Making sentences in Russian isn’t easy for foreigners. To do it, you have to know not only vocabulary, but also the grammar of this complex language. If you want to start speaking as soon as possible, you’d better learn some Russian sentence patterns. By remembering them, you’ll be able to build your own sentences really quickly, without thinking too much about rules.
In this article, you’ll find ten really useful Russian sentences for beginners. These sentences willhelp you have basic conversations with native speakers and feel more confident in your knowledge of the language. Don’t be lazy; we recommend that you spend a few hours remembering them. We’re sure that in the future, you’ll appreciate yourself for doing so!
This is one of the most common Russian sentence patterns, and you use it to give a basic explanation or make a statement. For example:
Джон – мой брат
Dzhon – moy brat “John is my brother.”
In Russian, we put “–” between the subject and predicate if they’re both nouns. Keep it in mind!
Мой брат – таксист
Moy brat – taksist “My brother is a taxi driver.”
Эти часы – подарок моей жены
Eti chasy – podarok moyey zheny “This watch is a present from my wife.”
In Russian, the word часы (chasy) is only plural, while in English, it can be either singular or plural. But intermediate and advanced learners should know this already!
Россия – самая большая страна в мире
Rossiya – samaya bol`shaya strana v mire “Russia is the biggest country in the world.”
Мопсы – хорошие собаки, мне они нравятся
Mopsy – khoroshiye sobaki, mne oni nravyatsya “Pugs are nice dogs; I like them.”
2. Using Adjectives to Describe Something: A is/was [Adjective]
This type of Russian sentence construction is widely used to describe something or somebody. For example:
Эта пицца вкусная
Eta pitstsa vkusnaya “This pizza is delicious.”
Моя последняя работа была ужасной
Moya poslednyaya rabota byla uzhasnoy “My last job was terrible.”
This Russian sentence pattern refers to the past. You should remember it!
Фильм, который мы смотрели вчера, был страшным
Fil’m, kotoryy my smotreli vchera, byl strashnym “The film we watched yesterday was scary.”
Я думаю, мой брат умнее, чем моя сестра
Ya dumayu, moy brat umneye, chem moya sestra “I think my brother is smarter than my sister.”
Ты красивая
Ty krasivaya “You are beautiful.”
The last sentence above is correct if you say it to a girl. If you want to compliment a guy, say Ты красивый(Ty krasivyy). If you’re going to praise somebody who’s older than you, use Вы красивые (Vy krasivyye).
Don’t skimp on compliments!
3. Expressing “Want”: I Want (to)…
Basic Russian phrases like these are useful in everyday conversations, since they help to express desires and plans. The Russian sentence patternsgiven below will definitely enrich your speech:
Я хочу вот это
Ya khochu vot eto “I want this.”
Я хочу задать вопрос
Ya khochu zadat’ vopros “I want to ask a question.”
Я хочу быть для тебя хорошим мужчиной Ya khochu byt dlya tebya khoroshim muzhchinoy “I want to be a good man for you.”
If you’re a girl, change this last Russian sentence pattern a bit by saying: Я хочу быть для тебя хорошей девушкой (Ya khochu byt dlya tebya khoroshey devushkoy).
Я хочу жить в Японии через несколько лет
Ya khochu zhit’ v Yaponii cherez neskolko let “I want to live in Japan in a few years.”
Я хочу, чтобы вы перестали так громко разговаривать
Ya khochu, chtoby vy perestali tak gromko razgovarivat’ “I want you to stop talking so loud.”
4. Expressing “Need”: I Need (to)… / I Have (to)…
These basic Russian sentence patterns are really easy and helpful at the same time. Check out some examples:
Мне нужна ручка
Mne nuzhna ruchka “I need a pen.”
If the thing you need refers to the masculine gender, use нужен(nuzhen); if to the neutral, use нужно(nuzhno).
Мне нужно попрактиковаться
Mne nuzhno popraktikovat’sya “I need to practice.”
Мне нужно попрактиковаться
Seychas mne nuzhno idti “Now I have to go.”
In Russian, “need” and “have to” are normally expressed with the same word: нужно(nuzhno).
Мне нужно воспользоваться ванной/Мне нужна ванная
Mne nuzhno vospol’zovat’sya vannoy/Mne nuzhna vannaya “I need to use the bathroom.”
Мне нужно готовиться к экзамену
Mne nuzhno gotovit’sya k ekzamenu “I have to prepare for my exam.”
5. Expressing “Like”: I Like (to)…
You need to know how to structure a Russian sentence using the verb “to like” in order to sound positive in your speech. We’ve prepared somebasic Russian sentence patterns to get you started:
Ты мне нравишься
Ty mne nravish’sya “I like you.”
If you’re talking to an older person or somebody you don’t know very well, use Вы мне нравитесь (Vy mne nravites’) instead.
Мне нравится готовить
Mne nravitsya gotovit’ “I like to cook.”
Мне нравится смотреть закаты на пляже
Mne nravitsya smotret’ zakaty na plyazhe “I like to watch sunsets at the beach.”
Мне нравится его чувство юмора
Mne nravitsya ego chuvstvo yumora “I like his sense of humor.”
If you’re talking about a girl or a woman, simply replace его (ego) with её (yeyo).
Мне нравится то, как моя мама ко мне относится
Mne nravitsya to, kak moya mama ko mne otnositsya “I like the way my mother treats me.”
6. Politely Asking Someone to Do Something: Please…
It’s important to know this easy Russian sentence structure if you want to make polite requests. Pay attention to these common Russian sentence patterns:
The form сядь (syad’) is applicable if you’re talking to your friend or a close relative. If you’re speaking to a group of people, to a person who’s older than you, or someone who’s not in a close relationship with you, use the form сядьте(syad’te). Remember this rule while reading and using the Russian sentence patterns below.
Пожалуйста, послушай(те) меня
Pozhaluysta, poslushay(te) menya “Please, listen to me.”
Пожалуйста, встаньте в очередь
Pozhaluysta, vstan’te v ochered’ “Please, stand in line.”
Пожалуйста, прекрати(те) так нагло врать
Pozhaluysta, prekrati(te) tak naglo vrat’ “Please, stop lying so brazenly.”
Пожалуйста, познакомь(те) нас друг с другом
Pozhaluysta, poznakom’(te) nas drug s drugom “Please, introduce us to each other.”
Being polite in Russian is as easy as in English.
7. Asking for Permission: May I / Can I?
If you visit Russia, it’s crucial that you know how to ask for permission. Moreover, these Russian phrases will help you sound polite.
Я могу войти?
Ya mogu voyti? “May I come in?”
Можно мне воды?
Mozhno mne vody? “Can I get some water?”
Я могу опоздать на 15 минут?
Ya mogu opozdat’ na 15 minut? “Can I be 15 minutes late?”
Могу я попросить твоего совета?
Mogu ya poprosit’ tvoyego soveta? “May I ask you for a piece of advice?”
To use the polite form, change твоего (tvoyego) to вашего (vashego).
Могу ли я позвать своего друга?
Mogu li ya pozvat svoyego druga? “Can I invite my friend?”
8. Asking for Information About Something: What is/was…?
With these Russian sentence patterns,you’ll be able to ask about many core things. For instance:
Что это?
Chto eto? “What is it?”
Как его зовут?
Kak ego zovut? “What is his name?”
If you’re interested in a girl’s name, use её (yeyo) instead of его(ego) in this Russian sentence.
Какое блюдо мы ели в последний раз?
Kakoye blyudo my yeli v posledniy raz? “What was the dish we had the last time?”
Какой сегодня день?
Kakoy segodnya den’? “What is the day today?”
Какой твой любимый цвет?
Kakoy tvoy lyubimyy tsvet? “What is your favorite color?”
In a formal situation or when talking to an older person, say ваш (vash), not твой (tvoy).
Asking questions helps you sound interested in another person while talking to him or her.
9. Asking About Time: When is…?
To ask a question in Russian about the time, use the following sentence patterns:
Когда встреча?
Kogda vstrecha? “When is the meeting?”
Когда наш рейс?
Kogda nash reys? “When is our flight?”
Когда мы пойдём на море?
Kogda my poydyom na more? “When will we go to the sea?”
Когда они наконец поженятся и заведут детей?
Kogda oni nakonets pozhenyatsya i zavedut detey? “When will they marry and have children?”
Когда я уснул?
