Reflexive verbsNo definition set for Reflexive verbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in Russian end in -ся/-сь in all forms. To find their base and conjugate them in the present tense, you need to look at what comes before that final -ся/-сь and change it accordingly.
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How to form and use the present tense in Russian?
By: Anna Classing Fri Feb 28 2025
In Russian, we use the present tense to talk about anything that happens during the time you are speaking. Where English has a variety of ways to talk about the present, such as “I do,” “I am doing,” or “I have been doing,” Russian has just one.
In this post, you will learn what forms Russian verbs have in present tense, and how these verb forms are used. Let’s go ahead!
Table of Contents
How to form the present tense in Russian?
To form a present tense verb in Russian, you’ll take the base of an imperfectiveNo definition set for imperfectiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verb and add the present tense endings to that base. The present tense ending you add will depend on the verb’s conjugationNo definition set for conjugationLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. Here are the endings:
Subject | Present Tense Ending(s) | |
|---|---|---|
1st conjugation | 2nd conjugation | |
я[ya](I) | -у (-ю) | -у (-ю) |
ты[ty](you (sg.)) | -ешь/-ёшь | -ишь |
он[on](he, it)она[aNA](she, it)оно[aNO](it) | -ет/-ёт | -ит |
мы[my](we) | -ем/-ём | -им |
вы*[vy](you (pl.)) | -ете/-ёте | -ите |
они[aNEE](they) | -ут (-ют) | -ат (-ят) |
Let’s talk through that all a little more slowly, to make sure that you can use the chart above correctly!
The Russian present tense: Imperfective vs. perfective verbs
In Russian, only imperfective verbs can be used to form the present tense. What does this mean?
Most Russian verbs have two basic forms: a perfective form and an imperfective form. The two forms will generally sound similar and have identical or related meanings, but they are used a bit differently. For example:
делать[DYElat](to make, do) ← imperfective
сделать[ZDYElat](to make, do) ← perfectiveзарабатывать[zaraBAtyvat](to earn) ← imperfective
заработать[zaraBOtat](to earn) ← perfective
One way in which perfective and imperfective verbs are used differently is what happens when you add the present tense endings to each type of verb:
If you start with an imperfective stem and add the present tense endings, you’ll form a present tense verb, as expected.
If you start with the perfective stem and add the present tense endings, you’ll form a future tense verb instead! This is formally called the “perfective future tense.”
There is actually no way to use the perfective stem to talk about the present, so we say that perfective verbs do not have a present tense.
The good news is that when you are learning the forms of the Russian present tense, you are killing two birds with one stone, since you are effectively also learning the form of perfective verbs in future!
What are the two conjugation patterns in the Russian present tense?
In the Russian present tense, there are two main present tense “conjugation patterns,” or two sets of endings for the present tense verbs: the first conjugation and the second conjugation. A verb’s conjugation pattern depends on the infinitiveNo definition set for infinitiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of a verb. Here is the general rule:
First conjugation | Second conjugation |
|---|---|
other verbs | all verbs ending in -ить (ся) |
most verbs ending in stressed -ать, -еть, -ять |
Here are a few examples:
Infinitive Verb | Conjugation |
|---|---|
класть[klast](to put) | first conjugation |
делить[diLEET](to divide) | second conjugation |
сидеть[siDYET](to sit) | second conjugation → the stress falls on the ending |
делать[DYElat](to do) | first conjugation → the stress does not fall on the ending |
There are, however, quite a few exceptions from this rule, but you can still use it as a general guidance. For full details, download the conjugation pattern reference sheet at the bottom of this page!
What is the present tense stem in Russian?
The present tense “stem” or “base,” in Russian, is the verb without its infinitive ending. This is the form of the word you’ll add endings to. Let’s look at what this looks like in each conjugation.
Conjugation | First conjugation | Second conjugation |
|---|---|---|
Stem Rule | infinitive without final -ть | infinitive without final -ить/-ать/-еть/-ять |
Examples | иметь[iMYET](to have) → име- | курить[kooREET](to smoke) → кур- |
ломать[laMAT](to break) → лома- | дышать[dySHAT](to breathe) → дыш- |
For some irregularNo definition set for irregularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Russian verbs, however, the base cannot be found in the infinitive, and has to be memorized. For example:
продавать[pradaVAT](to sell) → ✅прода- not ❌продава-
Download our present tense irregular verb chart from the bottom of the page for more examples.
Important
What are the present tense verb endings?
Now that we’ve learned more about the base that we add present tense endings to in Russian, let’s have another look at the endings in each conjugation. Remember that the ending depends on the subjectNo definition set for subjectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of the sentence!
Subject | Present Tense Ending(s) | |
|---|---|---|
1st conjugation | 2nd conjugation | |
я[ya](I) | -у (-ю) | -у (-ю) |
ты[ty](you (sg.)) | -ешь/-ёшь* | -ишь |
он[on](he, it)она[aNA](she, it)оно[aNO](it) | -ет/-ёт | -ит |
мы[my](we) | -ем/-ём | -им |
вы*[vy](you (pl.)) | -ете/-ёте* | -ите |
они[aNEE](they) | -ут (-ют) | -ат (-ят) |
How do you know if the ending is stressed or not?
