Imperfective: купува́ти — "to buy, to be buying (repeatedly / as a process)" Perfective: купи́ти — "to buy (once, completely)" Type: a suffix-derived aspect pair — the imperfective adds the productive -ува- suffix to the perfective root
купува́ти / купи́ти is the everyday verb of shopping, and it is also a clean model of the single most common way Ukrainian builds aspect pairs: take a short perfective (купи́ти) and stretch it into an imperfective with the -ува- suffix (купува́ти). Each half conjugates in a completely different pattern, so you have to learn both paradigms — but once you do, you have the template for hundreds of verbs (показа́ти/пока́зувати, запита́ти/запи́тувати, and so on). Two traps sit inside this verb: the labial mutation п→пл in the perfective 1sg (куплю́) and 3pl (ку́плять), and the partitive genitive that lets you buy "some" of something. Stress is marked on every form below.
Present tense — купува́ти (imperfective only)
Only the imperfective купува́ти has a present tense. It is a model -ува- verb: the -ува- of the infinitive becomes -у- before the endings, giving the stem купу́- and the regular first-conjugation set купу́ю, купу́єш…. The stress sits on the -у- throughout — it does not move.
| Person | купува́ти — PRESENT | English |
|---|---|---|
| я | купу́ю | I buy / am buying |
| ти | купу́єш | you buy (sg.) |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | купу́є | he / she / it buys |
| ми | купу́ємо | we buy |
| ви | купу́єте | you buy (pl./formal) |
| вони́ | купу́ють | they buy |
The present means a repeated, habitual or ongoing buying: Я за́вжди купу́ю каву́ в цій кав’я́рні "I always buy coffee in this café." For one finished purchase you switch to the perfective купи́ти, which has no present at all.
Ми щотижня́ купу́ємо о́вочі на ри́нку, а не в суперма́ркеті.
Every week we buy vegetables at the market, not in the supermarket. — habitual present купу́ємо.
Чому́ ти за́вжди купу́єш найдоро́жчий сорт?
Why do you always buy the most expensive variety? — repeated buying, 2sg купу́єш.
Past tense — купува́в / купи́в
The past is built off each aspect's own stem with the gendered -в / -ла / -ло / -ли endings. Both paradigms keep their stress where the infinitive has it — the imperfective on -ва- (купува́в) and the perfective on the root vowel -и- (купи́в). Nothing shifts to the ending here, unlike дав/дала́.
| Gender / number | Perfective купи́ти | Imperfective купува́ти |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | купи́в | купува́в |
| feminine | купи́ла | купува́ла |
| neuter | купи́ло | купува́ло |
| plural | купи́ли | купува́ли |
The perfective past is the workhorse of everyday speech — "I bought it (and it's done)." The imperfective past describes a habit or an unfinished process: Ра́ніше ми купува́ли молоко́ в селі́ "We used to buy milk in the village."
Я вчо́ра купи́в нови́й телефо́н — ста́рий зо́всім розряджа́вся.
I bought a new phone yesterday — the old one kept dying. — perfective past купи́в, a single completed purchase.
Вона́ ро́ками купува́ла квитки́ на цей фестива́ль.
For years she bought tickets to this festival. — imperfective past купува́ла, a repeated action over time.
Future tense — perfective купи́ти vs imperfective купува́ти
The perfective купи́ти has no present; its conjugated forms are future in meaning. It is a second-conjugation -и- verb, and here comes the consonant trap: in the 1sg the labial п mutates to пл (куплю́), and the same -л- returns in the 3pl (ку́плять). The middle four persons keep plain п (ку́пиш, ку́пить, ку́пимо, ку́пите). Note also the stress jump: it sits on the ending in куплю́ but retreats to the root ку́- in every other future form.
| Person | Perfective simple future (купи́ти) | Imperfective analytic (бу́ду…) | Imperfective synthetic (-му) |
|---|---|---|---|
| я | куплю́ | бу́ду купува́ти | купува́тиму |
| ти | ку́пиш | бу́деш купува́ти | купува́тимеш |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | ку́пить | бу́де купува́ти | купува́тиме |
| ми | ку́пимо | бу́демо купува́ти | купува́тимемо |
| ви | ку́пите | бу́дете купува́ти | купува́тимете |
| вони́ | ку́плять | бу́дуть купува́ти | купува́тимуть |
The labial-+-л mutation (п→пл) is the same one you meet in роби́ти → роблю́ and люби́ти → люблю́: any verb whose root ends in б, п, в, м, ф inserts -л- in the 1sg and 3pl. There is no way around memorising it — but it is fully systematic, so once you spot a labial root you can predict the -л-. The two imperfective futures (бу́ду купува́ти / купува́тиму) both describe a future habit: "I'll keep buying / will be buying."
