помогать vs помочь

pomogat vs pomoch — help regularly/in progress vs help once successfully

What it really means

Помогать is imperfective for helping as a process, habit, or repeated activity. Помочь is perfective for one act of help viewed as completed. Both take the dative for the person helped: помочь кому? другу.

Use помогать for “I help my grandmother every week”; use помочь for a one-time offer, request, or completed result.

Examples in natural speech

Я помогаю маме по дому.
I help my mother around the house.
Она часто помогает коллегам.
She often helps her colleagues.
Ты можешь мне помочь?
Can you help me?
Спасибо, ты мне очень помог.
Thank you, you helped me a lot.
Помоги мне открыть дверь.
Help me open the door.

Common mistakes

Do not use the accusative for the person: say “помочь мне,” not “помочь меня.” Also, помогать is not merely the present form of помочь; it is its imperfective partner.

Memory tip

Remember the dative: help to someone — помочь кому?

Frequently asked questions

What case follows помочь?

Use the dative: помочь мне, помочь другу, помочь детям.

What is the difference between помогать and помочь?

Помогать describes ongoing, repeated, or habitual help. Помочь focuses on one completed act of helping.

How do you say can you help me?

Say “Ты можешь мне помочь?” The infinitive помочь is natural for a single request.

Note: This site uses JavaScript for interactive drills, audio playback, and progress tracking. Please enable JavaScript for the full experience.