Imperfective: заробля́ти — "to earn, to be earning (as a process / habitually)" Perfective: зароби́ти — "to earn (a specific amount, once / completely)" Type: a suffix-derived aspect pair built on the root of роби́ти "to do, make" — literally "to make money"
заробля́ти / зароби́ти is the verb you use for earning money — the income side of the financial ledger, as opposed to плати́ти / заплати́ти "to pay," which is the outgoing side. It is built transparently on роби́ти "to do," so a Ukrainian hears "earn" as "make (money) by doing." Two traps live in this pair: the labial mutation б→бл in the perfective 1sg (зароблю́) and 3pl (заро́блять), and the mobile stress in the perfective, which jumps to the ending only in the 1sg (зароблю́) and otherwise sits on the root (заро́биш, заро́бить). Stress is marked on every form below.
Present tense — заробля́ти (imperfective only)
Only the imperfective заробля́ти has a present tense. It is a regular first-conjugation -а́ти verb: the stem заробля́- plus -ю / -єш / -є / -ємо / -єте / -ють. The stress is fixed on the -я́- of the suffix throughout and does not move.
| Person | заробля́ти — PRESENT | English |
|---|---|---|
| я | заробля́ю | I earn / am earning |
| ти | заробля́єш | you earn (sg.) |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | заробля́є | he / she / it earns |
| ми | заробля́ємо | we earn |
| ви | заробля́єте | you earn (pl./formal) |
| вони́ | заробля́ють | they earn |
The present describes a habitual or ongoing earning — your income as a standing fact: Я заробля́ю фрила́нсом "I earn my living freelancing." For one concrete sum that you've banked, switch to the perfective зароби́ти.
Скі́льки ти заробля́єш на ти́ждень, якщо́ не секре́т?
How much do you earn a week, if you don't mind my asking? (habitual present заробля́єш — standing income.)
Вона́ заробля́є бі́льше за чолові́ка, і це їх обо́х влашто́вує.
She earns more than her husband, and that suits them both. (3sg заробля́є + comparison за + accusative.)
Past tense — заробля́в / зароби́в
The past is built off each aspect's own stem with the gendered -в / -ла / -ло / -ли endings. The imperfective keeps stress on -я́- (заробля́в), the perfective on the root vowel -и- (зароби́в) — neither shifts to the ending.
| Gender / number | Perfective зароби́ти | Imperfective заробля́ти |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | зароби́в | заробля́в |
| feminine | зароби́ла | заробля́ла |
| neuter | зароби́ло | заробля́ло |
| plural | зароби́ли | заробля́ли |
The perfective past is the everyday "I earned (and there it is in my account)." The imperfective past describes a habit or a process over time: Він ро́ками заробля́в копі́йки "For years he earned a pittance."
Цього́ мі́сяця я зароби́в удві́чі бі́льше, ніж торі́к узи́мку.
This month I earned twice as much as last winter. (perfective past зароби́в — a concrete, completed amount.)
Студе́нтом він заробля́в, розванта́жуючи фу́ри ноча́ми.
As a student he earned money unloading lorries at night. (imperfective past заробля́в — a repeated, ongoing job.)
Future tense — perfective зароби́ти vs imperfective заробля́ти
The perfective зароби́ти has no present; its conjugated forms are future in meaning. It is a second-conjugation -и- verb, and the labial trap strikes: the 1sg turns б→бл (зароблю́), and the same -л- returns in the 3pl (заро́блять). The middle four keep plain б (заро́биш, заро́бить, заро́бимо, заро́бите). Note the stress: on the ending only in зароблю́, on the root заро́- everywhere else.
| Person | Perfective future (зароби́ти) | Imperfective analytic (бу́ду…) | Imperfective synthetic (-му) |
|---|---|---|---|
| я | зароблю́ | бу́ду заробля́ти | заробля́тиму |
| ти | заро́биш | бу́деш заробля́ти | заробля́тимеш |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | заро́бить | бу́де заробля́ти | заробля́тиме |
| ми | заро́бимо | бу́демо заробля́ти | заробля́тимемо |
| ви | заро́бите | бу́дете заробля́ти | заробля́тимете |
| вони́ | заро́блять | бу́дуть заробля́ти | заробля́тимуть |
The labial-+-л mutation (б→бл) is the same systematic rule as in роби́ти→роблю́ and люби́ти→люблю́: any second-conjugation verb whose root ends in б, п, в, м, ф inserts -л- in the 1sg and 3pl. The two imperfective futures (бу́ду заробля́ти / заробля́тиму) describe future earning as a habit or process.
