Extreme Russian Verbs

In Russian there are two verbs for almost every action. One denotes progress or repetition, and the other one denotes completion. Much like the verbs “study” and “learn” in English (uchit’ and vyuchit’ in Russian).

In some cases there is a third verb that denotes the action is being done to an extreme degree.

Because of this, the verb “to stab” in English has three variants in Russian. One for “stabbing repeatedly”, another for “stabbing to completion”, and another for “stabbing to death” (as if stabbing to completion was not enough).

Likewise, the verb “to read” in English has three variants in Russian. One for “reading”, another for “reading to completion”, and another for “reading until the book becomes worn”.

Some examples:

“To death” verbs

• заеба́ть - to fuck to death (both literally and metaphorically)
• закла́ть - to stab to death
• замерза́ть - to freeze to death
• засе́чь - to whip to death
• зацелова́ть/расцелова́ть - to kiss to death, to smother with kisses

“Extreme” verbs

The following verbs are variants of regular verbs that are meant to convey the action is being done to an extreme degree.

• зачита́ть - to read something until it is worn
• засиде́ться - to stay for a long time
• заговори́ть: to talk nonsense for so long you forget the time and the others get tired
• обли́зать - to lick, to lick all over, to lick clean
• засиде́ться: to sit for an extremely long time
• заму́чить: to torment someone for so long it becomes torture (there is also пому́чивать, to torture continuously or repeatedly)