Kogda ya usnul? “When did I fall asleep?”
If you’re a woman, say уснула(usnula) instead of уснул (usnul).
10. Asking About Location or Position: Where is…?
Knowing the followingRussian sentence structure and patterns, you’ll never get lost. They’ll also help you keep conversations going. Remember these examples:
Где лифт?
Gde lift? “Where is the elevator?”
Где ближайший ресторан?
Gde blizhayshiy restoran? “Where is the nearest restaurant?”
Где родился Джек Лондон?
Gde rodilsya Dzhek London? “Where was Jack London born?”
Где у вас тут туалет?
Gde u vas tut tualet? Gde u vas tut tualet?
Где лучше подстричься?
Gde luchshe podstrich’sya? “Where should I cut my hair?”
You should definitely know these questions if you go to Russia!
11. Conclusion
In this article, you learned the top Russian language sentence structures every beginner should know. Each patternin this article is correct and useful.
Of course, there are many more speech constructions, and one article isn’t enough to name all of them. What we covered today should give you a good headstart and increase your speaking and writing level. If you want to learn more basic Russian sentence patternsto practice, visit RussianPod101.com. Here you’ll find a great deal of expressions for both beginners and advanced learners.
We also suggest that you use our premium service MyTeacher. If you choose to do so, a native Russian speaker will teach you, correct your mistakes, and test your knowledge. We’re sure that this method of studying will be the most efficient for you!
Feel free to let us know in the comments if you have any questions or need to know another sentence pattern!
Why learn about Russian adverbs and Russian adverb rules?
Imagine you’re in a city you’ve never been to and you’re asking for directions. The person knows exactly where you should go, but they just keep repeating “Go, then turn, then go.” You’re stunned. What’s going on?
This is what life without adverbs would look like. As soon as you include “straight,” “left,” and “right” in the conversation with that passer-by, the interaction suddenly makes much more sense. This is what adverbs do: they add minor and major nuances to our everyday life.
So, you actually have a solid reason to be interested in adverbs, and you’re in the right place to learn more about adverbs in Russian! In this article, we’ll cover Russian adverbs placement, their formation, and—more importantly—we’ll provide you with an extensive list of the 100 most useful Russian adverbs you should know.
This article is aimed at intermediate Russian learners. However, beginners will also benefit from learning the basics about Russian adverbs, and advanced students will improve their vocabulary and understand more complex Russian structures by reading through our examples.
Adverbs are words that specify the meaning of verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They can completely change the meaning, or simply make it more precise. Unlike the majority of words in Russian, adverbs do not have gender, case, or number. They never change, but they can have comparative and superlative forms. We’ll talk about them in a minute.
Let’s have a look at some examples of Russian adverbs:
Медленно (medlenno) — “Slowly”
Быстро(bystro) — “Fast”
Прямо (pryamo)— “Straight”
And this is how these adverbs can be used with the verb идти (idti), meaning “to walk”:
Я иду медленно. (Ya idu medlenno.) — “I walk slowly.”
Я иду быстро.(Ya idu bystro.) — “I walk fast.”
Я иду прямо. (Ya idu pryamo.) — “I walk straight.”
As you can see, the first two adverbs change the way I walk, the speed. As for the third one, it’s specifying the direction: I’m walking straight, not left or right. By the way, some Russian adverbs are not adverbs in English; sometimes they don’t even have a direct equivalent, so be ready for surprises!
2 – How Do I Spot an Adverb?
Russian adverbs are formed from various parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, and so on. However, deriving adverbs from adjectives is the most common way, just like in English. So how does it work in Russian?
Here’s how to form Russian adverbs this way:
хорошИЙ (khorishiy) >> хорош +O = хорошО (khorosho)
“Good” >> “Well”
Did you understand what happened? We removed the ending of the adjective and added “o” instead. Basically, an adverb derived from an adjective coincides with the neuter short form of this adjective. You can learn more about short adjectives with RussianPod101.com (available to signed-up users only).
Let’s consider an example:
Adjective: Это хороший фильм. (Eto khoroshiy fil’m.) — “This is a good movie.”
Adverb: Она хорошо поёт.(Ona khorosho poyot.) — “She sings well.”
As the word order is pretty flexible in Russian, adverbs can go either before or after the word they modify, preferably before.
You might be wondering, “So if you say that an adverb derived from an adjective looks exactly like its short neuter form, how do I know the difference between adverbs and adjectives?”
Easily. First, adjectives usually answer questions like “What kind?” or “Which?”, and adverbs answer questions such as “How?”, “Where?”, “When?”, “How much?”, “Why?”, and “What for?” Second, the neuter adjective agrees with the noun in gender and number; the adverb, as mentioned above, does not.
Compare:
Он красиво играет на гитаре. (On krasivo igrayet na gitare.) — “He plays the guitar beautifully.”
Кольцо красиво.(Koltso krasivo.) — “The ring is beautiful.”
I’m pretty sure you can tell which one is the adverb and which one is the adjective even without the translation. Look at these two sentences and explain your choice using the rule above. Give it a go!
Just like in English, there are also some adverbs that look like prepositions. And there is a way to distinguish between them as well! A preposition can’t be separated from the noun, while an adverb is an independent word and it’s not going to hide behind anyone’s back when you ask “How?”, “Where?”, “When?”, “How much?”, “Why?”, and “What for?”
Compare:
Вокруг дома растут деревья. (Vokrug doma rastut derev’ya.) — “There are trees growing around the house.”
Вокруг было тихо. (Vokrug bylo tikho.) — “It was quiet around.”
So in the first sentence, вокруг дома (vokrug doma), meaning “around the house,” is an inseparable union, and if you want to ask the question “Where?”, the answer is going to feature both words: вокруг дома (vokrug doma). However, in the second sentence, вокруг (vokrug) can answer the question “Where?” alone.
3 – Any Interesting Features of Russian Language Adverbs?
Remember how I mentioned that adverbs can have comparative and superlative forms? Indeed, most adverbs derived from adjectives keep their ability to form degrees of comparison.
The comparative degree, orRussian comparative adverbs, can be formed in two ways:
By adding -ее (-eye) to the end of the adverb (with some exceptions)
Быстро (bystro) >> быстрее (bystreye) — “Fast” >> “faster”
By adding the words более(boleye) meaning “more” and менее(meneye) meaning “less”
Глубоко(gluboko) >> более глубоко (boleye gluboko) — “Deep” >> “deeper”
Глубоко(gluboko) >> менее глубоко (meneye gluboko) — “Deep” >> “less deep”
As a rule of thumb, you can choose whichever scheme you like; they’re pretty much equal.
It’s a bit more complicated with the superlative form. The scheme is as follows:
Simple comparative form (ending with -ее) + words всех (vsekh) or всего (vsego) meaning “of all”
Интересно (interesno) >> интереснее всех (interesneye vsekh) — “Interesting” >> “the most interesting of all”
Далеко (daleko) >> дальше всех (dal’she vsekh) — “Far” >> “the farthest of all”
So now you have some solid background knowledge about what Russian adverbs are, what purpose they serve, and how they can change their form. You’re now ready for our comprehensive list of the 100 most common Russian adverbs! Let’s dive in!
2. The 100 Most Useful Russian Adverbs
There are many ways to classify adverbs, each one with its own purpose and reason. For this article, we’ve chosen the classification based on what question each adverb answers. It will be easier to remember the Russian adverbs divided by their functions.
1 – Russian Adverbs of Place (Where?)
Have you been to Russia? What’s the main attraction every tourist knows about? Let’s see if your guess was correct. Read the dialogue between a tour guide and a tourist.
1
Далеко (daleko) “Far”
А далекоКрасная площадь? A daleko Krasnaya ploshchad’? “Is the Red Square far?”
2
Близко (blizko) “Close”
Нет, совсем близко. Net, sovsem blizko. “No, it’s really close.”
3
Здесь (zdes’) “Here”
Мы на месте. Посмотрите, здесь у нас храм. My na meste. Posmotrite, zdes’ u nas khram. “That’s the place. Look, here we have the church.”
4
Там (tam) “(Over) there”
А там — Мавзолей. A tam — Mavzoley. “And the mausoleum is over there.”
5
Справа (sprava) “To the right”
Справа от храма Кремль. Sprava ot khrama Kreml’. “The Kremlin is to the right of the church.”
