за-

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): [za]

за- • (za-)

1. (used with verbs) to begin doing (describing an action of commencing)
2. (used with verbs) perfectivizes verbs
3. (used with verbs) describing an intensified or extreme action or an action of doing something up to the point that an object becomes junk

From Proto-Slavic *za.

за- • (za-)

1. (used with verbs) to begin doing (describing an action of commencing)
2. (used with verbs) behind, beyond
3. (used with verbs) perfectivizes verbs

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): [zə]
• IPA^(key): [zɐ] (before a stressed syllable)
• IPA^(key): [ˈza] (when stressed)

за- • (za-)

1. (used with verbs) behind, beyond

   ‎за- (za-) + ‎-йти́ impf (-jtí, “to go”) → ‎зайти́ pf (zajtí, “to go behind, to go beyond; to call on”)

2. (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”)

3. (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”)

4. (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”)

5. (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”)

6. (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)”)

7. (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”)

8. (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”)

9. (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”)

10. (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”)

• The stressed variant is found in the following situations:
  1. 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);
  2. 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.”);
  3. 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”);
  4. some adverbs: e.g. за́мужем (zámužem, “married (of a woman)”), за́просто (záprosto, “without ceremony (colloquial)”).