Breakdown of Мы проводили исследования в Европе.
мы
we
в
in / to (direction)
исследование
research
Европа
Europe
Questions & Answers about Мы проводили исследования в Европе.
Why is the imperfective verb проводили used if the research is already finished?
This is the General Factual meaning of the imperfective aspect. The speaker is simply stating the fact that the action took place at some point in the past, without emphasizing its completion, duration, or result. It is similar to saying 'We have had the experience of conducting research in Europe.'
What would the sentence mean if we used the perfective провели instead?
If the speaker used провели, the focus would shift to the result or successful completion of a specific, defined project. It would sound more like 'We successfully completed the research in Europe' rather than just mentioning that such an activity occurred in general.
Why is исследования plural here, when the English translation uses the singular 'research'?
In English, 'research' is usually an uncountable noun, but the Russian word исследование is countable. When talking about conducting research in a broad or general sense, it is very common to use the plural form исследования (literally 'investigations' or 'studies').
Is проводить исследования the standard way to say 'do research' in Russian?
Yes, this is the standard professional and academic collocation. Just like in formal English where you 'conduct' research, Russian uses проводить (imperfective) or провести (perfective) rather than the basic verb делать (to do).