6
Слева (sleva) “To the left”
Слева от Кремля ГУМ. Это торговый центр. Sleva ot Kremlya GUM. Eto torgovyy tsentr. “GUM is to the left of the Kremlin. GUM is a shopping mall.”
7
Наверху (naverkhu) “On the top”
Кремль легко узнать. У него наверху звезда. Kreml’ legko uznat’. U nego naverkhu zvezda. “It’s easy to recognize the Kremlin. It has a star on the top.”
8
Внизу (vnizu) “At the bottom”
Внизу у Кремля стоит охрана. Vnizu u Kremlya stoit okhrana. “There are guards at the bottom of the Kremlin.”
9
Где-нибудь (gde-nibud’) “Somewhere”
А здесь где-нибудь можно купить матрёшку? A zdes’ gde-nibud’ mozhno kupit’ matryoshku? “Can I buy a Russian doll somewhere here?”
10
Нигде (nigde) “Nowhere” “No… anywhere”
Тут только красивые здания, а сувениров нигде нет. Tut tol’ko krasivyye zdaniya, a suvenirov nigde net. “There are only beautiful buildings around, but I don’t see souvenirs anywhere.”
11
Везде (vezde) “Everywhere”
И везде люди с фотоаппаратами. I vezde lyudi s fotoapparatami. “And people with cameras are everywhere.”
12
Дома (doma) “At home”
Хочу матрёшку. Дома похвастаюсь, что был в России. Khochu matryoshku. Doma pokhvastayus’, chto byl v Rossii. “I want a Russian doll. I want to boast at home that I’ve been to Russia.”
Note: Just like in English, дома (doma), meaning “at home,” doesn’t necessarily imply “in your house.” It can also refer to your neighborhood, city, or country.
Even if you haven’t been to Russia yet, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about the Red Square. Do you know what it looks like? Have a look at this 360° panorama of the Red Square in Moscow. Can you find the church? Where is the Kremlin? Is it справа (sprava) or слева (sleva)?
By the way, we have a similar dialogue example with audio on RussianPod101.com. If you want more practice, check it out (available to signed-up users only)!
2 – Russian Adverbs of Direction (Where to?)
Have you read Russian fairy-tales? If yes, you should remember a very prominent inanimate character—a stone that gives you a hard choice of where to go at the junction. Which direction should I go? There is no good choice. Well, actually, there is. You can get familiar with the well-known Russian fairy-tale about the Firebird, read about the stone, and see what choice the main character makes.
And then proceed through our list of adverbs!
13
Куда-то (kuda-to) “Somewhere”
Снится мне сон, что я куда-то иду. Snitsya mne son, chto ya kuda-to idu. “I had a dream that I was going somewhere.”
14
Вперёд (vperyod) “Forward”
Смотрю вперёд и вижу камень, как в русских сказках. Smotryu vperyod i vizhu kamen’, kak v russkikh skazkakh. “I look forward and see a stone like the one in Russian fairy-tales.”
15
Налево (nalevo) “(To the) left”
На камне написано: «Налево пойдёшь — счастье найдёшь». Na kamne napisano: «Nalevo poydyosh’ — shchast’ye naydyosh’». “The stone says, ‘If you go left, you will find your happiness.’”
16
Направо (napravo) “(To the) right”
«Направо пойдёшь — богатство найдёшь». «Napravo poydyosh’ — bogatstvo naydyosh’». “‘If you go right, you will find wealth.’”
17
Назад (nazad) “Back(wards)”
«Назад пойдёшь — беду встретишь». «Nazad poydyosh’ — bedu vstretish’». “’If you go back, you will only find misfortune.’”
18
Обратно (obratno) “Back”
Я понял, что обратно идти нельзя. Ya ponyal, chto obratno idti nel’zya. “I realized that I can’t go back.”
19
Туда (tuda) “There”
Счастье — это хорошо, но справа деньги обещают. Пошёл туда. Shchast’ye — eto khorosho, no sprava den’gi obeshchayut. Poshyol tuda. “Happiness is good, but I was promised money on the right. So I went there.”
20
Вверх (vverkh) “Up”
Долго я шёл вверх по горам. Dolgo ya shyol vverkh po goram. “I was going up the mountains for a long time.”
21
Сюда (syuda) “Here”
Думал: «Зачем я сюда пошёл?» Dumal: «Zachem ya syuda poshyol?» “I was thinking, ‘Why did I ever go here?’”
22
Вниз (vniz) “Down”
С вершины холма заметил дом и пошёл вниз. S vershiny kholma zametil dom i poshyol vniz. “I spotted a house from the top of the hill, so I went down.”
23
Домой (domoy) “Back home”
Зашёл в него: оказалось, вернулся домой к жене. Zashyol v nego: okazalos’, vernulsya domoy k zhene. “I entered the place. It turned out I returned back home to my wife.”
24
Никуда (nikuda) “Nowhere” = “Anywhere”
Понял, что семья — моё богатство, никуда за ним ходить не надо. Ponyal, chto sem’ya — moyo bogatstvo, nikuda za nim khodit’ ne nado. “I realized that my family is my wealth, and that I don’t need to go anywhere to find it.”
Note: Some adverbs of place and adverbs of direction might sound similar in English. However, there is a distinction in Russian. The difference is that the adverbs of direction indicate the process of moving somewhere, while adverbs of place actually imply that the subject is already at the place.
3 – Russian Adverbs of Time (When? and How?)
What is your reason for learning Russian? Do you feel like you need a push sometimes? Get a burst of motivation while reading through these Russian time adverbs!
25
Недавно (nedavno) “Recently”
Недавно ты решил начать изучать русский язык. Nedavno ty reshil izuchat’ russkiy yazyk. “Recently, you have decided to learn Russian.”
26
Ещё (yeshchyo) “Yet” = “Still”
Ты ещё не знаешь всех слов. Ty yeshchyo ne znayesh’ vsekh slov. “You don’t know all the words yet.”
27
Уже (uzhe) “Already”
Но уже что-то понимаешь. No uzhe chto-to ponimayesh’. “But you already understand something.”
28
Когда-нибудь (kogda-nibud’) “One day”
Когда-нибудь ты точно заговоришь по-русски. Kogda-nibud’ ty tochno zagovorish’ po-russki. “One day, you will definitely speak Russian.”
29
Пока (poka) “For now”
Пока давай вспомним правила эффективного изучения языка. Poka davay vspomnim pravila effektivnogo izucheniya yazyka. “For now, let’s review the rules of effective language learning.”
30
Заранее (zaraneye) “In advance”
Заранее реши, чего ты хочешь достичь в изучении языка. Zaraneye reshi, chego ty khochesh’ dostich’ v izuchenii yazyka. “Decide in advance what you want to reach in language learning.”
31
Сразу (srazu) “At once”
Не учи сразу по 100 слов. Ne uchi srazu po 100 slov. “Don’t learn 100 words at once.”
32
Быстро (bystro) “Quickly”
Ты их быстро забудешь. Ty ikh bystro zabudesh’. “You will quickly forget them.”
33
Сначала (snachala) “First”
Сначала выучи простые и нужные слова. Snachala vyuchi prostyye i nuzhnyye slova. “First learn simple and necessary words.”
34
Потом (potom) “Later”
Уже потом можно выучить «отвёртка» и «материнская плата». Uzhe potom mozhno vyuchit’ «otvyortka» i «materinskaya plata». “And later, you can learn the words ‘screwdriver’ and ‘motherboard.’”
35
Скоро (skoro) “Soon”
А то скоро сможешь обсуждать мировые проблемы, а еду в ресторане заказать не сможешь. A to skoro smozhesh’ obsuzhdat’ mirovyye problemy, a edu v restorane zakazat’ ne smozhesh’. “Otherwise, you will soon be able to discuss global problems but not order food in a restaurant.”
36
Долго (dolgo) “For a long time”
Учить язык долго, но интересно. Uchit’ yazyk dolgo, no interesno. “You can learn a language for a long time, but it’s fun.”
37
Всегда (vsegda) “Always”
Всегда узнаёшь что-то новое. Vsegda uznayosh’ chto-to novoye. “You always learn new stuff.”
38
Обычно (obychno) “Usually”
Обычно хватает шести месяцев, чтобы начать понимать и говорить. Obychno khvatayet shesti mesyatsev, chtoby nachat’ ponimat’ i govorit’. “Usually, six months is enough to start understanding and speaking.”