Якщо́ ві́зьму ще одну́ змі́ну, зароблю́ на нови́й ноутбу́к до лі́та.
If I take one more shift, I'll earn (enough) for a new laptop by summer. (perfective future зароблю́ with б→бл; на + accusative goal.)
На цій робо́ті ти заро́биш небага́то, зате́ ма́тимеш ві́льний час.
You won't earn much in this job, but you'll have free time. (perfective future заро́биш, plain б, root stress.)
Найбли́жчий рік я бу́ду заробля́ти на пе́рший вне́сок за кварти́ру.
For the next year I'll be saving up for a deposit on a flat. (imperfective future бу́ду заробля́ти — ongoing, на + accusative.)
Imperative — заробля́й vs зароби́
Both aspects form imperatives. The imperfective заробля́й / заробля́йте is the general exhortation ("earn your keep, make your own money"); the perfective зароби́ / заробі́ть points at one specific sum or goal. In everyday speech заробля́й (the "make your own living" sense) is the commoner imperative.
| Addressee | Imperfective заробля́ти | Perfective зароби́ти |
|---|---|---|
| ти (informal) | заробля́й | зароби́ |
| ви (formal / plural) | заробля́йте | заробі́ть |
| 3rd person (let…) | хай / неха́й заробля́є | хай / неха́й заро́бить |
Заробля́й че́сно — кра́ще ме́нше, та свої́.
Earn your money honestly — better less, but your own. (imperfective imperative заробля́й, a maxim about earning.)
Participles and verbal adverbs
| Form | зароби́ти / заробля́ти |
|---|---|
| passive past participle (pf.) | заро́блений "earned" |
| imperfective verbal adverb | заробля́ючи "(while) earning" |
| perfective verbal adverb | зароби́вши "having earned" |
заро́блений is everyday — че́сно заро́блені гро́ші "honestly earned money," усе́ вже заро́блено "it's all been earned" (the -но impersonal). The verbal adverbs заробля́ючи / зароби́вши are (literary / written).
Key uses & case government
1. заробля́ти + accusative — what you earn
The direct object — the money, the amount, the wage — goes in the accusative: заробля́ти гро́ші "earn money," зароби́ти ти́сячу "earn a thousand," заробля́ти зарпла́ту "earn a salary." See accusative uses.
Він заробля́є непога́ні гро́ші, але́ майже́ все відклада́є.
He earns decent money but saves almost all of it. (accusative object гро́ші.)
2. зароби́ти + на + accusative — "earn (enough) for"
To say you earn money towards a goal, use на + accusative: зароби́ти на маши́ну "earn (enough) for a car," заробля́ти на життя́ "earn a living," зароби́ти на відпу́стку "earn enough for a holiday." See prepositional government.
Ми все лі́то заробля́ли на по́їздку до мо́ря.
We spent all summer earning money for a trip to the sea. (на + accusative goal по́їздку.)
3. зароби́ти + colloquial "land yourself" (idiom)
By extension, зароби́ти can mean to "earn / land yourself" something unwanted — зароби́ти штраф "land a fine," зароби́ти проблеми́ "get yourself into trouble." This ironic use is (informal).
Так і шту́рхаючи всіх, ти заро́биш собі́ ворогі́в.
Shoving everyone like that, you'll just make yourself enemies. (idiomatic зароби́ти 'land/earn' something bad — informal.)
4. заробля́ти vs отри́мувати — "earn" vs "receive (a salary)"
Be careful not to flatten everything into заробля́ти. заробля́ти stresses that you produced the money through work; отри́мувати (зарпла́ту) "to receive (a salary)" is the neutral verb for getting paid by an employer, with no claim about effort. A salaried employee normally отри́мує зарпла́ту on payday but заробля́є it over the month. The related noun is заробі́ток "earnings, income" (note the stress shift to -бі́-), and заробі́тна пла́та (clipped to зарпла́та) "wages, salary."
Я отри́мую зарпла́ту два́дцять п’я́того, але́ заробля́ю її щодня́ важко́ю пра́цею.
I get my salary on the twenty-fifth, but I earn it every day through hard work. (отри́мувати = receive from an employer; заробля́ти = earn through effort.)
Це непога́ний заробі́ток як на непо́вний день.
That's decent earnings for a part-time job. (the related noun заробі́ток, stress on -бі́-.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Я заро́бю на маши́ну за рік.
