Aspect pair: лови́ти (imperfective) — спійма́ти (perfective) Meaning: "to catch, trap, grab, snare; (figurative) to seize, catch out" Conjugation: the imperfective лови́ти is a second-conjugation verb with a 1sg consonant mutation в → вл (ловлю́) and a mobile stress; the perfective спійма́ти is a regular first-conjugation -ати verb (спійма́ю…). The pair is suppletive — the two members come from different roots (лов- vs спійм-/пійм-). Government: bare accusative.
лови́ти / спійма́ти is the standard pair for "catch" — a fish, a ball, a thief, a bus, a cold, a moment. Two features make it B2 material. First, the aspect pair is suppletive: most pairs share a root, but here the imperfective is built on лов- and the perfective on пійм- / спійм-, an entirely different stem. Second, the imperfective has the classic labial mutation in the 1sg — в softens to вл before the ending, so "I catch" is ловлю́, not "ловю". That same вл shows up in the 3rd plural ло́влять. Get those two right and you own this verb. Stress is marked on every form.
Present tense — лови́ти (imperfective only)
A perfective has no present, so the present belongs to лови́ти. Note the mobile stress: end-stressed in the 1sg (ловлю́) but stem-stressed everywhere else (ло́виш, ло́вить…). The в→вл mutation appears only in the 1sg and 3pl.
| Person | Present (impf) | English |
|---|---|---|
| я | ловлю́ | I catch / am catching (note в→вл, end stress) |
| ти | ло́виш | you catch (sg.) |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | ло́вить | he / she / it catches |
| ми | ло́вимо | we catch |
| ви | ло́вите | you catch (pl./formal) |
| вони́ | ло́влять | they catch (note в→вл) |
Щолі́та дід ло́вить ри́бу на світа́нку, поки́ ти́хо.
Every summer Grandpa catches fish at dawn, while it's quiet. (Habitual → imperfective ло́вить; accusative ри́бу.)
Я ло́влю ко́жне твоє́ сло́во, не зупиня́йся.
I'm hanging on your every word, don't stop. (1sg ловлю́ with the labial mutation; figurative 'catch every word'; accusative сло́во.)
Future tense
The perfective спійма́ти forms its future with regular -ати endings (one completed catch). The imperfective лови́ти builds the future two ways: analytic бу́ду лови́ти and synthetic лови́тиму.
| Person | Perfective future (спійма́ти) | Impf. analytic | Impf. synthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| я | спійма́ю | бу́ду лови́ти | лови́тиму |
| ти | спійма́єш | бу́деш лови́ти | лови́тимеш |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | спійма́є | бу́де лови́ти | лови́тиме |
| ми | спійма́ємо | бу́демо лови́ти | лови́тимемо |
| ви | спійма́єте | бу́дете лови́ти | лови́тимете |
| вони́ | спійма́ють | бу́дуть лови́ти | лови́тимуть |
For the difference between "will be catching" (impf) and "will catch / land one" (pf), see aspect overview.
Якщо́ ви́йдеш ра́но, ще спійма́єш оста́нній авто́бус.
If you leave early, you'll still catch the last bus. (Perfective future спійма́єш — a single success; accusative авто́бус.)
Past tense
The imperfective past is end-stressed on -и́- (лови́в, лови́ла); the perfective past is stem-stressed on -ма́- (спійма́в). The perfective masculine ends in -в after the vowel.
| Gender / number | Past (impf) | Past (pf) |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | лови́в | спійма́в |
| feminine | лови́ла | спійма́ла |
| neuter | лови́ло | спійма́ло |
| plural | лови́ли | спійма́ли |
Кіт до́вго лови́в му́ху по всі́й кімна́ті — і таки́ спійма́в.
The cat chased a fly all over the room for ages — and did finally catch it. (Imperfective process лови́в vs perfective result спійма́в, side by side.)
Imperative
The imperfective imperative is end-stressed: лови́ / лові́ть. The perfective is спійма́й / спійма́йте. For the 3rd person use хай / неха́й.
| Addressee | Imperfective | Perfective |
|---|---|---|
| ти (informal) | лови́ | спійма́й |
| ви (formal / plural) | лові́ть | спійма́йте |
| 3rd person (let…) | хай ло́вить | хай спійма́є |
Лови́! — кри́кнув він і ки́нув мені́ я́блуко.
