Good news! Particles never change their form! A few particles do have a long and a short form that can be used interchangeably, but it’s not dependent on the grammar:
же[zhe] = ж[sh]
бы[by] = б[p]
ли[lee] = ль[l'] ← (short form is old-fashioned)
Russian Articles
Particles in Russian: What are they and when to use them?
By: Olga Maroz Fri Feb 28 2025
RussianGrammar Tips
In Russian, we use the term “particle” as a catch-all term for function words that do not clearly fit into some other part of speechNo definition set for part of speechLorem 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.. This means that particles don’t have a clear, independent meaning, but including them in a sentence can alter the overall meaning of a sentence or phrase. Therefore, a particle is a “helping” word.
Some common Russian particles include:
же[zhye]
ли[lee]
бы[by]
так[tak]
уж[oosh]
ни[ni]
and more!
If you often encounter small words like the ones above, and never know what they mean and what they are doing in the sentences, then this post is for you! In this post we are going to talk about Russian particles, see many examples, and explain how they work in a sentence.
Table of Contents
What is a particle in Russian?
Particles are function words, meaning that it is hard to represent their meanings in a dictionary entry. Function words, instead, are used to build relationships between or add meaning to other words and phrases in a sentence.
We use the term “particle” to describe any function word that doesn’t fit well into other categories of function words, like conjunctions (words like “and” and “or”), prepositions (words like “in” or “at”), pronouns (like “he” and “she”), or interjections (like “wow!” or “hey!”).
Because “particle” is a catch-all term, particles can actually do a lot of different things in your sentence. For example, all of the following are functions that the words we call “particles” in Russian have:
Create special word forms
Кто-нибудь видел мои очки?
kto-niBOOD VEEdil mai achKEE?
Has anyone seen my eye glasses?
Express emotions, such as surprise, joy, resentment, or disgust
Ну и погодка!
noo i paGOTka!
Well, the weather!
Emphasize something
Мы же не сможем поехать на океан, если дождь не закончится!
my zhe ni SMOzhym paYEkhat na akiAN YESli dosht ni zaKONchitsa!
We definitely can't go to the ocean if it does not stop raining!
Help form questions
(Не) знаете ли вы, где лежат овощи?
(ni) ZNAiti li vy, gdye liZHAT Ovashchi?
Do you know where the vegetables are?
Разве вы не знаете, где у нас овощи лежат? Вон там, на второй полке.
RAZvi vy ni ZNAiti gdye oo nas Ovashchi liZHAT - von tam na ftaROY POLki
Don't you know where our vegetables are? Over there, on the second shelf.
Negating a phrase
Она не сказала ни слова.
aNA ni skaZAla ni SLOva.
She didn't say a word.
And many more!
Some particles are in the first hundred most used words in Russian, for example:
не[nye](not)
же[zhye](still/indeed)
вот[vot](here)
ни[ni](not)
даже[DAzhye](even)
ли[lee] → used to form questions
ведь[vyet](indeed/after all)
Important
Many Russian particles are words that have a lot of different functions, and some of those functions may fall nicely into other parts of speech. For example, when the word и[i] is used for emphasis, as in the sentence below, it is a particle, but when it is used to mean “and,” it is a conjunction (linking word):
Example with particle meaning | Example with conjunction meaning |
|---|---|
И как вы всё успеваете? i kak vy fsyo oospiVAiti? How do you manage to do everything? → Implied: I can’t do it myself | Она купила продукты и цветы. aNA kooPEEla praDOOKty i tsviTY. She bought food and flowers. |
In this post, we’ll only be looking at how to use these words as particles.
Each Russian particle has its own special rules, and so ultimately they will need to be learned one-by-one. However, we can group particles together in ways that help you learn how and where to use them. In the sections below, we’ll go through each type of particle and, where appropriate, provide you with a list of particles that fall into each group.
What are the main kinds of particles in Russian?
There are three types of particles in Russian:
Form-building particles → used when putting another word into a special grammatical form (e.g. imperativeNo definition set for imperativeLorem 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., subjunctiveNo definition set for subjunctiveLorem 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., etc.)
Word-building particles → used to form new words with predictable meanings. Most of these are affixesNo definition set for affixesLorem 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..
Meaningful particles → used to change the overall meaning, implication, or emotional impact of a sentence.
Let’s look at them one-by-one!
What are form-building particles in Russian?
Form-building particles are particles that we use to build special grammatical forms of another word, such as the conditional moodNo definition set for conditional moodLorem 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., imperativeNo definition set for imperativeLorem 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. form, or subjunctiveNo definition set for subjunctiveLorem 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. form of a verb.