Missing consonant mutation — the perfective 1sg is зароблю́, with the labial б→бл change, not *заро́бю: Я зароблю́ на маши́ну за рік.
✅ Я зароблю́ на маши́ну за рік.
I'll earn (enough) for a car within a year.
❌ За́втра я заробля́ю ти́сячу.
Aspect error — one concrete completed amount in the future needs the PERFECTIVE: За́втра я зароблю́ ти́сячу. The present заробля́ю means habitual earning, not a one-off.
✅ За́втра я зароблю́ ти́сячу.
Tomorrow I'll earn a thousand.
❌ Я заробля́ю для маши́ни.
Wrong preposition — 'earn for (a goal)' is на + accusative, not для + genitive: Я заробля́ю на маши́ну.
✅ Я заробля́ю на маши́ну.
I'm earning (saving up) for a car.
❌ Я бу́ду зароби́ти бі́льше нада́лі.
The auxiliary бу́ду takes an IMPERFECTIVE infinitive; the perfective зароби́ти forms its own future: Я бу́ду заробля́ти бі́льше (habit) or Я зароблю́ бі́льше (one amount).
✅ Я бу́ду заробля́ти бі́льше нада́лі.
I'll be earning more from now on.
❌ Я заробля́ю продавце́ві за ка́ву.
Wrong verb entirely — to give money to someone is плати́ти, not заробля́ти. To earn is income; to pay is outgoing: Я плачу́ продавце́ві за ка́ву.
✅ Я плачу́ продавце́ві за ка́ву.
I pay the seller for the coffee.
Key Takeaways
- Suffix pair on роби́ти: perfective зароби́ти ("make a sum, once") + the suffix → imperfective заробля́ти (present заробля́ю, заробля́єш…), the income verb.
- Labial mutation: perfective 1sg зароблю́ and 3pl заро́блять insert -л- (б→бл); the middle persons keep plain б (заро́биш, заро́бить, заро́бимо, заро́бите).
- Government: the amount earned = accusative (заробля́ти гро́ші); "earn (enough) for a goal" = на + accusative (зароби́ти на маши́ну, заробля́ти на життя́).
- Don't confuse with плати́ти "to pay" — заробля́ти is money coming in, плати́ти is money going out.
- Past: зароби́в / зароби́ла… (root stress) and заробля́в / заробля́ла… (suffix stress) — neither shifts to the ending.
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- 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'.
- Купувати / Купити (to buy)A2 — Complete conjugation-and-usage reference for the aspect pair купува́ти (imperfective) / купи́ти (perfective) 'to buy'. The imperfective купува́ти is a textbook -ува-/-у- verb (купу́ю, купу́єш, купу́є…); the perfective купи́ти is a second-conjugation -и- verb with the labial mutation п→пл in the 1sg куплю́ and 3pl ку́плять (but plain ку́пиш, ку́пить). Object in the ACCUSATIVE (купи́ти хліб), recipient in the DATIVE (купи́ти пода́рунок ма́мі), and the GENITIVE PARTITIVE for 'some' (купи́ти цу́кру).
- 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 with Fixed PrepositionsB2 — A high-error group of Ukrainian verbs requires a specific preposition plus a fixed case that rarely maps to English: чека́ти НА + acc 'wait for', дивитися НА + acc 'look at', думати ПРО + acc 'think about', одружи́тися З + instr 'marry', готува́тися ДО + gen 'prepare for', зале́жати ВІД + gen 'depend on', вступи́ти ДО + gen 'enter (university)' — so each verb+preposition+case is a fixed chunk you must learn whole.
- Accusative: Uses Beyond the Direct ObjectB1 — The accusative does more than mark the object — with в/у, на, за, під, через it marks motion TOWARD a target (іду в школу), it expresses bare-preposition duration (чекав годину 'waited an hour'), and it stands in a pivotal contrast with the locative: the same prepositions в/у and на take the accusative for direction (куди? в школу) but the locative for static location (де? в школі).
- Money, Age, and Everyday CountingA2 — The numeral-agreement rule made practical: counting money (одна́ гри́вня, дві гри́вні, п’ять гри́вень), asking and stating prices (Скі́льки ко́штує? — ко́штує п’ять гри́вень), and the dative-experiencer age construction (Мені́ два́дцять ро́ків) where 'year' is suppletive — рік (1), ро́ки (2–4), ро́ків (5+) — so 'I am five' literally says 'to-me five years' with no verb 'to be'.