Participles and Gerunds in Russian

In Russian, participles and gerunds are non-finite verb forms that derive from verbs but function like adjectives (participles) or adverbs (gerunds). These forms provide additional information about the action or state, without having to use a full verb. They are essential for creating more complex sentences and are often used in spoken and written Russian to express nuanced meanings.
In this article, we will discuss the functions, formation, and usage of participles and gerunds in Russian.
1. Participles in Russian
A participle is a verb form that acts as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. Participles describe the state or condition of the subject of the sentence in relation to an action. They can indicate a completed action (perfective participles) or an ongoing action (imperfective participles).
There are two main types of participles in Russian:
1.1. Active Participles
Active participles are formed from imperfective verbs and describe an action that is in progress or habitual. They can be used to describe the subject performing the action.
Examples of Active Participles:
- Читающий (reading) from the verb читать (to read)
- Идущий (walking) from the verb идти (to go, walk)
- Работающий (working) from the verb работать (to work)
Example sentences:
- Читающий книгу студент сидит за столом. (The student reading the book is sitting at the table.)
- Идущий по улице человек носит красную шапку. (The person walking down the street is wearing a red hat.)
1.2. Passive Participles
Passive participles are formed from perfective verbs and describe an action that has been completed or is the result of a previous action. They show the subject receiving or being affected by the action.
Examples of Passive Participles:
- Написанный (written) from the verb написать (to write)
- Сделанный (done, made) from the verb сделать (to do, make)
- Почищенный (cleaned) from the verb почистить (to clean)
Example sentences:
- Это написанное письмо очень важное. (This written letter is very important.)
- Сделанная работа была оценена. (The completed work was assessed.)
2. Formation of Participles
The formation of participles in Russian depends on the verb’s aspect (imperfective or perfective), the type of participle (active or passive), and the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.
2.1. Active Participles Formation:
- From imperfective verbs, active participles are formed with the suffixes -ущ-, -ющ-, -ащ-, or -ащ- depending on the verb’s stem.
Examples:
- Читать (to read) → Читающий (reading)
- Готовить (to cook) → Готовящий (cooking)
- Идти (to go) → Идущий (going)
2.2. Passive Participles Formation:
- Passive participles are formed from perfective verbs, typically by adding the suffix -н- or -т-.
Examples:
- Написать (to write) → Написанный (written)
- Сделать (to do) → Сделанный (done)
- Почистить (to clean) → Почищенный (cleaned)
3. Usage of Participles
Participles are used in several ways in Russian:
3.1. As Modifiers (Adjectival Use)
Participles function like adjectives, describing the noun they modify. They agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
Examples:
- Читающая девочка (The reading girl)
- Сделанная работа (The done work)
- Идущие люди (The walking people)
3.2. In Complex Sentences
Participles are often used to form complex sentences, where they provide additional information about the subject or object of the main clause.
Examples:
- Читая книгу, я забываю о времени. (While reading the book, I forget about time.)
- Слушая музыку, она чувствует себя лучше. (Listening to music, she feels better.)
4. Gerunds in Russian
A gerund is a verb form that functions as an adverb, modifying a verb by describing how, when, or under what conditions the action occurs. Gerunds describe an action that is happening simultaneously with the main action in the sentence.
There are two main types of gerunds in Russian:
4.1. Simple Gerund
A simple gerund is derived from imperfective verbs and expresses an action happening simultaneously with the action in the main verb.
Formation of Simple Gerund: To form a simple gerund, add the suffix -я or -a to the verb stem.
Examples:
- Читая (while reading) from the verb читать (to read)
- Работая (while working) from the verb работать (to work)
- Гуляя (while walking) from the verb гулять (to walk)
Example sentences:
- Читая книгу, я учусь. (While reading a book, I learn.)
- Работая весь день, я устал. (Working all day, I got tired.)
4.2. Compound Gerund
A compound gerund is derived from perfective verbs and expresses an action that was completed before the main action.
Formation of Compound Gerund: To form a compound gerund, add the suffix -в to the verb stem.
Examples:
- Написав (having written) from the verb написать (to write)
- Сделав (having done) from the verb сделать (to do)
- Почистив (having cleaned) from the verb почистить (to clean)
Example sentences:
- Написав письмо, я отправил его. (Having written the letter, I sent it.)
- Сделав уроки, я пошел гулять. (Having done my homework, I went for a walk.)
5. Usage of Gerunds
Gerunds are used to express actions that happen simultaneously with or prior to the action of the main verb. They answer the question «how» or «under what conditions» the action is performed.
5.1. Simultaneous Actions (Simple Gerund)
Examples:
- Читая книгу, он пьет чай. (While reading a book, he drinks tea.)
- Работая в офисе, я слушаю музыку. (While working in the office, I listen to music.)
5.2. Preceding Actions (Compound Gerund)
Examples:
- Сделав уроки, он пошел гулять. (Having done his homework, he went for a walk.)
- Написав статью, она отправила её в журнал. (Having written the article, she sent it to the journal.)
6. Conclusion
In Russian, participles and gerunds are important non-finite verb forms that provide additional meaning and nuance to sentences. Participles function as adjectives, describing nouns, while gerunds function as adverbs, describing the manner or conditions under which an action takes place. Both forms are essential for creating more complex and expressive sentences in Russian.
By mastering the use of participles and gerunds, you can enhance your ability to convey actions and their relationships in a more detailed and refined way.
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- Perfective vs. Imperfective Verbs in Russian: A Complete Guide with Examples
- Comprehensive Workbook for Beginner Russian Learners (A1-A2 Level)
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