стоять vs постоять
stoyát' vs postoyát' — stand vs stand for a while
Register: neutral
What it really means
Стоять describes standing as a state or ongoing activity. Постоять is perfective and means to stand for a limited time, often before doing something else.
Examples in natural speech
Автобус стоит у остановки.
The bus is standing at the stop.
Давай постоим здесь минуту.
Let’s stand here for a minute.
Я не могу долго стоять.
I cannot stand for long.
Он постоял у окна и ушёл.
He stood by the window for a while and left.
Очередь стоит неподвижно.
The queue is standing still.
Common mistakes
Do not choose постоять merely because there is a duration: Я стоял час reports an ongoing hour; постоял suggests a bounded spell.
Memory tip
The prefix по- puts a small fence around the standing time: stand, then move on.
Frequently asked questions
Can постоять be an invitation?
Yes. Давай постоим here proposes spending a short time standing together.
Why is автобус стоит not about a person?
Стоять also describes vehicles and objects that are upright or stationary.
Does постоять mean to stand up?
No. Встать means get to one's feet; постоять begins after one is already standing.
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