Russian Verbs

Russian verbs have:

• three tenses (presence, past and future)
• three moods (indicative, imperative and conditional (subjunctive))
• two aspects (imperfective and perfective)

The Russian Infinitive

In Russian, most infinitives end in -ТЬ or -ТИ.
For example: работать (to work), пить (to drink), советовать (to advise), принести (to bring).

Some Russian verbs end in infinitive in -СТЬ or -ЧЬ.

For example: класть (to lay down), помочь (to help).

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Russian Verb Aspects

Students of Russian often have difficulties understanding
Russian verbal aspects. No wonder as there are no aspects in English.

In Russian, most verbs build aspect pairs. The difference between the two aspects is basically the way the speaker thinks about the action.

The imperfective aspect describes an incomplete action which is happening at the moment or happens repeatedly. An incomplete action can be performed at present, in the past and in future. So the imperfective aspect has present, past and future forms.
In Russian, the imperfective verb answers the question
что делать? (It can be translated into English as "What do/ did/ will you do?" or "What are you doing?".)

For example:
Я пишу тебе письмо. – I am writing you a letter.
Он читал газету каждый день. – He used to read the newspaper every day.
Она будет часто ездить в Россию. – She will travel to Russia often.

The perfective aspect describes an action that has been or will be completed. It can be a result, a start or a single action. A completed action cannot be taking place at present. So the perfective aspect has only past and future forms.
In Russian, the perfective verb answers the question
что сделать? (It can be translated into English as "What have you done?" or "What will have you done?".)

For example:
Я напишу тебе письмо. – I will write you a letter. (I will write the letter to the end.)
Он прочитал газету. – He has read the newspaper.
Она впервые поедет в Россию. – She will travel to Russia for the first time.

The perfective aspect of most Russian verbs is formed by adding different prefixes. But there are also other cases.

Verb Tenses
RUSSIAN VERBS: PRESENT TENSE

There are two conjugation types in Russian:

• I. or Е-conjugation
  Endings: -у (-ю), -ешь, -ет, -ем, -ете, -ут (-ют)
• II. or И-conjugation
  Endings: -у(-ю),-ишь, -ит, -им, -ите, -ат(-ят)

Consonant mutation in Russian

Many Russian verbs change a consonant in conjugated presence forms.
Russian verbs of the Е-conjugation (I.) maintain the change in all personal forms.
In Russian verbs of the И-conjugation (II.) consonant mutation takes place only in the 1st person singular.
Basic rules for consonant mutation in Russian are:
г, д, з ➜ ж
к ➜ ч
т ➜ ч, щ
с, х ➜ ш
ск, ст ➜ щ
б, в, м, п, ф ➜ бл, вл, мл, пл, фл

I. Е-Conjugation in Russian

Following verbs are conjugated according to the Е-conjugation:

• all monosyllabic verbs ending in -ить (and all which are derived from them). In this case, the letter -и- in the verb stem changes into -ь-.
  пить (drink), бить (beat), etc.
• all verbs ending in -оть, -уть
  молоть (grind, mill), пороть (flog, birch, whip), отдохнуть (rest)
• all verbs ending in -сти, -зти
  нести (carry), везти (convey, carry), etc.
• most verbs ending in -ать, -ять
  дать (give), читать (read), гулять (go for a walk), поздравлять (congratulate), работать (work), etc.
• most verbs ending in –еть
  болеть (be ill/sick), жалеть (feel/be sorry), etc.

Some special patterns of the E-Conjugation
1) Russian Verbs with the suffixes -ОВА- and -ЕВА- are conjugated according to the E-Conjugation. In conjugated forms, the suffixes -ОВ- and -ЕВ- change in -У- (after vowels in -Ю-).

2) Russian verbs that end in -АВАТЬ lose the suffix -ВА- in the present tense.
давать (give) ➜ даю, даёшь, etc.
вставать (get up) ➜ встаю, встаёшь, etc.