39
Впервые (vpervyye) “For the first time”
Главное — не опускать руки, когда впервые столкнёшься с трудностями. Glavnoye — ne opuskat’ ruki, kogda vpervyye stolknyosh’sya s trudnostyami. “It’s important to not give up when you face difficulties for the first time.”
40
Постоянно (postoyanno) “Regularly”
Чтобы выучить язык, нужно постоянно практиковаться. Chtoby vyuchit’ yazyk, nuzhno postoyanno praktikovat’sya. “To learn a language, you need to practice regularly.”
41
Часто (chasto) “Often”
Часто нам не хватает времени. Chasto nam ne khvatayet vremeni. “Often, we don’t have time.”
42
Некогда (nekogda) “To have no time”
Ты можешь найти 15 минут, даже если тебе постоянно некогда. Ty mozhesh’ nayti 15 minut, dazhe yesli tebe postoyanno nekogda. “You can spare 15 minutes, even if you seem to have no time at all.”
43
Никогда (nikogda) “Never”
Никогда не ленись. Nikogda ne lenis’. “Never allow yourself to be lazy.”
44
Редко (redko) “Rarely”
Редко кому удаётся достичь желаемого без усилий. Redko komu udayotsya dostich’ zhelayemogo bez usiliy. “One can rarely achieve their goal effortlessly.”
45
Иногда (inogda) “Sometimes”
Иногда хочется всё бросить. Вспомни, зачем ты начал. Inogda khochetsya vsyo brosit’. Vspomni, zachem ty nachal. “Sometimes you feel like giving it all up. Remember why you started.”
46
Снова (snova) “Once again”
Давай снова повторим известные принципы продуктивности. Davay snova povtorim izvestnyye printsipy produktivnosti. “Let’s repeat the well-known rules of productivity once again.”
47
Рано (rano) “Early”
Говорят, что лучше вставать рано, ведь утро — самое продуктивное время суток. Govoryat, chto luchshe vstavat’ rano, ved’ utro — samoye produktivnoye vremya sutok. “People say it’s better to get up early: the morning is considered to be the most productive time of the day.”
48
Поздно (pozdno) “Late”
И лучше не ложиться поздно. I luchshe ne lozhit’sya pozdno. “And it’s better not to go to bed too late.”
49
Давно (davno) “Long (time ago)”
Хотя давно известно, что у каждого свой ритм. Khotya davno izvestno, chto u kazhdogo svoy ritm. “Even though it has long been recognized that everybody’s got their own rhythm.”
50
Завтра (zavtra) “Tomorrow”
Перестань откладывать дела на завтра. Perestan’ otkladyvat’ dela na zavtra. “Stop putting it off till tomorrow.”
51
Сегодня (segodnya) “Today”
Через год ты пожалеешь, что не начал сегодня. Cherez god ty pozhaleyesh’, chto ne nachal segodnya. “In a year from now, you will regret not starting today.”
52
Вчера (vchera) “Yesterday”
Каждый день старайся быть лучше, чем вчера. Kazhdyy den’ staraysya byt’ luchshe, chem vchera. “Every day, try to be better than yesterday.”
53
Однажды (odnazhdy) “One day”
Однажды ты будешь благодарен себе за терпение. Odnazhdy ty budesh’ blagodaren sebe za terpeniye. “One day, you will be grateful for your patience.”
54
Сейчас (seychas) “Now”
Начни действовать прямо сейчас! Выучи 10 новых наречий. Nachni deystvovat’ pryamo seychas! Vyuchi 10 novykh narechiy. “Start acting right now! Learn 10 new adverbs.”
By the way, here’s a helpful guide about how to learn foreign words effectively. It could be useful for you!
4 – Russian Adverbs of Degree (How much?)
It would be useful to know these adverbs if you go to the market to buy some food. Otherwise, how would you stop that nice lady from putting more and more green peppers into your bag? Or prevent your friend from drinking too much? Look at how our twofriends are dealing with this issue.
55
Много (mnogo) “Much”
Ты зачем столько много пил вчера? Ty zachem stol’ko mnogo pil vchera? “Why did you drink so much yesterday?”
56
Мало (malo) “Little,” “not enough”
Мало тебе проблем с женой? Malo tebe problem s zhenoy? “Don’t you have enough problems with your wife?”
57
Чуть-чуть (chut’-chut’) “Tiny bit”
Да я выпил-то совсем чуть-чуть. Da ya vypil-to sovsem chut’-chut’. “But I drank just a tiny bit.”
58
Примерно (primerno) “Approximately”
Примерно пять бутылок пива. Primerno pyat’ butylok piva. “Five bottles of beer, approximately.”
59
Достаточно (dostatochno) “Enough”
Достаточно, чтобы сегодня болела голова. Dostatochno, chtoby segodnya bolela golova. “Enough to have a headache today.”
60
Немного (nemnogo) “A bit”
Ну, немного перебрал. Nu, nemnogo perebral. “Well yeah, I drank a bit too much.”
61
Только (tol’ko) “Just”
Я ж только расслабиться хотел! Ya zh tol’ko rasslabit’sya khotel! “I just wanted to relax!”
62
Больше (bol’she) “More”
Больше пить не буду! Bol’she pit’ ne budu! “I’m not going to drink anymore!”
63
Меньше (men’she) “Less,” “fewer”
Правильно, меньше будет проблем. Pravil’no, men’she budet problem. “That’s right, you’ll have fewer problems.”
64
Слишком (slishkom) “Too much,” “too many”
Если в жизни слишком много стресса, давай лучше на природу съездим! Yesli v zhizni slishkom mnogo stressa, davay luchshe na prirodu s’yezdim! “If you have too much stress in your life, let’s just have a nature trip!”
65
Тоже (tozhe) “As well”
Прогулки в лесу тоже отлично расслабляют. Progulki v lesu tozhe otlichno rasslablyayut. “Walking in the forest can relax you as well.”
66
Очень (ochen’) “Very”
Свежий воздух и тишина очень полезны. Svezhiy vozdukh i tishina ochen’ polezny. “Fresh air and silence are very healthy.”
67
Почти (pochti) “Almost”
Я почти каждую неделю езжу туда отдыхать от шумного города. Ya pochti kazhduyu nedelyu ezzhu tuda otdykhat’ ot shumnogo goroda. “I go there almost every week to take a break from the buzzing city.”
5 – Russian Adverbs of Manner (How?)
This is the biggest category of all, by far. The variety of sentences here includes all possible adjectives converted into adverbs. Can you identify which adverbs used to be adjectives?
68
Хорошо (khorosho) “Nicely,” “well”
Она хорошо справилась с тестом. Ona khorosho spravilas’ s testom. “She did well on the test.”
69
Плохо (plokho) “Bad”
Он плохо воспринял новости. On plokho vosprinyal novosti. “He reacted badly to the news.”
70
Вместе (vmeste) “Together”
Давай сходим на концерт вместе? Davay skhodim na kontsert vmeste? “Let’s go to the concert together?”
71
Наоборот (naoborot) “Vice versa”
Пиццу — в духовку, пиво — в холодильник, а не наоборот! Pitstsu — v dukhovku, pivo — v kholodil’nik, a ne naoborot! “Pizza goes in the oven, beer goes in the fridge, not vice versa!”
72
Легко (legko) “Easily”
Да я легко 100 метров за 14 секунд пробегу! Da ya legko 100 metrov za 14 sekund probegu! “I will easily run a hundred meters in 14 seconds!”
73
Сложно (slozhno) “Difficult”
Сложно быть умнее всех. Slozhno byt’ umneye vsekh. “It’s difficult to be the smartest one.”
74
Специально (spetsial’no) “On purpose”
Я специально несколько банок купил, чтоб на дольше хватило! Ya spetsial’no neskol’ko banok kupil, chtob na dol’she khvatilo! “I bought several jars on purpose so that they last longer!”
75
Зря (zrya) “For nothing”
Магазин закрыт, зря ходил. Magazin zakryt, zrya khodil. “The shop is closed, I’ve been there for nothing.”
76
По-русски (po-russki) “In Russian”
Как сказать это по-русски? Kak skazat’ eto po-russki? “How do you say it in Russian?”
77
По-английски (po-angliyski) “In English”
Я свободно говорю по-английски. Ya svobodno govoryu po-angliyski. “I’m fluent in English.”
78
Наизусть (naizust’) “By heart”
Я выучил стихотворение наизусть. Ya vyuchil stikhotvoreniye naizust’. “I’ve learned the poem by heart.”
