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Participles & Verbal Adverbs

Adjective- and adverb-like verb forms

Participles act like adjectives from verbs

'reading', 'written'.

📊 Participles & verbal adverbs
Type Meaning Example
active present who is doing читающий
active past who did читавший
passive past that was done прочитанный
verbal adverb (while) doing читая
💬 Examples
читающий студент
chitayushchiy student
the student who is reading
📝 Active present participle
написанное письмо
napisannoye pis'mo
the written letter
📝 Passive past participle
Verbal adverbs (деепричастие) = 'while doing'

One action accompanying another.

💬 Examples
Читая книгу, я отдыхаю.
Chitaya knigu, ya otdykhayu.
While reading a book, I relax.
📝 Imperfective verbal adverb (читая)
Прочитав письмо, он ушёл.
Prochitav pis'mo, on ushyol.
Having read the letter, he left.
📝 Perfective verbal adverb (прочитав)
These are mostly written / formal

Speech often uses который clauses instead.

💬 Examples
студент, который читает
student, kotoryy chitayet
the student who is reading
📝 который = 'who/which' (spoken alternative)
письмо, которое он написал
pis'mo, kotoroye on napisal
the letter (that) he wrote
📝 который clause