспева́ть (preuspevátʹ), преуспе́ть (preuspétʹ)
- успе́шно (uspéšno)