II. И-Conjugation in Russian

Following verbs are conjugated according to the И-conjugation

• all polysyllabic verbs ending in–ить (except for стелить (make a bed), зиждиться (old Russian: be based / founded))
  любить (love), говорить (talk), etc.
• four verbs ending in -ать, -ять
  гнать (urge, chase, pursue), держать (hold), слышать (listen), дышать (breathe)
• seven verbs ending in –еть
  видеть (see), смотреть (look), ненавидеть (hate), терпеть (endure, stand, have patience), обидеть (offend), вертеть (spit, turn (round and round)), зависеть (depend on)

Mixed Conjugation in Russian

Russian verbs хотеть (want) and бежать (run) have endings both of the Е- and И-Conjugation and belong to the so called mixed conjugation (as well as all verbs formed from them like захотеть, убежать, etc.

RUSSIAN VERBS: FUTURE TENSE

Imperfective verbs have a compound future form:
БЫТЬ + infinitive

Perfective Russian verbs form the future tense the same way as imperfective verbs form the present tense: by conjugating the infinitive according to the Е- or И-Conjugation.

RUSSIAN VERBS: PAST TENSE

In Russian, the past tense is quite simple. It is formed by adding the following suffixes to the verb stem:

• Masculine: -Л
• Feminine: -ЛА
• Neuter: -ЛО
• Plural (all genders): -ЛИ

Example: работать (work)

Reflexive Russian Verbs

In Russian, reflexive verbs are formed by adding of the affix -СЯ to the infinitive. For example:
мыть (wash smth./smb.) ➜ мыться (wash oneself)
целовать (kiss smth./smb.) ➜ целоваться (kiss each other, kiss with smb.)

After vowels, the affix -СЯ changes in -СЬ.

Reflexive Russian verbs form the future tense like other Russian verbs.
Imperfective reflexive verbs form the compound future tense:
БЫТЬ (be) + the infinitive
For example:
он будет мыться (he will wash himself)
они будут целоваться (they will kiss each other)

Perfective reflexive verbs form the future tense in the same way as imperfective reflexive verbs form the present tense.
For example:
мыться (imperfective) ➜ он моется (he washes himself (regularly))
помыться (perfective) ➜ он помоется (he will wash himself (once))
целоваться (imperfective) ➜ они целуются (they kiss each other (regularly))
поцеловаться (perfective) ➜ они поцелуются (they will kiss each other (once))

Some Russian verbs only have the reflexive form, for example, нравиться (like).

The Imperative Mood in Russian

Russian verbs have two imperative forms:
2nd person singular (ты) and 2nd person plural (вы).

Russian imperfective verbs form the imperative from the stem of the 3rd person plural in present tense.
Russian perfective verbs form the imperative from the stem of the 3rd person plural in future tense.
The imperative is formed by substituting the personal ending of the verb by an imperative ending.
The imperative endings in Russian are:
-Й (sing.) and -ЙТЕ (plural) after vowels
-И (sing.) and -ИТЕ (plural) after consonants
-Ь (sing.) and -ЬТЕ (plural) after consonants if in the 1st person singular the stress falls on the stem
Reflexive Russian verbs have following imperative endings:
-ЙСЯ (sing.) and -ЙТЕСЬ (plural) after vowels
-ИСЬ (sing.) and -ИТЕСЬ (plural) after consonants
-ЬСЯ (sing.) and -ЬТЕСЬ (plural) after consonants if the 1st person singular the stress falls on the stem.

The Conditional (Subjunctive) Mood in Russian

In Russian the conditional (subjunctive) mood is formed as follows:
Past tense form of the verb + the particle бы

Он поехал бы в Россию. - He would go to Russia.
Что бы ты сделал? – What would you do?
Она могла бы часами болтать по-телефону. - She could talk on the phone for hours.

More to learn Russian

VERB CONJUGATION TRAINER: Learn and practice the conjugation of Russian verbs online

App "Russian Verb Trainer" for iPhone, iPad und iPod touch

Russian Language Exercises online (some with audio samlples)
Russian pronunciation
Russian nouns
Russian adjectives
Russian pronouns
more in the category Russian