Particles in this group include:
бы[by](would)
пусть[poost](let)
пускай[poosKAY](let)
да[da](may)
давай[daVAY](let's / come on)
давайте[daVAYti](let's)
For example:
Sentence without particle | Sentence with particle |
|---|---|
Если я узнаю, я позвоню. YESli ya ooZNAyu, ya pazvaNYU. If I find out, I’ll call. | Если бы я знал, я бы позвонил. YESli by ya znal, ya by pazvaNEEL. If I had known, I would have called. → an unreal conditional |
Я это сделал. ya Eta ZDYElal. I did it. | Я бы это сделал завтра. ya by Eta ZDYElal ZAFtra. I would do it tomorrow. → subjunctive mood |
Не будем спорить! ni BOOdim SPOrit! We shall not argue! | Давайте не будем спорить! daVAYti ni BOOdim SPOrit! Let's not argue! → imperative |
Всегда будет мир! fsigDA BOOdit meer! There will always be peace! | Пусть всегда будет мир! poost fsigDA BOOdit meer! May there always be peace! → imperative |
Tip
To learn more about how to use form-building particles in Russian, check out these posts:
Word-building particles
Word-building particles are particles that are used to form new words, usually indefinite pronounsNo definition set for indefinite pronounsLorem 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.. Word-building particles include:
-то[to](any/some-)
-либо[LEEba](any/some-)
-нибудь[neBOOD](any/some-)
кое-[KOye](some-)
не[nye](not/no)
ни[ni](no/nor)
Here are a few ways you can use word-building particles:
To form indefinite pronouns, like “something” or “anywhere,” add a word-building particle after a base word like что[shto](what) or где[gdye](where):
что-то[SHTO-ta](something)
где-нибудь[GDYE-niboot](anywhere)
Note that there is a hyphen between the base word and the particle.
To form negative pronouns like “nobody” and “nowhere,” add a word-building particle to the beginning of a base word like кто[kto](who) or где[gdye](where):
никто[niKTO](nobody)
нигде[niGDYE](nowhere)
Note that there is a hyphen between the base word and the particle.
To form antonyms:
правда[PRAVda](truth) → неправда[niPRAVda](lie)
добрый[DOBryi](kind) → недобрый[niDOBryi](unkind/bad)
Meaningful particles
Meaningful particles are particles that function as independent words but impact the meaning of an overall sentence. They are called “meaningful” because they can impact the meaning of a sentence, not because they always have a direct translation into English (though some do!).
Meaningful particles have several categories:
affirmative → words that confirm or emphasize that something is true
negative → words that make a positive phrase negative
exclamation → words that turn a sentence into an exclamation
intensifying → make a statement more extreme
demonstrative → introduce or point to something
interrogative → turn a statement into a question
comparative → state that one situation is like another situation
Let’s discuss each category step by step. Keep reading!
Affirmative particles like да
Affirmative particles express agreement with or confirm the truth of a statement.
The most important Russian affirmative particle is да[da], which is very similar to English “yes” or “yeah.”
Пойдёшь на вечеринку, да?
payDYOSH na vichiREENkoo, da?
You're going to the party, right?
Да, я знаю.
da ya ZNAyu.
Yes, I know.
Да, хорошо погуляли!
da, kharaSHO pagooLYAli!
Yep, we had a good time/party!
Да? Не может быть!
Da? Ni MOzhit byt!
Really? Can't be!
