The past verbal adverb can theoretically be formed from either perfective or imperfective verbs, although for the most part only perfective forms are used in Modern Russian. To form the past verbal adverb, begin with the masculine past tense form of the verb, remove the л, and add в.
| Infinitive | Masculine past | Past verbal adverb | Meaning |
| чита́ть | чита́л | чита́в | while someone was reading |
| прочита́ть | прочита́л | прочита́в | having read |
| смотре́ть | смотре́л | смотре́в | while someone was looking/watching |
| посмотре́ть | посмотре́л | посмотре́в | having looked/watched |
In older literature you will sometimes find -ши added to the end of these words; it does not affect the meaning of the word. The form is now considered antiquated:
| Antiquated past verbal adverb | Meaning |
| чита́вши | while someone was reading |
| прочита́вши | having read |
| смотре́вши | while someone was looking/watching |
| посмотре́вши | having looked/watched |
If the verb is reflexive, then the suffix -ши- must be included before the reflexive ending:
| Infinitive | Masculine past | Past verbal adverb | Meaning |
| улыба́ться | улыба́лся | улыба́вшись | while someone was smiling |
| улыбну́ться | улыбну́лся | улыбну́вшись | having smiled |
| смея́ться | смея́лся | смея́вшись | while someone was laughing |
Verbs that end in -чь form their past verbal adverb from the masculine past tense form without -в- but with -ши:
| Infinitive | Masculine past | Past verbal adverb | Meaning |
| вы́печь | вы́пек | вы́пекши | having baked |
| помо́чь | помо́г | помо́гши | having helped |
Verbs ending in -нуть that lose -ну- in the past tense are also formed without -в- but with -ши:
| Infinitive | Masculine past | Past verbal adverb | Meaning |
| привы́кнуть | привы́к | привы́кши ⁴ | having become used to |
| поги́бнуть | поги́б | поги́бши ¹ | having perished |
Other verbs that do not have an л in the masculine past tense form also form the past verbal adverb without -в- but with -ши:
| Infinitive | Masculine past | Past verbal adverb | Meaning |
| умере́ть | у́мер | у́мерши ² | having died |
| запере́ть | за́пер | за́перши ³ | having closed |
Verbs whose infintives end in -ти form the past verbal adverb from the они form of the verb plus -я/а; in other words, those forms resemble present verbal adverbs:
| Infinitive | Они form | Past verbal adverb | Meaning |
| принести́ | принесу́т | принеся́ | having brought |
| увезти́ | увезу́т | увезя́ | having taken away |
| прийти́ | приду́т | придя́ | having arrived |
The verbs of the type just mentioned may make the past verbal adverb in both fashions. In such cases the -ши form is considered outdated. If the masculine past tense does not contain a dental consonant (д or т) that does occur in the я form, then that consonant is retained in the past verbal adverb:
| Infinitive | Masculine past | Они form | Past verbal adverb | Meaning |
| перевести́ | перевёл | переведу́т | переведя́ or переве́дши |
having translated |
| унести́ | унёс | унесу́т | унеся́ or унёсши |
having carried away |
A few reflexive verbs also allow both forms:
| Infinitive | Masculine past | Они form | Past verbal adverb | Meaning |
| оби́деться | оби́делся | оби́дятся | оби́дясь or оби́девшись |
having been offended |
| встре́титься | встре́тился | встре́тятся | встре́тясь or встре́тившись |
having met |
(Other such verbs are проститься, прищуриться and прислониться.)
¹ also поги́бнув
² also умере́в
³ also запере́в
⁴ also привыкнув
Rev. 4:48 PM 10/27/2010