Questions & Answers about Я почти закончил книгу.
What does почти mean and why is it positioned before the verb закончил?
почти means almost. It’s an adverb that modifies the verb, so in Russian it normally comes right before the verb it qualifies, indicating that the action is nearly complete.
Why is the perfective verb закончить used here instead of the imperfective заканчивать?
Russian verbs have two aspects: perfective (completed action) and imperfective (ongoing or habitual action). закончить is perfective, focusing on the end result (“to finish”). Using заканчивать would emphasize the process (“to be finishing” or “to keep finishing”). Since the sentence means “I have almost finished the book,” the perfective is required to highlight the completed-result meaning.
Why is the verb form закончил in the past tense masculine form? How would it change for a female speaker or in plural?
Why is the noun книгу in the accusative case?