Here is a list of several words you can use like the affirmative particle да[da]:
действительно[diySTVEEtilna](indeed)
конечно[kaNYESHna](of course)
точно[TOCHna](exactly)
определённо[apridiLYONa](definitely)
так[tak](so/that)
как же[kak zhe](how/what)
ладно[LADna](ok)
ага[aKHA](ok)
угу[ooHOO](uh-huh)
ну[noo](well)
ещё бы[iSHCHO by](of course)
Important
Using particle ещё бы[iSHCHO by](of course) in negative sentences makes the meaning affirmative. For example:
In a positive sentence | In a negative sentence |
|---|---|
Speaker A: Пойдешь гулять? payDYOSH gooLYAT? Will you go for a walk? Speaker B: Ещё бы, конечно пойду! iSHCHYO by, kaNYESHna payDOO! Sure, of course I will! | Speaker A: Тебе понравилась Италия? tiBYE paNRAvilas iTAliya? Did you like Italy? Speaker B: Ещё бы не понравилась, мы посетили столько городов и мест! iSHCHO by ni paNRAvilas, my pasiTEEli stolKA garaDOF i myest! How couldn’t I like it? We visited so many cities and places! |
Negative particles like не, ни, and нет
The negative particles не[nye](not/no), ни[ni](neither/nor), нет[nyet](no) create negations (making negative any part of the speech or a statement; opposite of positive) and help to make negative sentences. Let’s compare them:
нет[nyet] |
|---|
The opposite of да[da](yes) Вы играете на гитаре? — Нет. vy igRAiti na giTARi? — nyet. Do you play the guitar? — No. |
“there is no…” у меня нет времени. oo miNYA nyet VRYEmini. I have no time. |
не[nye] |
|---|
Negates sentences Я не играю на гитаре. ya ni igRAyu na giTAri. I don’t play the guitar. |
Two instances of не make a positive Я не могу не сказать это. ya ni maGOO ni skaZAT Eta. I can’t not say this. |
ни[ni] |
|---|
Amplifies negation that is already present Я не сказал им ни слова. ya ni skaZAL im ni SLOva. I didn't say a word to them. lit. I didn’t say no word to them. |
The particle ни[ni] with question words and phrases slightly changes their meaning:
что[shto](what) → что ни[shto ni](whatever)
куда[kooDA](to where) → куда ни[kooDA by ni](wherever)
сколько[SKOLka](how much) → сколько ни[SKOLka ni](no matter how much)
Tip
Though they are not quite negative particles, there are are some colloquial particles that express that the speaker believes that what they or someone else said is false. For example:
вот ещё[vot iSHCHYO]
где (уж)[gdye (oosh)]
куда (уж)[kooDA (oosh)]
куда там[kooDA tam]
где там[gdye tam]
English equivalents to these might be: “yeah right,” “no way,” “says who?,” or “fat chance.” You can use these particles with positive sentences, while still expressing that you think something isn’t true. For example:
Где там нам успеть за вами!
gdye tam nam ooSPYET za VAmi!
No way can we catch up to you!
lit. Where there we catch up with you!
Вы должны заплатить ежегодный взнос. — Вот ещё! Что за новое правило?
vy dalZHNY zaplaTEET yezhyGODnyi vznos — vot iSHCHYO shto za NOvaye PRAvila?
You must pay an annual fee. — Yeah right! Is that a new rule?
Exclamatory particles like что за, какой, or ну и
Exclamatory particles, like что за[shto za](what a…), какой[kaKOY](what a…), ну и[noo i](wow/ what a…), как[kak](how), form phrases that express admiration, surprise, or indignation. They are usually placed at the beginning of an exclamation.
Что за шум, а драки нет?
shto za shoom a DRAki nyet?
What's going on around here?
lit. What’s the noise and no fight?
Какой у вас чудесный ребёнок!
kaKOY oo vas chooDYESnyi riBYOnak!
What a wonderful child you have!
Ну и жара сегодня!
noo i zhaRA siVODnya!
What hot weather today!
lit. What heat today!
The particle не[nye] is often used in combination with other words when forming exclamations or questions, in phrases like кто не(who not), только не(only not), вряд ли не(hardly), едва ли не(almost), and so on.
Кто не знает Пушкина?
Kto ni ZNAit POOSHkina?
Who does not know Pushkin?
Едва ли не весь город искал мою собаку!
yeDVA li ni vyes GOrad isKAL maYU saBAkoo!
Almost the whole city was looking for my dog!
Intensifying particles like даже, же, or ведь
Intensifying particles are used to strengthen the meaning of a word or a sentence. Some examples of particles like this include:
даже[DAzhe](even)
же[zhe](still/indeed)
ведь[vyet](indeed/after all)
уж[oosh](much/very)
всё[fsyo](still/more)
всё-таки[FSYO-taki](after all)
прямо[PRYAma](really/indeed)
да[da](really)
Like other particles, the intensifying particle goes before the word you want to place emphasis on. For example:
Даже дети знают эту сказку.
DAzhe DYEti ZNAyut Etoo SKASkoo.
Even children know this tale.
Дети знают даже эту сказку.
DYEti ZNAyut DAzhe Etoo SKASkoo.
Children know even this tale.
Чего сидишь? Мы ведь собирались в кафе?!
chiVO siDEESH? My vyet sabiRAlis v kaFE?!
Why are you sitting? We were going to a cafe, weren't we?
lit. …We (indeed) were going to the cafe!
Они всё работают и работают.
aNEE fsyo raBOtayut i raBOtayut.
They keep working and working.