За́втра я куплю́ тобі́ квитки́, не хвилю́йся.
Tomorrow I'll buy you the tickets, don't worry. — perfective future куплю́ with the п→пл mutation; single completed act.
Якщо́ зна́йдемо го́тель деше́вше, ку́пимо ще й екску́рсію.
If we find a cheaper hotel, we'll buy a tour as well. — 3→1pl future ку́пимо, plain п, root stress.
Тепе́р я бу́ду купува́ти ли́ше місце́ві проду́кти.
From now on I'll buy only local produce. — imperfective future as a new habit, бу́ду + infinitive.
Imperative — купи́ vs купу́й
Both aspects form imperatives and they are not interchangeable. The perfective купи́ / купі́ть asks for one definite purchase ("buy me this"); the imperfective купу́й / купу́йте tells someone to buy as a rule or repeatedly ("always buy fresh bread"). For everyday "go buy X," the perfective купи́ is the default.
| Addressee | Perfective купи́ти | Imperfective купува́ти |
|---|---|---|
| ти (informal) | купи́ | купу́й |
| ви (formal / plural) | купі́ть | купу́йте |
| 3rd person (let him/them) | хай / неха́й ку́пить | хай / неха́й купу́є |
Купи́, будь ла́ска, хлі́ба й молока́ по доро́зі додо́му.
Buy some bread and milk on the way home, please. — perfective imperative купи́ + partitive genitive хлі́ба, молока́.
Не купу́й уся́кий мо́тлох на розпро́дажах!
Stop buying all sorts of junk at the sales! — imperfective imperative купу́й, telling someone to break a habit.
Participles and verbal adverbs
| Form | купи́ти / купува́ти |
|---|---|
| passive past participle (pf.) | ку́плений "bought" |
| imperfective verbal adverb | купу́ючи "(while) buying" |
| perfective verbal adverb | купи́вши "having bought" |
The passive participle ку́плений is everyday — ку́плений квито́к "a purchased ticket," усе́ вже ку́плено "everything's already been bought" (the -но impersonal). The verbal adverbs купу́ючи / купи́вши are (literary / written).
Key uses & case government
1. купи́ти + accusative thing + dative recipient
The core frame: the thing bought is the direct object in the accusative, the person it is for is in the dative. Because both roles are case-marked, word order is free. See dative uses.
Я хо́чу купи́ти мату́сі квіти́ на день наро́дження.
I want to buy my mum flowers for her birthday. — accusative квіти́ + dative мату́сі.
2. купи́ти + partitive genitive — "buy some"
With uncountable food and materials, swapping the accusative for the genitive adds the sense "some / a quantity of": купи́ти хліб "buy the bread / a loaf" vs купи́ти хлі́ба "buy some bread." This partitive genitive has no direct English equivalent — English needs the extra word "some."
Купу́й со́ку, а не газо́ваної води́ — так буде́ корисні́ше.
Buy some juice rather than fizzy water — it'll be healthier. — partitive genitive со́ку 'some juice'.
3. купи́ти + за + accusative (price) / у + genitive (seller)
The price you pay goes after за + accusative (купи́ти за сто гри́вень "buy for a hundred hryvnias"), and the seller after у / в + genitive (купи́ти у сусі́да "buy from a neighbour"). For paying as such, see плати́ти / заплати́ти.
Ми купи́ли цю ша́фу за безці́нь у старо́ї госпо́дині.
We bought this wardrobe dirt cheap from an old landlady. — за + accusative price, у + genitive seller.
Common Mistakes
❌ Я ку́пю тобі́ кни́жку.
Missing consonant mutation — the perfective 1sg of купи́ти is not *ку́пю but куплю́, with the labial п→пл change: Я куплю́ тобі́ кни́жку.
✅ Я куплю́ тобі́ кни́жку.
I'll buy you a book.
❌ Я купу́ю нови́й телефо́н за́втра.
Aspect error — a single completed purchase in the future needs the PERFECTIVE: Я куплю́ нови́й телефо́н за́втра. The present купу́ю means a habit, not a one-off.
✅ Я куплю́ нови́й телефо́н за́втра.
I'll buy a new phone tomorrow.
❌ Купи́ кни́жку дру́га.
Case error — the recipient is the DATIVE, not the genitive: Купи́ кни́жку дру́гові. (дру́га would mean 'a friend's book'.)
✅ Купи́ кни́жку дру́гові.
Buy the book for a friend.
❌ Я бу́ду купи́ти молоко́.
