Bysurface analysis,у-(u-) +спеть(spetʹ), fromProto-Slavic*spěti, fromProto-Indo-European*spewd-(“press, hurry”), whence Englishspeed.
успе́ть• (uspétʹ) pf (imperfectiveуспева́ть)
One of the notable ways to use the verbуспеть is to indicate two events happening subsequently in a sudden way. The main clause includesне успел/успела/успело/успели and the subordinate clause starts withкак. For example:
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.
| perfective aspect | ||
|---|---|---|
| infinitive | успе́ть uspétʹ | |
| participles | present tense | past tense |
| active | — | успе́вший uspévšij |
| passive | — | — |
| adverbial | — | успе́в uspév, успе́вши uspévši |
| present tense | future tense | |
| 1stsingular (я) | — | успе́ю uspéju |
| 2ndsingular (ты) | — | успе́ешь uspéješʹ |
| 3rdsingular (он/она́/оно́) | — | успе́ет uspéjet |
| 1stplural (мы) | — | успе́ем uspéjem |
| 2ndplural (вы) | — | успе́ете uspéjete |
| 3rdplural (они́) | — | успе́ют uspéjut |
| imperative | singular | plural |
| 2nd (ты/вы) | 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 | |