# за-
## Macedonian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *za.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [za]

### Prefix

за- • (za-)
* (used with verbs) to begin doing (describing an action of commencing)
* (used with verbs) perfectivizes verbs
* (used with verbs) describing an intensified or extreme action or an action of doing something up to the point that an object becomes junk

#### Derived terms
## Old Church Slavonic
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *za.

### Prefix

за- • (za-)
* (used with verbs) to begin doing (describing an action of commencing)
* (used with verbs) behind, beyond
* (used with verbs) perfectivizes verbs

#### Derived terms
## Russian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *za.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [zə]
* IPA: [zɐ] (before a stressed syllable)
* IPA: [ˈza] (when stressed)

### Prefix

за- • (za-)
* (used with verbs) behind, beyond
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎-йти́ impf (-jtí, “to go”) → ‎зайти́ pf (zajtí, “to go behind, to go beyond; to call on”)
* (used with verbs) to begin doing (describing an action of commencing)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎говори́ть impf (govorítʹ, “to speak”) → ‎заговори́ть pf (zagovorítʹ, “to begin to speak”)
* (used with verbs) in advance (describing an action of doing something ahead of time)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎гото́вить impf (gotóvitʹ, “to prepare”) → ‎загото́вить pf (zagotóvitʹ, “to prepare”)
* (used with verbs) perfectivizes verbs
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎бетони́ровать impf (betonírovatʹ, “to concrete”) → ‎забетони́ровать pf (zabetonírovatʹ, “to concrete”)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎по́лнить impf (pólnitʹ, “to fill”) (now archaic, not to be confused with полни́ть (polnítʹ)) → ‎запо́лнить pf (zapólnitʹ, “to fill”)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎асфальти́ровать impf (asfalʹtírovatʹ, “to asphalt, to resurface”) → ‎заасфальти́ровать pf (zaasfalʹtírovatʹ, “to asphalt, to resurface”)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎бели́ть impf (belítʹ, “to whitewash, to whiten”) → ‎забели́ть pf (zabelítʹ, “to whitewash, to whiten”)
* (used with verbs) to the finish, to the end (describing a completed result)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎верши́ть impf (veršítʹ, “to manage, control, direct”) (literary) → ‎заверши́ть pf (zaveršítʹ, “to finish, complete, accomplish”)
* (used with verbs) describing an action of covering something, of being covered, or hiding behind something
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎ржа́веть, ржаве́ть impf (ržávetʹ, ržavétʹ, “to become rusty”) → ‎заржа́веть, заржаве́ть pf (zaržávetʹ, zaržavétʹ, “to become rusty (as an emphasis, by being covered with rust)”)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎целова́ть impf (celovátʹ, “to kiss”) → ‎зацелова́ть pf (zacelovátʹ, “to cover with kisses (denoting kissing many times, that one's body is fully covered with kisses)”)
* (used with verbs) describing an intensified or extreme action or an action of doing something up to the point that an object becomes junk
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎чита́ть impf (čitátʹ, “to read”) → ‎зачита́ть pf (začitátʹ, “to read (a book, as well as not returning it back; until it becomes all torn apart; simply reading out loud, denoting that the loud voice is a sign of intensified or extreme action)”)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎сиде́ть impf (sidétʹ, “to sit”) → ‎засиде́ться pf (zasidétʹsja, “to sit down, to stay for quite a long time (denoting that the long duration of sitting is a sign of intensified or extreme action)”)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎ду́мать impf (dúmatʹ, “to think”) → ‎заду́мать pf (zadúmatʹ, “to devise”)
* (used with verbs) describing an action that implies the existence of barriers, obstacles, or hindrance
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎баллоти́ровать impf (ballotírovatʹ, “to vote (for someone)”) → ‎забаллоти́ровать pf (zaballotírovatʹ, “to fail to elect”)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎держа́ть impf (deržátʹ, “to hold, keep, support”) → ‎задержа́ть pf (zaderžátʹ, “to detain, delay”)
* (with a reflexive verb) to do with abandonment
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎говори́ть impf (govorítʹ, “to speak”) + ‎-ся (-sja) → ‎заговори́ться pf (zagovorítʹsja, “to spout nonsense; to rattle on; to have a long talk with, forgetting the time”)
* (used with nouns, in place names) trans-
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎Карпа́ты (Karpáty, “Carpathians”) + ‎-ье (-ʹje) → ‎Закарпа́тье (Zakarpátʹje, “Transcarpathia”)
    ‎за- (za-) + ‎Кавка́з (Kavkáz, “Caucasus”) + ‎-ье (-ʹje) → ‎Закавка́зье (Zakavkázʹje, “Transcaucasia”)

#### Usage notes

* The stressed variant is found in the following situations:
** the past participle of verbs with a one-syllable root ending in -ать and -нуть: e.g. за́стланный (zástlannyj) from застла́ть (zastlátʹ), за́званный (zázvannyj) from зазва́ть (zazvátʹ), за́гнутый (zágnutyj) from загну́ть (zagnútʹ), за́мкнутый (zámknutyj) from замкну́ть (zamknútʹ);
** the past tense of some verbs with a one-syllable root: e.g. за́лил, зали́л (zálil, zalíl, masculine singular past tense) from зали́ть (zalítʹ, “to flood, to stain, etc.”);
** some deverbal nouns: e.g. за́говор (zágovor, “conspiracy; charm, spell”) from заговори́ть (zagovorítʹ, “to charm, to enchant”), за́морозки (zámorozki, “light frost”) from заморо́зить (zamorózitʹ, “to freeze”) + -ки (-ki), за́пись (zápisʹ, “recording”) from записа́ть (zapisátʹ, “to record”);
** some adverbs: e.g. за́мужем (zámužem, “married (of a woman)”), за́просто (záprosto, “without ceremony (colloquial)”).