Я почну бігати.

I will start to run.

Breakdown of Я почну бігати.

• я: I
• бігати: to run
• почати: to start

Questions & Answers about Я почну бігати.

What does Я почну бігати. mean in English?

It means I will start running. Here, Я translates as I; почну is the first person singular form of почати (to begin), expressing a future action; and бігати is the infinitive form of to run, indicating that running will become a habitual or ongoing activity.

Why is почну used to express the future instead of a construction with an auxiliary verb (like using буду) in Ukrainian?

In Ukrainian, many perfective verbs (such as почати) naturally imply future actions when used in their conjugated form. Unlike English, where the future is often marked with an auxiliary verb, Ukrainian uses the finite form of a perfective verb—in this case, почну—to indicate that the action will happen in the future.

Why is the verb бігати kept in the infinitive form after почну?

When expressing that one is about to start an activity, Ukrainian typically pairs a conjugated verb like почну with an infinitive that describes the activity—in this case, бігати (to run). This structure clearly shows that the action of running is what will be initiated.

What is the difference between бігати and бігти, and why is бігати used here?

The difference lies in aspect and nuance. Бігати is the imperfective form, which emphasizes habitual, repeated, or ongoing activity (suggesting that running will become a regular practice). In contrast, бігти is the perfective form, often used to describe a single, completed instance of running. Since the intention is to start running regularly, бігати is the appropriate choice.

How does this sentence illustrate the Ukrainian aspect system in verbs?

The sentence combines a perfective verb—почну (from почати)—with an imperfective verb—бігати. This mix shows that while the action of beginning (a momentary, completed action) is expressed with the perfective aspect, the running itself is portrayed as an ongoing, habitual activity through the imperfective aspect. This distinction is a key feature of Ukrainian grammar.