The auxiliary бу́ду takes an IMPERFECTIVE infinitive; the perfective купи́ти already forms its own future: Я бу́ду купува́ти молоко́ (habit) or Я куплю́ молоко́ (one purchase).
✅ Я куплю́ молоко́.
I'll buy the milk.
❌ Купи́ цу́кор, кави́ і трохи хлі́б.
Partitive error — for 'some' of an uncountable thing use the GENITIVE: Купи́ цу́кру, ка́ви і трохи хлі́ба.
✅ Купи́ цу́кру, ка́ви і трохи хлі́ба.
Buy some sugar, some coffee and a bit of bread.
Key Takeaways
- Suffix pair: perfective купи́ти
- the -ува- suffix → imperfective купува́ти (present купу́ю, купу́єш…), the most productive pair-building pattern in the language.
- Labial mutation: perfective 1sg куплю́ and 3pl ку́плять insert -л- (п→пл); the middle persons keep plain п (ку́пиш, ку́пить, ку́пимо, ку́пите).
- Government: thing bought = accusative, recipient = dative, price = за + accusative, seller = у + genitive.
- Partitive: купи́ти хлі́ба / цу́кру / со́ку = "buy some bread / sugar / juice" — genitive object for an unspecified quantity.
- Past: купи́в / купи́ла / купи́ло / купи́ли and купува́в / купува́ла… — stress stays on the root vowel (pf.) or the -ва- (impf.), no shift to the ending.
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- Forming Aspect Pairs: Suffixes and StemsB1 — The other half of the pairing system: deriving an IMPERFECTIVE from a perfective by suffix, above all the -а-/-ува-/-ову- imperfectivizing suffixes — да́ти→дава́ти, купи́ти→купува́ти, показа́ти→пока́зувати, забу́ти→забува́ти, відкри́ти→відкрива́ти. Plus consonant mutations (зустрі́ти→зустріча́ти), root-vowel alternations (зібра́ти→збира́ти, поме́рти→помира́ти), and the handful of suppletive pairs that must simply be memorised (бра́ти/взя́ти, говори́ти/сказа́ти).
- Verbs in -увати/-ювати: The Borrowing FactoryA2 — The productive -ува́ти/-юва́ти class — the bin Ukrainian uses for borrowings and many native verbs. In the present, the suffix -ува-/-юва- contracts to -у-/-ю- (працюва́ти → працю́ю, малюва́ти → малю́ю, дя́кувати → дя́кую, керува́ти → керу́ю), so the present looks shorter than the infinitive; the past keeps the full -ува- (працюва́в). This is the class new and biaspectual verbs join, so the pattern is high-yield.
- Present Tense: Second ConjugationA1 — The second conjugation (друга дієвідміна) takes the present endings -у/-ю, -иш/-їш, -ить/-їть, -имо/-їмо, -ите/-їте, -ать/-ять, built on the theme vowel -и-/-ї- with a 3pl in -ать/-ять. Drill three models: regular говори́ти (говорю́, гово́риш, гово́рить… гово́рять), labial+л in the 1sg люби́ти (люблю́, лю́биш… лю́блять), and dental mutation in the 1sg ходи́ти (ходжу́, хо́диш… хо́дять) and ба́чити (ба́чу, ба́чиш… ба́чать — -ать, not -ять, after the hushing ч). The key insight: the mutation is confined to the я-form.
- Genitive: Partitive and DatesB1 — Two more genitive jobs English handles differently: the partitive genitive marks an indefinite portion (налий води 'pour some water', випив води 'drank some water') and lets Ukrainian distinguish 'some' from 'the whole' by case alone (води vs воду); and dates put the ordinal day plus month both in the genitive with no 'on' — першого вересня 'on the first of September'.
- Dative: Core UsesA2 — Beyond the indirect object (дати книгу братові), the dative carries Ukrainian's whole experiencer system: the person who feels, needs, owns an age, or likes something becomes a dative while the verb goes impersonal — мені холодно 'I'm cold', мені двадцять років 'I'm twenty', мені треба йти 'I need to go', мені подобається кава 'I like coffee'.
- Verb Reference: Платити / Заплатити (to pay)A2 — Complete conjugation-and-usage reference for the aspect pair плати́ти (imperfective) / заплати́ти (perfective) 'to pay'. The imperfective плати́ти is a second-conjugation -и- verb with the dental mutation т→ч in the 1sg плачу́ (then пла́тиш, пла́тить…); the perfective заплати́ти adds the prefix за-. Core government: за + ACCUSATIVE for the thing paid for (заплати́ти за ка́ву), DATIVE for the recipient (заплати́ти продавце́ві), and a clean contrast with кошту́вати 'to cost'.