Отвечать / Ответить (to answer)

Infinitive (imperfective): отвеча́ть — "to answer, to reply (as a process / habitually); to be responsible" Infinitive (perfective): отве́тить — "to answer, to reply (one completed act)" Type: an aspect pair joined by suffix alternation (отвеча́- ↔ отве́т-), with a т→ч consonant mutation in the perfective я-form

отвеча́ть / отве́тить is the natural counterpart to asking — it is what you do after спра́шивать. Its government catches English speakers because the pieces split in ways answer does not: you answer a person in the dative (отве́тить учи́телю "answer the teacher"), you answer a question with на + accusative (отве́тить на вопро́с "answer the question"), and you answer for something — be responsible or pay the price — with за + accusative (отвеча́ть за прое́кт "be responsible for the project"). English uses no preposition for any of these ("answer the teacher / the question"), so each pattern has to be learned. Watch the т→ч mutation in the perfective first person: отве́чу.

Present tense (отвеча́ть, imperfective) — first conjugation, stem-stressed on -ча́-

Only the imperfective отвеча́ть has a present. It is regular first conjugation; the stress sits on -ча́- throughout.

The imperfective is built with the -а- suffix on the stem отвеча́-, giving regular first-conjugation endings and fixed stress on -ча́-. No mutation here — the т→ч change belongs only to the perfective, conjugated next.

Perfective отве́тить — present-looking FUTURE, second conjugation, т→ч in the я-form

The perfective отве́тить is second conjugation with the т→ч mutation, but only in the я-form: отве́чу. Elsewhere the т is kept (отве́тишь, отве́тит…). The stress stays on отве́- throughout — no shift. These forms are the future, not the present.

Note that the stress is fixed on отве́- in every form, including отве́чу — there is no end stress, which sets отве́тить apart from спроси́ть → спрошу́ (where the я-form shifts to the ending). Only the consonant changes (т→ч), and only in the я-form.

Past tense

A regular, gender-marked past for both members. Stress: -ча́- for the imperfective, отве́- for the perfective.

The aspect contrast: imperfective отвеча́л views answering as a process, habit, or attempt without a stated result ("I was answering / I used to answer / I kept replying"); perfective отве́тил marks one completed answer ("I answered [and that settled it]"). At an exam, "did he answer?" in the sense of "did he get through his response" is often imperfective отвеча́л (the process of answering), while "he gave the answer" is отве́тил.

Future tense

The pair forms its future the two standard ways.

• отвеча́ть (imperfective) → compound future: бу́ду отвеча́ть "I'll be answering / will keep replying."
• отве́тить (perfective) → simple future (conjugated above): отве́чу "I'll answer (once)."

The everyday "I'll answer / I'll reply" — one concrete response — is the perfective отве́чу. Reserve бу́ду отвеча́ть for "I'll be answering" (e.g., taking questions on stage, or being the one responsible). The mechanics are on the perfective simple future page.

Imperative

Regular for both aspects. Both keep the same stress as their stems (-ча́й for impf, отве́ть for pf).

The perfective Отве́ть demands one specific answer now ("answer me," "reply to this"). The imperfective Отвеча́й is the classroom "answer / give your response" and the impatient "out with it" — Отвеча́й, где ты был! "Answer me, where were you!" — and is also the form for negation (Не отвеча́й ему́ "Don't answer him").

Participles and verbal adverbs

The perfective verbal adverb отве́тив "having answered / after replying" is the most useful: отве́тив на все вопро́сы, он сел "having answered all the questions, he sat down." The verb is intransitive (dative person, на + accusative question), so there is no normal past passive participle.

Key uses & collocations

1. отвеча́ть + dative — the person you answer

You answer to a person, and that person is the dative, no preposition (dative case): отве́тить учи́телю, мне, дире́ктору. This is the dative-government pattern — the mirror image of спра́шивать, which takes the accusative of the person.

2. отвеча́ть на + accusative — the question/message answered

To answer a question, a letter, a message, a call, use на + accusative (на + accusative): отве́тить на вопро́с, на письмо́, на звоно́к, на сообще́ние. English drops the preposition ("answer the question"); Russian requires на.

3. отвеча́ть за + accusative — be responsible / answer for

A distinct sense: за + accusative means "be responsible for / answer for / be accountable for" — отвеча́ть за прое́кт "be in charge of the project," отве́тить за свои́ слова́ "answer for one's words," отвеча́ть за после́дствия "be answerable for the consequences." Here imperfective отвеча́ть is the norm for a standing responsibility.

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• отвеча́ть (impf) is a regular first-conjugation verb, stressed on -ча́-: отвеча́ю / отвеча́ешь … отвеча́ют.
• отве́тить (pf) is second conjugation with т→ч only in the я-form: отве́чу, but отве́тишь / отве́тит / отве́тят — and fixed stress on отве́- (no shift).
• No perfective present. отве́чу looks like a present but is the future.
• Past: отвеча́л (process / no result / non-response) vs отве́тил (one completed answer).
• Future: imperfective compound бу́ду отвеча́ть; perfective simple отве́чу (the everyday "I'll reply").
• Imperative: отве́ть (one answer) vs отвеча́й (insistent / negated / classroom).
• Government splits three ways: answer a person → dative (отве́тить учи́телю); answer a question/message → на + accusative (отве́тить на вопро́с); be responsible / answer for → за + accusative (отвеча́ть за прое́кт).