79
Правильно (pravil’no) “Rightly” = “Correctly”
Мы правильно решили пример. My pravil’no reshili primer. “We have solved the equation correctly.”
80
Случайно (sluchayno) “Accidentally”
Он случайно наступил мне на ногу. On sluchayno nastupil mne na nogu. “He accidentally stepped on my foot.”
81
Пешком (peshkom) “On foot”
Я решил идти на работу пешком. Ya reshil idti na rabotu peshkom. “I’ve decided to go to work on foot.”
82
Медленно (medlenno) “Slowly”
Старушка медленно спускалась по лестнице. Starushka medlenno spuskalas’ po lestnitse. “The old lady was slowly walking down the stairs.”
83
Обязательно (obyazatel’no) “Definitely,” “necessarily”
В Москве обязательно посетите Красную площадь. V Moskve obyazatel’no posetite Krasnuyu ploshchad’. “You should definitely visit the Red Square in Moscow.”
84
Бесплатно (besplatno) “For free”
На YouTube можно смотреть видео бесплатно. Na YouTube mozhno smotret’ video besplatno. “You can watch videos on YouTube for free.”
85
Вкусно (vkusno) “Deliciously”
Мой папа вкусно готовит. Moy papa vkusno gotovit. “My father cooks deliciously.”
86
Особенно (osobenno) “Especially”
Мне часто хочется спать, особенно после обеда. Mne chasto khochetsya spat’, osobenno posle obeda. “I’m often sleepy, especially after lunch.”
Он осторожно открыл дверь. On ostorozhno otkryl dver’. “He opened the door with caution.”
6 – Russian Adverbs of State
The following list doesn’t include adverbs, technically. However, these words—adverbs of state—behave (and look!) like adverbs of manner, so they deserve a separate section in our article. The adverbs of state indicate feelings and states of people and animals.
Compare:
Adverb of state: Ему холодно. (Yemu kholodno.) — “He’s cold.”
Adverb of manner: На улице холодно. (Na ulitse kholodno.) — “It’s cold outside.”
We use pronouns and nouns in the dative case with adverbs of state. To review the forms of personal pronouns in dative, you can check this link (available to signed-up users only).
88
Холодно (kholodno) “Cold”
Мне холодно. Mne kholodno. “I’m cold.”
89
Жарко (zharko) “Hot”
Тебе жарко? Tebe zharko? “Are you hot?”
90
Скучно (skuchno) “Boring,” “bored”
Нам скучно. Nam skuchno. “We are bored.”
91
Интересно (interesno) “Interesting,” “interested”
Ей очень интересно. Yey ochen’ interestno. “She’s really interested.”
92
Грустно (grustno) “Sad,” “sadly”
Вам грустно? Vam grustno? “Are you sad?”
93
Весело (veselo) “To have fun”
Им весело. Im veselo. “They are having fun.”
Весело (veselo) “To have fun”
7 – Russian Adverbs as Questions
Remember we discussed the questions that Russian adverbs answer? The truth is, the questions themselves are actually adverbs! Surprised? Have a look at the example sentences.
94
Где (gde) “Where”
Где ты живешь? Gde ty zhivesh? “Where do you live?”
95
Когда (kogda) “When”
Когда ты начал изучать русский язык? Kogda ty nachal izuchat’ russkiy yazyk? “When did you start learning Russian?”
96
Куда (kuda) “Where to”
Куда бы ты хотел поехать в отпуск? Kuda by ty khotel poyekhat’ v otpusk? “Where would you like to go on vacation?”
97
Откуда (otkuda) “Where from”
У тебя есть друзья из других стран? Откуда они? U tybya yest’ druz’ya iz drugikh stran? Otkuda oni? “Do you have international friends? Where are they from?”
98
Зачем (zachem) “What for”
Зачем ты учишь русский язык? Zachem ty uchish’ russkiy yazyk? “What do you learn Russian for?”
99
Почему (pochemu) “Why”
Почему ты ещё не достиг желаемого уровня? Pochemu ty eshchyo ne dostig zhelayemogo urovnya? “Why haven’t you reached the desired level yet?”
100
Как (kak) “How”
Как ты будешь достигать своей цели? Kak ty budesh dostigat’ svoyey tseli? “How are you going to reach your goal?”
How many questions can you answer? We would love to hear from you!
3. A Bonus from RussianPod101
In this guide, you’ve learned everything about Russian adverbs, their formation, their placement in a sentence, and you’ve been through our list of the 100 most useful Russian adverbs. How many new adverbs did you learn? Are you ready to add the new adverbs to your speech and sound more advanced?
Remember that you can also use our Premium PLUS service, MyTeacher, to get personal one-on-one coaching to practice adverbs and more with a private teacher. This teacher will use assignments, grammar and vocabulary exercises, and voice recordings to improve your pronunciation and overall language skills! Happy learning with RussianPod101!
You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Russian! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Russian keyboard.
Learning a new language is made so much easier when you’re able to read and write/type it. This way, you will:
Get the most out of any dictionary and Russian language apps on your devices
Expand your ability to find Russian websites and use the various search engines
Be able to communicate much better online with your Russian teachers and friends, and look super cool in the process!
2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Russian
It takes only a few steps to set up any of your devices to read and type in Russian. It’s super-easy on your mobile phone and tablet, and a simple process on your computer.
On your computer, you’ll first activate the onscreen keyboard to work with. You’ll only be using your mouse or touchpad/pointer for this keyboard. Then, you’ll need to change the language setting to Russian, so all text will appear in Russian. You could also opt to use online keyboards instead. Read on for the links!
On your mobile devices, it’s even easier—you only have to change the keyboard. We also provide a few alternatives in the form of online keyboards and downloadable apps.
3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer
1- Mac
1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard.
2. Check the option “Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in Menu Bar.”
3. You’ll see a new icon on the right side of the main bar; click on it and select “Show Keyboard Viewer.”
2- Windows
1. Go to Start > Settings > Easy Access > Keyboard.
2. Turn on the option for “Onscreen Keyboard.”
3- Online Keyboards
If you don’t want to activate your computer’s onscreen keyboard, you also have the option to use online keyboards. Here are some good options:
Instead of an online keyboard, you could also choose to download a Google extension to your browser for a language input tool. The Google Input Tools extension allows users to use input tools in Chrome web pages, for example.
4. How to Change the Language Settings to Russian on Your Computer
Now that you’re all set to work with an onscreen keyboard on your computer, it’s time to download the Russian language pack for your operating system of choice:
Windows 8 (and higher)
Windows 7
Mac (OS X and higher)
1- Windows 8 (and higher)
Go to “Settings” > “Change PC Settings” > “Time & Language” > “Region & Language.”
Click on “Add a Language” and select “Russian.” This will add it to your list of languages. It will appear as Русский with the note “language pack available.”
Click on “Русский” > “Options” > “Download.” It’ll take a few minutes to download and install the language pack.
As a keyboard layout, you’ll only need the one marked as “Russian – Русский.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts.
2- Windows 7
1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region.
2. On the “Region and Language” option, click on “Change Keyboards or Other Input Methods.”
3. On the “Keyboards and Languages” tab, click on “Change Keyboards” > “Add” > “Russian.”
4. Expand the option of “Russian” and then expand the option “Keyboard.” Select the keyboard layout marked as “Russian.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts. Click “OK” and then “Apply.”
3- Mac (OS X and higher)
If you can’t see the language listed, please make sure to select the right option from System Preferences > Language and Region
1. From the Apple Menu (top left corner of the screen) go to System Preferences > Keyboard.
2. Click the Input Sources tab and a list of available keyboards and input methods will appear.
3. Click on the plus button, select “Russian,” and add the “Russian – Phonetic” keyboard.
5. Activating the Russian Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet
Texting and searching in Russian will greatly help you master the language! Adding a Russian keyboard on your mobile phone and/or tablet is super-easy.
You could also opt to download an app instead of adding a keyboard. Read on for our suggestions.
Below are the instructions for both iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets.
1- iOS
1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
2. Tap “Keyboards” and then “Add New Keyboard.”
3. Select “Russian” from the list.
4. When typing, you can switch between languages by tapping and holding on the icon to reveal the keyboard language menu.
2- Android
1. Go to Settings > General Management > Language and Input > On-screen Keyboard (or “Virtual Keyboard” on some devices) > Samsung Keyboard.