Catch! — he shouted and tossed me an apple. (The bare imperative лови́ is the standard 'catch!'; accusative я́блуко.)
Participles and verbal adverbs
| Form | Word | Note |
|---|---|---|
| passive participle (pf) | спі́йманий | "caught" (спі́йманий злоді́й — a caught thief) |
| verbal adverb (impf) | ло́влячи | "catching / while catching" |
| verbal adverb (pf) | спійма́вши | "having caught" |
The variant злови́ти
Alongside спійма́ти, the prefixed злови́ти is a fully standard perfective of лови́ти — same meaning, built straight on the лов- root (зловлю́, зло́виш…). Many speakers use злови́ти and спійма́ти interchangeably; спійма́ти is especially common for catching a person or a moment, злови́ти for signals, glances, colds. The older variant пійма́ти (without с-) also exists (regional / literary). Pick спійма́ти as your default and recognise the others.
Я ніяк не зло́влю тут сигна́лу — ви́йду надві́р.
I just can't get a signal here — I'll step outside. (Variant злови́ти, 1sg зло́влю with the same в→вл; genitive of negation сигна́лу after не зло́влю.)
Government and idioms
What you catch takes the bare accusative. The verb anchors several everyday idioms:
- лови́ти моме́нт — "seize the moment"
- лови́ти на сло́ві — "hold someone to their word" (на + locative)
- лови́ти ґав — "to gape / be idle" (literally "catch jackdaws")
- спійма́ти на гаря́чому — "catch red-handed" (на + locative)
Лови́ моме́нт — таки́й ша́нс бува́є раз у житті́.
Seize the moment — a chance like this comes once in a lifetime. (Imperative idiom лови́ моме́нт; accusative моме́нт.)
Його́ спійма́ли на гаря́чому, коли́ він копіюва́в фа́йли.
They caught him red-handed copying the files. (Perfective спійма́ли + the idiom на гаря́чому.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Я ловю́ ри́бу щовіке́нду.
The 1sg of лови́ти has the obligatory labial mutation в→вл — 'ловю' does not exist: Я ловлю́ ри́бу щовіке́нду.
✅ Я ловлю́ ри́бу щовіке́нду.
I go fishing every weekend. (1sg ловлю́ — в softens to вл, stress on the ending.)
❌ Поліція́ ло́вила злоді́я і наре́шті ло́вила його́.
The result of the chase is one completed act → perfective: …і наре́шті спійма́ла його́. Repeating ло́вила loses the 'finally got him' sense.
✅ Поліція́ до́вго лови́ла злоді́я і наре́шті спійма́ла його́.
The police chased the thief for a long time and finally caught him. (Imperfective process + perfective result — the suppletive pair in action.)
❌ Вони́ ло́вять ри́бу се́тями.
The 3pl needs the same labial л: ло́влять, not 'ло́вять': Вони́ ло́влять ри́бу сітка́ми.
✅ Вони́ ло́влять ри́бу сітка́ми.
They catch fish with nets. (3pl ло́влять — в→вл; instrumental сітка́ми for the means.)
❌ Лови́ за слово́м, якщо́ обіця́в.
The idiom is лови́ти НА сло́ві (на + locative), not 'за словом': Лови́ на сло́ві, якщо́ обіця́в.
✅ Лови́ на сло́ві, якщо́ обіця́в.
Hold him to it, if he promised. (Idiom лови́ти на сло́ві — на + locative.)
Key Takeaways
- лови́ти / спійма́ти = "catch"; the pair is suppletive (different roots лов- / спійм-). Government = bare accusative.
- Imperfective 1sg = ловлю́ (в→вл, end-stressed); 3pl = ло́влять (в→вл). Everything else is stem-stressed: ло́виш / ло́вить / ло́вимо / ло́вите.
- Perfective future = спійма́ю / спійма́єш…; past спійма́в / лови́в.
- злови́ти is an equally standard perfective on the лов- root; пійма́ти is the older/regional variant.
- Idioms: лови́ти моме́нт, лови́ти на сло́ві, спійма́ти на гаря́чому.
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