With a question about what the infinitive is in Russian, children first encounter in elementary school, a more detailed study begins in the fifth grade. Usually mastering the material on this topic is easy, but some aspects may be difficult even for an adult. What kind? Consider this article.
What is an infinitive in Russian?
The infinitive is the indefinite or, as it is called in another way, the initial form of the verb. It has the meaning of action, but it does not specify it, that is, it does not have the signs of a person, time, number, and mood.
The question of the indefinite form of the verb in modern Russian has long remained controversial in the circles of Russian linguists. The classical point of view is opposed to the opinion that the infinitive is a special part of speech. However, the vast majority of scholars are inclined to believe that this is the basic form of the verb.
The formative suffixes “t” and “t” act as a formal indicator of the infinitive. Some teaching aids consider them as inflections. The suffix “t” is productive, with its help all new verbs in the Russian language are formed.
In a small group of words, the indicator of the infinitive is considered “whose” (lie down, help, guard, cut), which is part of the root and stored in derivative forms.
Morphological features
Understanding what an infinitive is in Russian is easy. Much more difficulties arise in determining the part-tense attributes of the initial form of the verb.
In order to correctly perform the morphological analysis of the infinitive, it is necessary to remember that this is an unchangeable word. This means that it does not have inconstant signs that are characteristic of verb forms: number, gender, person, time, mood.
Of the permanent signs of the infinitive, the following categories can be identified: type, conjugation, recurrence, and transition.
How to determine the type and recurrence?
The form of a verb in an indefinite form can be perfect or imperfect. In the first case, the infinitive answers the question: "What to do?" (sing, dance, read, dig, hang), in the second - "What to do?" (go, draw, examine, sing, wash).
Reciprocity is a constant sign that indicates that the action is directed at its executor. The formal indicator is the postfix “sya”. If it is present in the composition of the word, the infinitive is returnable (swim, worry, laugh), if not, it is irrevocable (grind, believe, do).
Define Conjugation
An infinitive can refer to I or II conjugation, be uncontrollable, or be part of the exceptions.
Verbs of conjugation I in the initial form can end in "yat", "eat", "ut", "» "," "," ". II conjugation - only on "it". When you change the infinitive by persons and numbers, words of the first type have endings: -y (-y), -y, -et, -em, -et, -ut (-y). The second type: -y (-y), -you, -ite, -im, -it, -at (-yat).
The conjugation of the verb infinitive in Russian is determined according to the standard plan, compliance with which will help to avoid mistakes:
- First you need to emphasize the word.
- If the vowel in front of the formal indicator of the infinitive is in a strong position, conjugation is established along it.
- When she is in an unstressed position, the word is changed in faces and numbers and they look at which letter is in the end.
The indefinite form of the controversial type includes such words as “want” and “run”. When changing by faces and numbers, one can observe the endings of both species.
The verbs "give" and "eat" are conjugated in a special way. They are called isolated because in the first person singular appear endings that are not characteristic of other words.
Transitivity
The transitive nature of the infinitive is determined by the ability of the word to be combined with direct complement, which can be represented by a noun or pronoun:
- In the accusative case without an excuse.
- In the genitive case, if there is an indication of a part of the whole or is used together with the negative particle “not”.
Functions of the infinitive in Russian
The basis of the infinitive acts as the basis for the formation of new words: verbs and past participles, perfect participles. But this is not the only function.
In Russian, in the sentence, the infinitive can be any member:
- Predictable (“It’s best to say this right away”).
- Subject (“To find out what the meaning of life is is the main goal for many philosophers”).
- Addition ("The king ordered to bring a guest to himself").
- Circumstances (“People come here to look for a better life from different cities”).
- An inconsistent definition ("He was often visited by the same thought - quit a tired job").
We answered the question: “What is an infinitive in Russian?”. And also considered the difficulties that may arise when studying this topic. Now you can easily find the indefinite form of the verb in the sentence, and then establish what morphological features it possesses. This knowledge will help not only to use the infinitive correctly, but also to prevent mistakes during subsequent word formation.