Different and at the same time similar verbs "готовить or приготовить"

Hello, dear student! Once my student has asked me at a lesson, what is the difference between the verbs "готовить" and "приготовить"? It was difficult for her to use them correctly and make sentences, that's why I've decided to write in this article about these wonderful verbs, which feed everybody :)

Готовить [gatovit'] - to cook - it is the imperfective verb, that denotes action which takes place on a regular basis, occasionally, for example, every day.

Приготовить [prigatovit'] - have cooked - it is the perfective aspect, which denotes such action that has been completed or will be completed by a person once, without repetition.

Let's look at these two forms, changing them in tenses:

Present tense

Imperfective aspect

Я готовлю - Мы готовим [ya gatovlyu - my gatovim] I'm cooking - We're cooking
Ты готовишь - Вы готовите [Ty gatovish - Vy gatovite] You're cooking - You're (plural) cooking
Он, она готовит - Они готовят [On, ana gatovit - Ani gatovyat] He, she is cooking - They're cooking

There is no perfective aspect in the present tense, so we cannot use the verb in this form.

Past tense

Imperfective aspect

Я, ты, он готовил [Ya, ty, on gatovil] I, you, he cooked
Я, ты, она готовила [Ya, ty, ana gatovila] I, you, she cooked
Мы, вы, они готовили [my, vy, ani gatovili] We, you, they cooked

Perfective aspect

Я, ты, он приготовил [ya, ty, on prigatovil] I, you, he has cooked
Я,ты, она приготовила [ya,ty, ana prigatovila] I, you, she has cooked
Мы, вы, они приготовили [my, vy, ani prigatovili] We, you (plural), they have cooked

Future tense

Imperfective aspect

Я буду готовить [Ya budu gatovit'] I will cook
Ты будешь готовить [Ty budish gatovit'] You will cook
Он, она будет готовить [On, ana budit gatovit'] He, she will cook
Мы будем готовить [My budim gatovit'] We will cook
Вы будете готовить [Vy budite gatovit'] You (plural) will cook
Они будут готовить [Ani budut gatovit'] They will cook

Perfective aspect

Я приготовлю [Ya prigatovlyu] I will cook
Ты приготовишь [Ty prigatovish] You will cook
Он, она приготовит [On, ana prigatovit] He, she will cook
Мы приготовим [My prigatovim] We will cook
Вы приготовите [Vy prigatovite] You (plural) will cook
Они приготовят [Ani prigatovyat] They will cook

Let's look at some examples:
· Дима и Аня готовят борщ каждый день [Dima i Anya gatovyat borsch kazhdij den'] - Dima and Anne cook borsch every day.
Дима и Аня (они - they) (что делают ? imperfective aspect) - готовят - cook

· Мы приготовим замечательный ужин [My prigatovim zamichatel'nyj uzhin] - We will cook a wonderful dinner
Мы - We (что сделаем? Perfective aspect, future tense) приготовим - will cook

Sometimes, we can here or use these verbs in our speech in the imperative mood, when we want to ask somebody to cook something:
Мама, приготовь,пожалуйста, мне пельмени [Mama, prigatov' mne, pazhalujsta, pil'meni] - Mum, could you please, cook me pelmeni?

The form "приготовь" is in the imperative mood. But if you say:
Готовь, давай! [Gatov' davaj] - Cook!

this sentence will sound inappropriate and you can offend the person you address this way.