Tip
In verbs where the ending is unstressed there is little, if any, difference between the pronunciation of most of the 1st vs. 2nd conjugation endings, like -ишь vs. -ешь or -ит vs. -ет. For example:
First conjugation | Second conjugation |
|---|---|
читаешь[chiTAish](you read) | любишь[LYUbish](you love) |
следуешь[SLYEdooish](you follow) | просишь[PROsish](you ask) |
Therefore, if the ending is unstressed, the only place where a verb’s conjugation really makes a difference in pronunciation are for the я(I) and они[they] forms.
Where to put the stress in the Russian present tense?
Each Russian verb will follow one of the three stress patterns outlined below in the present tense. Unfortunately, though, there is no way to tell which stress pattern a verb will follow just by looking at the verb, so it has to be memorized.
The stress always falls on the stem.
VerbTranslationдумать[DOOmat]to think
думаю[DOOmayu]I think
думаешь[DOOmayesh]you (sg.) think
думает[DOOmayet]he/she/it thinks
думаем[DOOmayem]we think
думаете[DOOmaitye]you (pl.) think
думают[DOOmayut]they think
The stress is always on the ending, for example:
VerbTranslationзвонить[zvaNEET]to call
звоню [zvaNYU]I call
звонишь[zvaNEESH]you (sg.) call
звонит[zvaNEET]he/she/it calls
звоним[zvaNEEM]we call
звоните[zvaNEEtye]you (pl.) call
звонят[zvaNYAT]they call
The stress falls on the ending in the infinitive and the Я(I) form, but on the stem in all other forms, for example:
VerbTranslationcмотреть[smatRYET]to look
смотрю [smatRYU]I look
смотришь[SMOTrish]you (sg.) look
смотрит[SMOTrit]he/she/it looks
смотрим[SMOTrim]we look
смотрите[SMOTritye]you (pl.) look
смотрят[SMOTryat]they look
Summary: Steps for conjugating Russian verbs in present tense
So, to conjugate a verb in the present tense, follow these steps:
Make sure the verb you want to use in the present tense is imperfective.
Look at the infinitive of the verb (namely, the vowel before -ть) to determine which conjugation it belongs to.
Find the stem of the verb.
Add the ending corresponding to the subject of the sentence.
When to use the present tense in Russian?
The Russian present tense is used in many of the same situations where you would use the present tense in English. It is used…
to talk about actions happening right now or around now
to talk about things that happen regularly or habitually
to talk about general truths
for things that have been happening for some time and still continue
for things that have been arranged and are going to happen in the future with a high degree of likelihood
Let’s look at each use closely.
To talk about actions happening now
The present tense is used to describe events happening right now, at the time of speaking, and it is then usually translated into English with the present continuous tense, for example:
Speaker A:
Привет! Что делаешь?
priVYET shto DYElayesh?
Hey, what are you doing / what’s up?
Speaker B:
Ужинаю и кино смотрю.
OOzhynayu i kiNOsmatRYU.
I’m having dinner and watching a movie.
To talk about habitual actions
The present tense is also used to talk about regularly happening events and habits, when it’s translated into English with the present simple tense, for example:
Я занимаюсь йогой по утрам.
ya zaniMAyus YOgay pa ootRAM.
I practice yoga in the mornings.
Они часто готовят рыбу.
aNEE CHASta gaTOvyat RYboo.
They often cook fish.
To talk about general truths
The present tense is used to talk about facts and general truths, an equivalent of the present simple in English, for example:
Вода кипит при 100 градусах.
vaDA kiPEET pri sta GRAdoosakh.
Water boils at 100 degrees.
США граничит с Канадой и Мексикой.
se she a graNEEchit s kaNAday i MYEKsikay.
The USA borders Canada and Mexico.
To talk about actions that started in the past and still continue
The Russian present tense is also used to describe situations that began in the past and haven’t finished yet. Usually this use of the Russian present tense is translated into English with the present perfect continuous, for example:
Мы работаем в этой компании 25 лет.
my raBOtayem v Etay kamPAnii DVAtsat pyat lyet.
We have been working in this company for 25 years.
Она ждёт тебя уже час.
aNA zhdyot tibya ooZHE chas.
She has been waiting for you for an hour already.
To talk about future arrangements
Like some English present tenses, the Russian present tense can be used with a future meaning. It can describe future arrangements and plans, for example:
Они в воскресенье меняют окна в квартире.
aNEE v vaskriSYENye miNYAyut OKna f kvarTEErye.
They are changing windows in their apartment on Sunday.
Вы выступаете на конференции в марте?
vy vystooPAitye na kanfiRYENtsii v MARtye?
Are you speaking at the conference in March?
Рейс из Берлина прилетает завтра в 18.30.
ryeys iz birLEEna priliTAyet ZAFTra v vasimNAtsat TREEtsat.
The flight from Berlin arrives tomorrow at 6.30 pm.
Conclusion
The present tense in Russian can be formed only from imperfective verbs using one of the two sets of endings, depending which type of conjugation, the 1st or the 2nd, the verb follows. The present tense can be used in a number of situations:
to describe actions happening now
to describe habitual actions
to talk about general truths
to describe actions that started in the past and still continue
to talk about future arrangements
Don’t miss the opportunity to practice the Russian present tense by downloading the exercises below!