2. Tap “Language and Types” or “ + Select Input Languages” depending on the device and then “MANAGE INPUT LANGUAGES” if available.
3. Select “Русский” from the list.
4. When typing, you can switch between languages by swiping the space bar.
3- Applications for Mobile Phones
If you don’t want to add a keyboard on your mobile phone or tablet, these are a few good apps to consider:
Typing in Russian can be very challenging at first! Therefore, we added here a few useful tips to make it easier to use your Russian keyboard.
There are two main keyboard types:
1.) Standard (ЙЦУКЕН) is what we actually use on Russian laptops/PCs, and what is usually used on tablets/smartphones.
2.) A phonetic keyboard (say, ЯВЕРТЫ) sort of matches Russian letters to
Latin letters close in pronunciation. This may be fine if you’re moderately interested in Russian, but that’s it. Also, a phonetic keyboard has an obvious advantage if your physical keyboard doesn’t have Russian letters.
7. How to Practice Typing Russian
As you probably know by now, learning Russian is all about practice, practice, and more practice! Strengthen your Russian typing skills by writing comments on any of our lesson pages, and our teacher will answer. If you’re a RussianPod101 Premium PLUS member, you can directly text our teacher via the My Teacher app—use your Russian keyboard to do this!
Russian verb conjugation… If you’re a beginner, you must be looking for your first conjugation tables to finally see what those proficient Russian learners have been intimidating you with. Or maybe you’re an intermediate learner who’s already mastered basic Russian conjugation rules and are now looking for more of a challenge. Maybe you’re an advanced learner who wouldn’t mind going over the basics again or learning new verb conjugation nuances you’ve never heard of? In any case, I’m happy to reveal some secrets to you that will help you tame the Russian verbs.
It’s not a secret that Russian grammar (and verb conjugation, in particular) are demanding. It’s a long and complicated adventure, but I’m happy to guide you through the dark forests of Russian verb conjugation tables and hold your hand while hiking up the peak of language mastery.
What are we going to see on our way? I’ll tell you what conjugation is, what factors affect verb conjugation in Russian (tense, mood, aspect, etc.), show you some conjugation tables, and give you a handful of useful tools so that you can continue the journey alone.
So what is conjugation? It sounds like a complicated linguistic term, but we face this phenomenon daily.
Conjugation means changing the basic form of a verb. The basic form of the verb—the infinitive—is what you see in the dictionary. In many conjugation tables, you can find so-called “verb derivatives”: participles, verbal adverbs, etc. They are, indeed, derived from verbs, but behave differently. They either decline like adjectives or don’t change their form at all. So in this article, we will mainly focus on verbs.
To conjugate a verb in Russian, you need to keep several features in mind:
Person
Number
Tense
Conjugation group
Aspect
Mood
Gender
As you can see, Russian verb conjugation differs significantly from the verb conjugation in English. I’m pretty sure you’re already familiar with some of these features, but we will brush up on all of them!
1- Person and Number
1st person singular
я (ya)
“I”
2nd person singular
ты (ty)
“you” (casual)
3rd person singular
он, она, оно (on, ona, ono)
“he” / “she” / “it”
1st person plural
мы (my)
“we”
2nd person plural
вы (vy)
“you” (plural), “you” (formal)
“you” (plural), “you” (formal)
они (oni)
“they”
Russian verbs conjugate differently with each person.
For example:
Я рисую (Ya risuyu) — “I draw.”
Мы рисуем (My risuyem) — “We draw.”
You can find the Russian conjugation table with the endings for each person a bit later in this article. Also, don’t hesitate to revisit the most common Russian pronouns!
2- Tense
As complicated as Russian conjugation and grammar seem overall, here’s a big relief. There are only three tenses in Russian: present, past, and future. Not difficult to guess what each of them represents!
The Present Tense
Have a look at this example:
покупать (pokupat’) — “to buy”
я покупаю (ya pokupayu) — “I buy”
мы покупаем (my pokupayem) — “we buy”
Did you notice what happened? We’ve changed the ending of the verb. And I’d be happy to tell you that this is just what you need to do—remove the last letters of the infinitive, and you’re golden. But, unfortunately, it’s not that easy. So grab a cup of tea and some cookies, and get comfy.
There are two sets of endings for Russian verbs, and therefore, two conjugation groups. We didn’t come up with insanely complicated names for them; we just called them “Group 1” and “Group 2.” Quite often, you can predict which group a verb belongs to by looking at the ending of the infinitive.
Russian verbs: first and second conjugation groups
+ 11 exceptions, verbs that seemingly belong to Group 1:
Дышать (dyshat’) — “to breathe”
Держать (derzhat’) — “to hold”
Гнать (gnat’) — “to drive fast”
Ненавидеть (nenavidet’) — “to hate”
Слышать (slyshat’) — “to hear”
Вертеть (vertet’) — “to spin something”
Смотреть (smotret’) — “to look” Видеть (videt’) — “to see”
Обидеть (obidet’) — “to offend”
Терпеть (terpet’) — “to tolerate”
Зависеть (zaviset’) — “to depend”
PRO TIPS:
1. You can easily identify the group by keeping in mind that eleven exceptions, and most verbs ending with -ить, belong to Group 2. The rest belong to Group 1.
2. Many infinitives end with -ть, but sometimes -ться can pop up. It’s a typical ending for reflexive verbs like одеваться (odevat’sya), meaning “to dress.”
“So, now I know about the conjugation groups. Can I finally see the endings?”
I hope you still have some cookies left! Even though you can try to guess the Russian verb conjugation type by the infinitive endings (with a pretty high success rate!), the endings for the present tense are added onto the present tense verb stem. You can find the stem by cutting off the ending of its third person plural form (“they”).
Confusing? Read it once again, your eyes are not deceiving you: to find the stem, you need a verb that is already conjugated. This is the only sure way to get the rest of your conjugations right. Does it seem like a lot of unnecessary steps? Spoiler: This stem will be used for other conjugations, such as the future and imperative forms.
Here’s a tool that will help you tackle verb conjugations and support you until you feel confident conjugating them yourself: Context Conjugator.
What part of the verb do I add the endings to?
The present tense stem: Remove the last two letters in third person plural + add new endings
“To play”: играть (infinitive) > играют (third plural) > игра– (stem)
The infinitive: Remove the last two letters from the infinitive (usually -ть or -ти)
“To learn”: учить (infinitive, Group 2) > учи– (stem)
Again, finding the stem from the third plural form is more reliable.
Now, let’s have a look at the endings that we use for each conjugation group.
Group 1
играть (igrat’) — “to play”
я играю* (ya igrayu) — “I play” ты играешь (ty igrayesh’) — “you play” (inf.) он играет(on igrayet) — “he plays” мы играем (my igrayem) — “we play” вы играете (vy igrayete) — “you play” (f./pl.) они играют* (oni igrayut) — “they play”
Group 2
учить (uchit’) — “to learn”, “to teach”
я учу*(ya uchu) — “I learn” ты учишь(ty uchish’) — “you learn” она учит(ona uchit) — “she learns” мы учим(my uchim) — “we learn” вы учите (vy uchite) — “you learn” они учат*(oni uchat) — “they learn”
*Use the endings -ю, -ют after vowels or the soft sign (e.g.: я думаю, оничитают).
Use -у, -ут after consonants (e.g. я расту).
*Use the endings -у and -ат after the letters Ж, Ш, Ч, Щ, and all hard consonants.
Use -ю and -ят after soft consonants and vowels.
As you can see, the Russian verb conjugation endings are pretty similar. The biggest difference is that -е changes into -и, and -у/ю is replaced with -а/я.
Impatient to see all possible conjugations without getting into the details or the logic behind it? You can jump right to the Russian verb conjugation chart!
Also feel free to check this grammar section on RussianPod101.com about the conjugation of verb groups (logged-in users only).
Она учится или играет? (Ona uchitsya ili igrayet?)
“Is she learning or playing?”
The Past Tense
To form Russian verbs in past tense, you need to drop the infinitive endings -ть, -ти, -чь,and add the following endings:
masculine: -л (-l)
feminine: -ла (-la)
neuter: -ло (-lo)
plural: -ли (-li)
Examples:
думать (dumat’) — “to think”
он думал (on dumal) — “he thought”
она думала (ona dumala) — “she thought”
мы думали (my dumali) — “we thought”
This is the only tense where gender plays a role.
