GrammatikKonjugation

Konjugation

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 рабо́таю - I work
• ты рабо́таешь - you work
• он рабо́тает - he works

This change of endings is called conjugation.

Persons in Russian

Russian has six main forms in the present tense:

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 рабо́тать (to work):

2nd conjugation

For verbs ending in -ить with the example говори́ть (to speak).

Stem and ending

To conjugate a verb, you usually:

1. Remove the infinitive ending (-ть)
2. Add the correct ending

Example:

• рабо́та-ть → рабо́та- + endings
• говори́-ть → говори́- + endings

Spelling changes

Some verbs have small spelling or sound changes when conjugated:

• писа́ть → пишу́ (с → ш)
• жить → живу́ (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 студе́нт. (I am a student.)
• Она́ до́ма. (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.

• мы́ться - to wash oneself
• одева́ться - to get dressed
• учи́ться - to study (literally "to teach oneself")

Full present tense of мы́ться (to wash oneself):

Reflexive verbs conjugate just like normal verbs, but you add -ся or -сь to the form.

• -ся is used after consonants:
  мо́ется, у́чатся
• -сь is used after vowels:
  мо́юсь, учу́сь

How to use it

Here are some simple example sentences to show how you can use the conjugation in everyday statements and questions.

• Ты рабо́таешь? (Do you work?)
• Я рабо́таю сего́дня. (I work today.)
• Вы говори́те по-ру́сски? (Do you speak Russian? - formal/plural)
• Я говорю́ по-ру́сски. (I speak Russian.)
• Я мо́юсь. (I wash myself.)
• Ты мо́ешься? (Are you washing yourself?)
• Я чита́ю кни́гу. (I read a book.)
• Ты пи́шешь письмо́. (You write a letter.)
• Мы у́чимся сейча́с. (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.