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сего́днявчера́за́втрапозавчера́послеза́втра todayyesterdaytomorrowday beforeyesterdayday aftertomorrow
позавчера́ is “beyond yesterday” (поза-, from за, “behind”); послеза́втра is literally “after tomorrow” (по́сле, “after”).
Russian vocabulary·вре́мя · time

Russian time words

Short answer: time is вре́мя (VRYE-mya). Most “when” words in Russian are single words that never change: вчера́ (yesterday), у́тром (in the morning), всегда́ (always). Phrases with numbers use small words that English splits differently: наза́д (ago), че́рез (in), на (for). For clock times and dates, see Dates and time.

On this page Parts of the dayDays of the weekHow oftenAgo, in, forUnits of timeRelated guides

Parts of the day

Each part of the day is a noun, and “in the …” is that noun with the instrumental ending, the case for “by means of” or “during”: у́тро (morning) → у́тром (in the morning). No preposition is needed.

у́троденьве́черночь 0:0012:0024 часа́24 hours
Roughly: у́тро 4–12, день 12–17, ве́чер 17–23, ночь 23–4. Russians say “seven in the evening” rather than “7 pm”.

Days of the week

Russian days are written in lower case. For one day, use в + accusative: в сре́ду, “on Wednesday”. For every week, use по + dative plural: по сре́дам, “on Wednesdays”.

DayPronunciationOn … (once)On …s (every week)Where the name comes from
pa-ni-DYEL’-nik в понеде́льник по понеде́льникам From “after the week” (неде́ля once meant Sunday).
FTOR-nik во вто́рник по вто́рникам From второ́й, “second”. во before в- for easier saying.
sri-DA в сре́ду по сре́дам From “middle”: the middle of the week.
chit-VYERK в четве́рг по четверга́м From четвёртый, “fourth”.
PYAT-ni-tsa в пя́тницу по пя́тницам From пя́тый, “fifth”.
su-BO-ta в суббо́ту по суббо́там From Hebrew Sabbath.
vas-kri-SYE-n’ye в воскресе́нье по воскресе́ньям Means “resurrection”.

How often

Frequency words usually go before the verb. Note никогда́ (never): like all Russian negative words, it still needs не before the verb.

100%0% всегда́обы́чноча́стоиногда́ре́дконикогда́ не alwaysusuallyoftensometimesrarelynever
Six steps from always to never. Frequency words describe repeated actions, so the verb is imperfective.
ya fsig-DA p’yu KO-fye U-tram ЯIвсегда́alwaysпьюdrinkко́феcoffeeу́тромin the morning I always drink coffee in the morning.
a-BYCH-na my a-BYE-da-yem DO-ma Обы́чноusuallyмыweобе́даемhave lunchдо́маat home We usually have lunch at home.
on CHAS-ta zva-NEET MA-mye Онheча́стоoftenзвони́тcallsма́меmum He often calls his mum.
i-nag-DA ya kha-ZHU f ki-NO Иногда́sometimesяIхожу́goвtoкино́cinema Sometimes I go to the cinema.
a-NA RYET-ka SMOT-rit ti-li-VEE-zar Она́sheре́дкоrarelyсмо́тритwatchesтелеви́зорTV She rarely watches TV.
ya ni-kag-DA NYE byl f si-BEE-ri ЯIникогда́neverнеnotбылwasвinСиби́риSiberia I’ve never been to Siberia.

Ago, in, for and within

Four small words place an amount of time relative to now. Each takes the time phrase in the accusative (the case for amounts of time), and наза́д comes after it.

NOW неде́лю наза́дче́рез неде́люна неде́люза неде́лю a week agoin a week’s timefor a week (from now)within a week (and done)
Dots mark a moment; bars mark a span. на looks forward from the moment of leaving; за measures how long something took to finish.
наза́дago ya pri-YE-khal tri dnya na-ZATЯIприе́халarrivedтриthreeдняdaysназа́дagoI arrived three days ago.наза́д comes after the time phrase, like English “ago”.
че́резin (from now) PO-yist at-prav-LYA-yit-sa CHE-ris chasПо́ездtrainотправля́етсяdepartsче́резinчасhourThe train leaves in an hour.че́рез, literally “across”, counts forward from now.
наfor (planned) my YE-dim f SO-chi na ni-DYE-lyuМыweе́демgoвtoСо́чиSochiнаforнеде́люweekWe’re going to Sochi for a week.на gives the planned length of a stay, counted from the moment of leaving.
заwithin ya pra-chi-TAL KNEE-gu za dva dnyaЯIпрочита́лreadкни́гуbookзаinдваtwoдняdaysI read the book in two days.за measures how long it took to finish, so the verb is perfective.

Units of time after numbers

After a number, the noun changes: 1 takes the basic form, 2–4 the genitive singular, 5 and up the genitive plural. The last digit decides, except 11–14, which always behave like 5. For a span of time the feminine words take accusative -у after 1: одну́ мину́ту.

Unit12, 3, 45 and up
одна́ секу́нда две секу́нды пять секу́нд
одна́ мину́та две мину́ты пять мину́т
оди́н час два часа́ пять часо́в
оди́н день два дня пять дней
одна́ неде́ля две неде́ли пять неде́ль
оди́н ме́сяц два ме́сяца пять ме́сяцев
оди́н год два го́да пять лет