Russian Verbs “успевать” and “успеть”

The imperfective verb “успевать” and perfective verb “успеть” both revolve around the concept of “to manage” or “to be in time”.

We use “успевать” to denote ongoing or repeated actions. For instance:

• Обычно я успеваю сделать домашнее задание во время обеденного перерыва. = I usually manage to do my homework during lunch break.
• Ты учишься, работаешь, заботишься о семье. Как ты всё успеваешь? = You study, work, take care of your family. How do you manage everything?

On the other hand, “успеть” refers to completing something within a specific timeframe, often stressing the accomplishment of a single action or task before it’s too late. Examples include:

• Он успел отправить документы за пять минут до дедлайна. = He managed to send the documents five minutes before the deadline.
• Я успела на поезд, хотя вышла из дома очень поздно. = I made it to the train, although I left the house very late.
• Вы успеете поужинать до концерта? = Will you have time for dinner before the concert?