реша́ть vs удава́ться

reshat vs udavat’sya — solve/decide vs manage/succeed

What it really means

Реша́ть means to solve a problem, make a decision, or decide an issue. It takes a direct object in these uses: решать задачу, вопрос, or что делать. The imperfective describes the process or a repeated habit; its perfective counterparts include реши́ть for one completed solution or decision and реши́ться for deciding to do something.

Удава́ться is reflexive and impersonal in the common success construction: мне удаётся means “I manage/succeed,” literally “it works out for me.” The attempted action is usually expressed by an infinitive, and the person who succeeds is in the dative: ей удалось найти́ работу. It does not mean solve a problem directly; it says that an attempt reaches a successful result.

Examples in natural speech

Я реша́ю сложную задачу.
I am solving a difficult problem.
Нам нужно реша́ть этот вопрос сегодня.
We need to decide this issue today.
Мне удаётся сохранять спокойствие.
I manage to remain calm.
Ей удалось найти́ нужный адрес.
She managed to find the right address.
У него не всегда удаётся всё спланировать.
He does not always manage to plan everything.

Common mistakes

Do not use удава́ться as a transitive synonym for реша́ть: you solve a problem with решать, but you succeed in doing something with удаваться + infinitive. Put the successful person in the dative (мне, тебе, ей), and remember that удаётся is normally an impersonal construction rather than a verb agreeing with that person.

Memory tip

Реша́ть answers “what problem or decision?”; удава́ться answers “does the attempt work out for whom?”

Frequently asked questions

Why is the person in the dative?

The impersonal pattern presents success as something that works out for someone: мне удаётся, ему удалось.

Can удава́ться be used without an infinitive?

Yes when the action is understood, but an infinitive usually makes the successful attempt explicit.

What is the perfective form?

Уда́ться means “manage to/succeed,” commonly in удалось; реши́ть is the usual perfective of реша́ть.

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