The Future Tense
So far so good. The past tense was super-easy, wasn’t it? Back to the real business! There are two ways to create the future form in Russian:
Way 1: Appropriate form of the verb быть(byt’), meaning “to be,” + the infinitive
писать (pisat’), meaning “to write.”
я буду писать (ya budu pisat’) — “I will write”
ты будешь писать (ty budesh’ pisat’) — “you will write” (inf.)
он будет писать (on budet pisat’) — “he will write”
мы будем писать (my budem pisat’) — “we will write”
вы будете писать (vy budete pisat’) — “you will write” (f./pl.)
они будут писать (oni budut pisat’) — “they will write”
Way 2: The perfective form of the verb + the present tense endings.
писать (pisat’) — “to write”
я напишу (ya napishu) — “I will write”
“Wait, what? What perfective form are you talking about? How do I know if I should choose Way 1 or Way 2?”
These are really smart questions! Without further ado…the verb aspects!
3- Aspect
Due to the simplicity of the tense system in Russian, we had to come up with the idea of aspects. There are two verb aspects in Russian: imperfective and perfective. Aspects are only used when talking about the past and the future; we don’t differentiate the verbs by their aspect in the present tense!
Aspects are used to indicate the difference between an ongoing / repeating action (the imperfective aspect) and an action that was completed successfully (the perfective aspect). Doesn’t it remind you of anything? That’s right, the continuous / simple tenses in English versus the perfect tenses. The only difference is that the English present perfect is going to be considered past in Russian.
Compare:
я ел (ya yel) — “I was eating”
я поел (ya poyel) — “I’ve eaten”
What is the difference in English? What form of the verb is perfective? Which one is imperfective? I’m pretty sure you can answer these questions yourself!
Please look at those two phrases again. Have you noticed what happened to the Russian verb? We added a prefix to the verb! A prefix is a set combination of letters added before the stem of the verb. So, outfitting Russian verbs with prefixes is the most frequent way of making perfective forms. In some cases, we can make them with a suffix instead, but it’s not as common.
The good news is that you can easily spot a perfective form by its prefix (with some minor exceptions). The bad news is that there are many prefixes to remember, and sometimes they change the meaning of the verb completely. I suggest that you memorize the prefix of the verb together with the meaning it brings.
Compare:
он шёл (on shel) — “he was going”
он пришёл (on prishel) — “he has arrived”
он ушёл (on ushel) — “he has gone”
он отошёл (on otoshel) — “he has left, but will come back soon”
Again, we don’t use the perfective form in the present, only in the past or in the future. So, depending on what idea you want to convey, you choose the appropriate form.
Look at these two verbs in the past tense:
явидел (ya videl) — “I saw”
я увидел (ya uvidel) — “I have seen” / “I had seen”
And now check out these two verbs in the future:
я буду петь (ya budu pet’) — “I will sing” (regularly)
я спою (ya spoyu) — “I will sing” (once, like a promise)
Can you see the difference? The perfective form usually carries the idea of a one-time action. The imperfective form indicates that the process is ongoing or that the action repeats.
4- Mood
Just in case, this section is going to be about the grammatical mood (and not about how your mood affects the verb conjugation). Well, people tend to use more imperatives when they’re angry!
We define the mood by the intention of what we say. Do we want to talk about something that’s happening in reality? Are we imagining a hypothetical situation? Do we want to give an order to another person?
This is what beginners start learning first. This is by far the most common mood in Russian. The indicative mood is usually combined with three tenses, and that creates a specific set of endings for each verb group.
The Imperative Mood
In an informal situation, the imperative form usually ends in -и, -ай, or -ь.
The verbs ending in -ать in the infinitive mainly take -ай. For example: играть (igrat’) >> играй (igray) — “Play!”
The verbs ending in -ить mainly take -и. For example: говорить (govorit’) >> говори(govori) — “Speak!”
In a formal situation, or when we speak to more than one person, we take the informal imperative form and add -те. For example: играть (igrat’) >> играйте (igrayte) — “Play!” (formal / plural).
Бы doesn’t have a fixed place in the sentence. I would say it’s pretty common to place it closer to the subject (noun or pronoun) rather than the verb.
The imperative and conditional moods do not have tenses.
Сначала написал, потом подумал. (Snachala napisal, potom podumal.)
“First wrote, then thought.”
2. Conjugation Examples
Now let’s try to summarize everything we’ve learned and put it into practice. Again, four main features to keep in mind:
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Let’s finally dive into the Russian conjugation charts! You’ll notice that some cells have the abbreviations (m) and (f). They stand for “male” and “female” respectively.
My face when I’ve finally understood how to conjugate verbs!
3. Irregular Verbs
I believe you were hoping not to see this section in the article. Nobody likes exceptions. But irregular verbs are featured in many languages, including English, and Russian is not an exception. The curse of irregular verbs is that the most common verbs usually fall into this category. But if you just pay close attention to how they conjugate, you might see the pattern to follow as well.
So, how are they irregular? It really depends on the verb. Sometimes they might insert an extra vowel in the stem:
брать (brat’) — “to take”
The present tense: я беру, ты берёшь, мы берём (ya beru, ty beryosh’, my beryom) — “I take, you take, we take”
However, the same verb behaves normally in the past tense:
я брал, мы брали, она брала (ya bral, my brali, ona brala) — “I was taking, we were taking, she was taking”
As long as it keeps its imperfective form! The verb in its perfective form changes beyond recognition!
я взял, он взял, ты взяла (ya vzyal, on vzyal, ty vzyala) — “I’ve taken, he’s taken, you’ve taken (f)”
You can find similar examples in English: “go — went — gone.” The middle word is totally different!
Sometimes, irregular verbs can “misbehave” only in first person singular (“I”).
Compare: я люблю, ты любишь, мы любим(ya lyublyu, ty lyubish’, my lyubim) — “I love, you love, we love.”
This happens when the infinitive of a verb has features of a Group 2 verb and its stem ends in Б, В, Д, З, П, С, Т, or СТ. In this case, it undergoes a spelling change for the first person singular (“I”) in the present.
Similar verbs:
готовить (gotovit’) — “to cook” >> я готовлю (ya gotovlyu) — “I cook”
летать (letat’) — “to fly” >> я лечу (ya lechu) — “I fly”
терпеть (terpet’) — “to tolerate” >> я терплю (ya terplyu) — “I tolerate” etc.
This is not an exhaustive list of tricks that irregular verbs use to stand out. And while learning how to spot them, or remembering all the exceptions, can indeed be exhausting, seeing irregular verbs as a challenging adventure can be motivating! Every language is a secret code that you’re about to decipher, and this is just an extra layer of security. But a true detective should know how to solve this mystery!
Again, here’s a tool that will help you tackle complicated verb conjugations and support you until you feel confident conjugating them yourself: Context Conjugator.
Now let’s try to unscramble the behavior of an irregular verb.
Have a look at this table and try to analyze it: Does the conjugation of this irregular verb have anything in common with how regular verbs conjugate? What is it? And what exactly is different?
You can find a pretty detailed list of Russian irregular verbshere. Conjugation tables will keep you good company at first, but learn not to rely on them too much. Practice makes perfect!
4. Test Your Knowledge!
Now I feel like you’re ready to impress me with your newly acquired skills! Prepare your conjugation tables, your irregular verbs table, your attentiveness, and your desire to succeed!
For this Russian conjugation quiz, please conjugate the verbs in parentheses. Don’t worry if you can’t find all the answers. I will help you!
Я (жить) _______ в Екатеринбурге. Где вы (жить) _______? I live in Ekaterinburg. Where do you live?”
(Рассказывать)______ мне о своих увлечениях. “Tell me about your hobbies.”
Мы с друзьями (любить)______ (путешествовать)_______ и (изучать) _____ иностранные языки. “My friends and I, we love to travel and learn new languages.”
Если бы я больше времени (проводить)______ дома, я бы с радостью (взять) ______ кошку или собаку. “If I spent more time at home, I would gladly take a cat or a dog.”
В следующем году мои друзья (ехать) _____ в Японию. Конечно же, я тоже (хотеть) _____ ! “Next year, my friends are going to Japan. Of course, I want to go too!”
Alright, let’s analyze each of them.
Я живу в Екатеринбурге. Где вы живёте?
“I live in Ekaterinburg. Where do you live?”
