Remove the last two or three letters of the infinitive (the “to …” form) and add the ending for the person. Verbs in pattern 1 use endings with е; verbs in pattern 2 use endings with и.
1. Who does it: conjugate any verb
The six persons are the six possible “doers”: I, you, he/she/it, we, you (plural or polite) and they. Pick a verb to see all six forms. Because the ending already shows who’s acting, Russians sometimes drop the pronoun in casual speech.
2. The two patterns side by side
Russian grammar books call these the first and second conjugation. The difference is the vowel in the middle of the ending: е for pattern 1, и for pattern 2. The “I” and “they” forms also differ.
| Person | Pattern 1 ending | рабо́тать · to work | Pattern 2 ending | говори́ть · to speak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| яya · I | -ю / -у | -ю / -у | ||
| тыty · you | -ешь | -ишь | ||
| он / она́on / a-NA · he / she | -ет | -ит | ||
| мыmy · we | -ем | -им | ||
| выvy · you (pl.) | -ете | -ите | ||
| они́a-NEE · they | -ют / -ут | -ят / -ат |
3. How to tell which pattern a verb uses
Look at the end of the infinitive. These four clues cover the vast majority of verbs. When in doubt, dictionaries give the “ты” form, which shows the pattern straight away.
4. Consonant changes in the “I” form
In pattern 2, many verbs change their last consonant in the я form only. Every other form stays regular. The changes always go the same way, so once you know them, they’re predictable.
| Change | Verb | я (I) | ты (you) · regular |
|---|---|---|---|
| б → бл | люби́тьlyu-BEET’ · to love | ||
| п → пл | спатьspat’ · to sleep | ||
| в → вл | гото́витьga-TO-vit’ · to cook | ||
| д → ж | ходи́тьkha-DEET’ · to walk, go | ||
| т → ч | отве́титьat-VYE-tit’ · to answer | ||
| с → ш | писа́тьpi-SAT’ · to write |
5. Four irregular verbs you’ll need every day
Only a handful of verbs break the patterns, but they’re among the most common. Learn these four by heart. The verb “to be” (быть) has no present tense at all: Russians simply leave it out.
6. One tense, three English meanings
English has several present tenses: “I read”, “I’m reading”, “I’ve been reading”. Russian has just one, and context tells you which is meant. That makes Russian simpler here, not harder.
7. Reflexive verbs: -ся and -сь
Verbs ending in -ся conjugate normally, then add -ся after a consonant or -сь after a vowel. Both -тся and -ться are pronounced [tsa].
8. Verbs in -овать and -авать
In -овать verbs, -ова- turns into -у- before the ending. In -авать verbs, the -ва- disappears in the present.
9. Three stress patterns
Learn the я and ты forms of a new verb. Every other form follows the ты form.
10. Choose the right form
Look at the pronoun, then pick the form with the matching ending.