# -ать
## Russian
### Pronunciation

* -ать: IPA: [ətʲ]
* -а́ть: IPA: [ˈatʲ]
* Rhymes: -atʲ

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ati.

#### Alternative forms

* -ять (-jatʹ)

#### Suffix

-ать or -а́ть • (-atʹ or -átʹ)
* The infinitive suffix for many verbs. Usually indicates an imperfective verb.
* Used in place of -я́ть (-játʹ) after the hushing sibilants ш щ ч ж and after жд, when used to derive imperfective verbs from (normally but not always prefixed) perfective class 4 verbs (in -ить (-itʹ)) following one of т д с з ш ж ч щ. Always stressed. Triggers iotation of the final stem consonant, but it is unpredictable whether the iotation of т results in ч or щ and whether the iotation of д results in ж or жд. Very occasionally found with class 5 verbs in -еть (-etʹ).
    ‎по- (po-) + ‎ме́тить impf (métitʹ, “to mark”) → ‎поме́тить pf (pométitʹ, “to mark, to date”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎помеча́ть impf (pomečátʹ)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎роди́ть impf (rodítʹ, “to give birth”) → ‎зароди́ть pf (zarodítʹ, “to engender”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎зарожда́ть impf (zaroždátʹ)
    ‎ко́нчить pf (kónčitʹ, “to finish”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎конча́ть impf (končátʹ)
    ‎оби́деть pf (obídetʹ, “to offend, to insult”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎обижа́ть impf (obižátʹ)
* Used to derive imperfective verbs from certain classes of prefixed perfective verbs, where the stem ends in a non-palatal consonant, e.g. class 3 (-нуть (-nutʹ)), class 6 (some -ать (-atʹ), particularly where the present tense does not end in -аю (-aju)), class 7 (-ть (-tʹ) after a consonant and -ти (-ti)), class 8 (-чь (-čʹ)). Always stressed (which may be the only difference between the perfective and imperfective forms, esp. for class 6 perfectives). It is added to the underlying stem, minus the infinitive suffix. In some cases, the underlying stem is not apparent in the infinitive. In such a case, the stem may appear in the present tense (in class 7 verbs such as напа́сть (napástʹ), underlying stem напа́д- visible in present 1st singular нападу́ (napadú), or in class 8 verbs such as отсе́чь (otséčʹ), underlying stem отсе́к- visible in present 1st singular отсеку́ (otsekú)) or may not (in class 3 verbs in -нуть, e.g. поки́нуть (pokínutʹ), underlying stem поки́д-).
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎мо́лкнуть impf (mólknutʹ, “to fade, to grow quiet”) → ‎замо́лкнуть pf (zamólknutʹ, “to become silent”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎замолка́ть impf (zamolkátʹ)
    ‎об- (ob-) + ‎грызть impf (gryztʹ, “to gnaw”) → ‎обгры́зть pf (obgrýztʹ, “to gnaw around”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎обгрыза́ть impf (obgryzátʹ)
    ‎на- (na-) + ‎пасть impf (pastʹ, “to fall”) → ‎напа́сть pf (napástʹ, “to fall on, to attack”) (underlying stem напа́д-) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎напада́ть impf (napadátʹ)
    ‎от- (ot-) + ‎сечь impf (sečʹ, “to cut, to chop”) → ‎отсе́чь pf (otséčʹ, “to cut off, to chop off”) (underlying stem отсе́к-) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎отсека́ть impf (otsekátʹ)
    ‎раз- (raz-) + ‎ре́зать impf (rézatʹ, “to cut, to carve”) → ‎разре́зать pf (razrézatʹ, “to cut off”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎разреза́ть impf (razrezátʹ)
    ‎по- (po-) + ‎ки́нуть impf (kínutʹ, “to throw”) → ‎поки́нуть pf (pokínutʹ, “to leave, to abandon”) (underlying stem поки́д-) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎покида́ть impf (pokidátʹ)
* Occasionally, irregularly used to derive imperfective verbs from (normally but not always prefixed) perfective class 4 (-ить (-itʹ)) and class 5 (some -еть (-etʹ)) verbs where the stem ends in a paired palatal consonant. Always stressed. Does not trigger iotation.
    ‎с- (s-) + ‎купи́ть impf (kupítʹ, “to buy”) → ‎скупи́ть pf (skupítʹ, “to buy up”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎скупа́ть impf (skupátʹ)
    ‎от- (ot-) + ‎руби́ть impf (rubítʹ, “to chop”) → ‎отруби́ть pf (otrubítʹ, “to chop off”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎отруба́ть impf (otrubátʹ)
    ‎ступи́ть pf (stupítʹ, “to tread, to step”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎ступа́ть impf (stupátʹ)
    ‎до- (do-) + ‎горе́ть impf (gorétʹ, “to burn”) → ‎догоре́ть pf (dogorétʹ, “to burn down, to burn out”) + ‎-а́ть (-átʹ) → ‎догора́ть impf (dogorátʹ)

##### Conjugation

ending-stressed:
stem-stressed:

##### See also

* -ять (-jatʹ), -еть (-etʹ), -ить (-itʹ)
* -ть (-tʹ), -ти (-ti)

### Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ati, from earlier *-ěti, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ēˀtei, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₁- (stative suffix).

#### Alternative forms

* -е́ть (-étʹ) — not after hushing sibilants or /j/
* -я́ть (-játʹ) — after underling /j/

#### Suffix

-а́ть • (-átʹ)
* Used in place of -е́ть (-étʹ) after the hushing sibilants ш щ ч ж, when used to derive class-5 imperfective verbs from nouns, especially onomatopoeic verbs. Probably no longer productive.

##### Conjugation

ending-stressed (type 5b):
ending-stressed (type 5c):
stem-stressed (type 5a):