First, it’s an irregular verb in the indicative mood (it’s just a fact), the present tense, the first person. And even though this is an irregular verb, and it’s hard to guess that another letter is going to appear in the stem, the endings are standard.
Расскажи / расскажите мне о своих увлечениях.
“Tell me about your hobbies.”
Both options are possible depending on who you’re addressing (informal or formal interaction), and it’s the imperative mood because we ask somebody to give us some information.
Мы с друзьями любим путешествовать и изучать иностранные языки.
“My friends and I, we love to travel and learn new languages.”
Here, we can see the indicative mood, the present tense, and the third person plural for the first verb (also irregular, by the way). Unlike in English, where you should decide if a gerund or an infinitive should go after the verb, in Russian, it’s always the infinitive. This is why the next two verbs are in their initial form.
Если бы я больше времени проводил / проводила дома, я бы с радостью взял / взяла кошку или собаку.
“If I spent more time at home, I would gladly take a cat or a dog.”
Finally, some conditional! It’s pretty common to use the word если (yesli), meaning “if,” in conditional sentences. So, the verb проводить (provodit’), meaning “to spend (time),” is also irregular, but behaves normally in the past tense (Group 2, imperfective form). Why the past tense? Because conditional is just бы + past tense. It also means that we can choose between the masculine (проводил) and the feminine form (проводила). The same goes for the verb брать (brat’), meaning “to take.” It’s irregular, and I’ve mentioned it before, in Irregular Verbs.
Do you know why the verb “to take” is in its perfective form? (Think before reading next!) Because perfective forms usually convey a one-time action. It means I would take a cat or a dog once. If I were to keep taking a new dog every week, it would be imperfective: брала бы.
В следующем году мои друзья поедут в Японию. Конечно же, я тоже хочу !
“Next year, my friends are going to Japan. Of course, I want to go too!”
So, the verb “to go” (for travel in general) is in the future tense, indicative mood, perfective form. I’m sure now you can explain why! The verb хотеть (khotet’), meaning “to want,” is irregular (oh, not again!), so it has changed one consonant in the middle. By the way, you may wonder why the conjugation table says the ending for “I” is -ю, and here it’s -у. If you forgot, please get back to the comment right under the table. ;)
After the journey to the land of verb conjugation
5. A Bonus from RussianPod101
In this guide, you’ve learned everything about Russian verb conjugation, endings, aspect, mood, tenses… Ah, so many new linguistic terms! Maybe you’ve learned something new about the English language as well? Bookmark this guide to refer to it from time to time—learning everything at once is hard, which is why you should get back to it sometimes to review and learn something new. Are you sure you haven’t skipped any piece of information? ;)
Good job! RussianPod101 is offering you a bonus: a free list of Must-Know Verbs! Make sure to check it out! Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher. You’ll get personal one-on-one coaching to practice verb conjugation and more with a private teacher, using assignments, grammar and vocabulary exercises, and voice recordings to improve your pronunciation! Happy learning with RussianPod101!
Why is it important to study the most common verbs in Russian? Verbs are the backbone of every sentence. They help you keep track of the action in a sentence, and are absolutely essential for improving your language skills. So, this article is all about Russian verbs and will try to explain some of their important and unique aspects. Then at the end, we’ll give you a list of the 100 most essential Russian verbs to know for everyday situations.
Before continuing, though, you may find it helpful to brush up on other parts of speech in Russian. We recommend checking out the following RussianPod101.com blog posts:
If you’ve ever tried to learn another European language, you’re probably already familiar with the issue of conjugations. These are verb groups that conjugate according to the same rules. Grammarians generally divide Russian verbs into two groupings—the first and second conjugation.
The letter a following ж, ш, щ, or ч: слышать (slyshatʹ), молчать (molchatʹ)
Knowing the two Russian verb conjugations is quite important since they conjugate differently.
First Second
Я -у/-ю -у/-ю
Ты -ешь -ишь
он/а/о -ет -ит
мы -ем -им
вы -ете -ите
они -ут/-ют -а/-ят
2. Irregular Verbs in Russian
Every European language seems cursed with loads of irregular verbs, and unfortunately, the Russian language is no exception. Some of the most common Russian verbs are irregular, so these are very important to know for almost any situation.
These irregularities can come in two forms: the ones with minor inconsistencies and the highly irregular verbs. This section will go over the highly irregular verbs, while sections 3 and 4 will discuss other changes to Russian conjugations.
Thankfully, there aren’t very many highly irregular verbs in Russian. These verbs normally arise from the fusion of multiple conjugations. This can be seen with basic Russian verbs like есть (estʹ), meaning“to eat,” and дать (datʹ), meaning“to give,” whose singular and plural forms use different stems.
я ем (yem) дам (dam)
ты ешь (yeshʹ) дашь (dashʹ)
он/а/о ест (yest) даст (dast)
мы едим (yedim) дадим (dadim)
вы едите (yedite) дадите (dadite)
они едят (yedyat) дадут (dadut)
The most irregular verbs in Russian are probably быть (bytʹ), meaning“to be,” and идти (idti), meaning“to go.” Both have different stems for their perfective and imperfective forms. Likewise, these verbs also change their stems between the present and past tense.
быть есть (yestʹ)— “there is” был (byl)— “he was”
идти идёт (idyot)— “it goes” шёл (shyol)— “he went”
Learners should note that any verbs derived from these will have the same irregular conjugation. For example, задать (zadat), meaning“to give out,” and забыть (zabytʹ), meaning“forget,” conjugate as зададим (zadadim) and забудем (zabudem) respectively, in the first person plural.
3. The Added L Sound
Some Russian verbs can seem fairly regular, but will have one strange feature in the first person singular. After certain consonants, the first person singular will add the letter –л- into the conjugation. The most well-known verb that does this is probably любить (lyubitʹ), meaning“to love.”
Любить он любил (on lyubil) он любит (on lyubit) я люблю (ya lyublyu)
“to love” “he loved” “he loves” “I love”
While this conjugation of Russian verbs might appear frustrating at first glance, don’t worry. This is a very consistent sound change in Russian, as the added “L” sound occurs in the first person singular of second conjugation verbs ending in п, б, ф, в, and м. Take a look at the Russian verbs conjugation table below:
One of the most difficult things about learning Russian is understanding all the different sound changes. In Russian, these occur in all parts of speech, including verbs. Sometimes consonants will occur in a word and make it appear totally different. As a result, verbs like лечь (lechʹ), лягу (lyagu), and ляжешь (lyazheshʹ)might appear unrelated at first glance, even though they all come from the same verb stem.
The process of “softening” consonants is called palatalization and can occur to a number of different sounds. Below are three examples with some common verbs you might already know, where palatalization occurs when the infinitive is changed to the first person singular.
Д > Ж видеть (videtʹ)—“to see” вижу (vizhu)— “I see”
The tricky thing is that many verbs in Russian feature some kind of sound change in their conjugation. The good news is that once you get more familiar with palatalization, you can start to see and anticipate the patterns. For example, imperfective first conjugation verbs ending in -ать regularly palatalize.
This may look a bit overwhelming at first, but hang tough. With practice and regular use, these consonant changes will become second-nature.
5. The 100 Must-Know Russian Verbs
Now that you’re more familiar with some of the grammatical and sound-related changes that can occur in Russian verbs, we’ve got a list of the top 100 must-know Russian verbs for beginners who want to start using and speaking Russian.
1.
Быть (Bytʹ) “to be”
Я был пилотом. Ya byl pilotom. “I was a pilot.”
Бытьis a highly irregular verb. It’s almost never used in the present tense, except in the third person: есть (yestʹ). Есть много книг на столе. Yestʹ mnogo knig na stole. “There are a lot of books on the table.”
2.
Делать (Delatʹ) “do,” “make,” “act”
Мы не делали домашнюю работу. My ne delali domashnyuyu rabotu. “We weren’t doing homework.
3.
Знать (Znatʹ) “know,” “be familiar with”
Я знаю это место. Ya znayu eto mesto. “I know this place.”
Знать means to know a place, a fact, a person, or how to do something: Я тебя знаю. Ya tebya znayu. “I know you.”
Я знаю, как танцевать. Ya znayu, kak tantsevatʹ. “I know how to dance.”
4.
Хотеть (Khotetʹ) “want,” “wish for”
Я не хочу идти с тобой. Ya ne khochu idti s toboy. “I don’t want to go with you.