GrammarConjugation
Conjugation
Verb conjugation means changing the verb form depending on the person (I, you, he, etc.). Just like in English ("I work", "he works"), Russian verbs change their endings:
- я работаю - I work
- ты работаешь - you work
- он работает - he works
This change of endings is called conjugation.
Persons in Russian
Russian has six main forms in the present tense:
| я | I |
| ты | you (informal) |
| он / она / оно | he / she / it |
| мы | we |
| вы | you (formal or plural) |
| они | they |
Two main conjugation patterns
Almost all Russian verbs follow one of two patterns, often called the 1st conjugation and 2nd conjugation, and both are very similar.
1st conjugation (very common)
For verbs not ending in -ить. Let's look at работать (to work) and делать (to do):
| Pronoun | Ending | работать | to work |
|---|---|---|---|
| я | -ю | работаю | I work |
| ты | -ешь | работаешь | you work (informal) |
| он / она / оно | -ет | работает | he / she / it works |
| мы | -ем | работаем | we work |
| вы | -ете | работаете | you work (plural or formal) |
| они | -ют | работают | they work |
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2nd conjugation
For verbs ending in -ить with examples говорить (to speak) and купить (to buy).
| Pronoun | Ending | говорить | to speak |
|---|---|---|---|
| я | -ю / -лю | говорю | I speak |
| ты | -ишь | говоришь | you speak (informal) |
| он / она / оно | -ит | говорит | he / she / it speaks |
| мы | -им | говорим | we speak |
| вы | -ите | говорите | you speak (plural or formal) |
| они | -ят | говорят | they speak |
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Stem and ending
To conjugate a verb, you usually:
- Remove the infinitive ending (-ть)
- Add the correct ending
Example:
- работа-ть → работа- + endings
- говори-ть → говори- + endings
Spelling changes
Some verbs have small spelling or sound changes when conjugated:
- писать → пишу (с → ш)
- жить → живу (stem жив- in the present)
These are normal and should be learned with practice.
No verb "to be" in present
In Russian, the verb быть (to be) is usually not used in the present tense:
- Я студент. (I am a student.)
- Она дома. (She is at home.)
Stress and pronunciation
Stress can move when verbs are conjugated:
- сказа́ть → скажу́, ска́жешь, ска́жет, ...
- писа́ть → пишу́, пи́шешь, пи́шет, ...
This is important for correct pronunciation and must often be memorized.
Reflexive verbs
Some verbs are reflexive. They have the ending -ся or -сь and describe that the action is done to oneself or involve the subject internally.
- мыться - to wash oneself
- одеваться - to get dressed
- учиться - to study (literally "to teach oneself")
Full present tense of мыться (to wash oneself):
| Pronoun | Ending | мыться | to wash oneself |
|---|---|---|---|
| я | -юсь | моюсь | I wash myself |
| ты | -ешься | моешься | you wash yourself (informal) |
| он / она / оно | -ется | моется | he / she / it washes (himself / herself / itself) |
| мы | -емся | моемся | we wash ourselves |
| вы | -етесь | моетесь | you wash yourself (plural or formal) |
| они | -ются | моются | they wash themselves |
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Reflexive verbs conjugate just like normal verbs, but you add -ся or -сь to the form.
- -ся is used after consonants:
моется, учатся - -сь is used after vowels:
моюсь, учусь
How to use it
Here are some simple example sentences to show how you can use the conjugation in everyday statements and questions.
- Ты работаешь? (Do you work?)
- (I work today.)
- (Do you speak Russian? - formal/plural)
- (I speak Russian.)
- (I wash myself.)
- (Are you washing yourself?)
- (I read a book.)
- (You write a letter.)
- (We are studying now.)
Summary
- Verbs change endings depending on person and number.
- Most verbs follow predictable endings, but some are irregular.
- Stress and spelling may change.
- The verb "to be" is usually omitted in the present tense.
- Reflexive verbs end in -ся or -сь and conjugate like normal verbs + reflexive ending.
This grammar
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