Breakdown of Я успеваю сделать домашнее задание вечером.
я
I
вечером
in the evening
задание
the assignment
домашний
home
Questions & Answers about Я успеваю сделать домашнее задание вечером.
What exactly does the verb успеваю mean here—“have time” or “manage”?
It means “manage (in time)”/“have enough time within the schedule.” With a perfective infinitive like сделать, it implies you manage to complete the action within the available time. Natural translations: I manage to finish my homework in the evening; I have time to get my homework done in the evening.
Why is the infinitive сделать (perfective) used, not делать (imperfective)?
With успевать/успеть, a perfective infinitive highlights the result (completion). An imperfective infinitive focuses on the ongoing process or habit.
- Я успеваю сделать домашнее задание вечером. = I manage to finish my homework in the evening.
- Я успеваю делать домашнее задание вечером. = I have time to be doing my homework in the evenings (process; not necessarily finishing each time).
Could I say Я успею сделать домашнее задание вечером? How does it differ?
Yes. Успею (from perfective успеть) is the simple future: I will manage (this evening/tonight). The original успеваю (present, imperfective) is typically habitual or a general trend: I tend to manage to finish it in the evenings. If you specifically mean tonight, you can add сегодня вечером.
Why is вечером used without a preposition? Why not в вечером or в вечер?