Уж вы мне помогите, раз пообещали!
oosh vy mnye pamaGEEtye, ras paabyeSHCHAli!
You help me, as promised!
Всё-таки он прав.
FSYO-taki on praf.
After all, he is right.
The particle да[da](really) can also be used to add emphasis:
with an imperative mood or in a sentence denoting a wish
Да делайте вы что хотите!
Da DYElayti vy shto khaTEtye!
Really, do what you want!
at the beginning of the sentence or inside it before the verb, giving more expressiveness to the statement
Я как-нибудь да сделаю это!
Ya kak niBOOD da SDYElayu Eta!
I’ll do it somehow!
Да не знаю я, куда вы положили свои очки!
da ni ZNAyu ya, kooDA vy palaZHYli svaEE achKEE!
I really don’t know where you put your glasses!
One particularly tricky intensifying particle is же[zhe](still/indeed). The main functions of же are:
amplification of the word next to which it stands (these words can be different parts of speech), for example:
Он же не хочет никуда идти!
On zhe ni KHOchit nikooDA iTEE!
He really doesn't want to go anywhere!
Пложи вещи туда же, где взял.
palaZHY VYEshchi tooDA zhe gdye vzyal.
Put things back where you got them.
indication of similarity
Сегодня такой же жаркий день, как и вчера.
siVODnya taKOY zhe ZHARkiy dyen kak i fchiRA.
Today is the same hot day as yesterday.
Все его друзья решили, что не будут готовиться к экзамену. И он туда же!
fsye iVO droozYA riSHYli shto ni BOOdoot gaTOvitsa k igZAminoo. ee on tooDA zhe!
All his friends decided that they would not study for the exam. And he is doing the same!
as a connector/conjunction, же opposes one part of what was said
Мои друзья так любят вечеринки, я же от них устаю.
maEE drozYA tak LYUbyat vichiREENki, ya zhye at neekh oostaYU.
My friends love parties so much, I get tired of them.
Demonstrative particles like вот, вон, or это
The demonstrative particles вот[vot](this/here is, then, now), вон[von](over there, right), это[Eta](this) present something (an object, a place, an event, a person, etc). Demonstrative particles are usually found at the beginning of a sentence. For example:
Вот мои документы.
vot maEE dakooMYENty.
Here are my documents.
Вот и конец!
vot i kaNYETS!
Here is the end!
Вот, пожалуйста!
vot, paZHAloosta!
Here you are!
Вон там, за горой, дедушкин дом.
vot tam, za gaROY, DYEdooshkin dom.
Over there, behind the mountain, is grandfather's house.
Познакомьтесь, это моя семья!
paznaKOMtis, Eta maya simYA!
Get acquainted, this is my family!
But the particles вот[vot] and вон[von] don’t always have to be at the beginning of the sentence.
Поставьте лампу на стол, вон туда.
pasTAFti LAMpoo na stol, von tooDA.
Put the lamp on the table right there.
Быть или не быть, вот в чём вопрос…
byt EEli ni byt - vot v chyom vaPROS…
To be or not to be: that is the question…
→ Here, вот[vot] emphasizes the aforementioned things.
Interrogative particles like ли, разве, or неужели
Interrogative particles are a group of particles expressing a general meaning of uncertainty, doubt, or distrust of the stated proposition. They are exclusively used in questions showing surprise. The particles ли[lee](whether), разве[RAZvi](isn’t), and неужели[niooZHEli](really/indeed/can’t) combine the meaning of interrogation with a little additional meaning: surprise or confirmation.
Without the particle | With the particle |
|---|---|
Никто не может помочь им? nikTO ni MOzhyt paMOCH im? Nobody can help them? | Неужели никто не может помочь им? niooZHEli nikTO ni MOzhyt paMOCH im? Can’t anyone help them? |
Вы не понимаете, что это проблема?! vy ni paniMAiti shto Eta prabLYEma?! Do you not understand that this is a problem?! | Разве вы не понимаете, что это проблема?! RAZvi vy ni paniMAiti shto Eta prabLYEma?! Don’t you understand that this is a problem?! |
Правда, что смех продлевает жизнь? PRAVda, shto smyekh pardliVAit zhyzn? It’s true that laughter prolongs life? | Правда ли, что смех продлевает жизнь? PRAVda li, shto smyekh pardliVAit zhyzn? Is it true that laughter prolongs life? |
Important
The particle ли[lee] also can be a conjunctionNo definition set for conjunctionLorem 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. used before indirect questions, transforming a direct question into a reported question. For example:
Он спросил: “Вы любите кофе?” → Он спросил, люблю ли я кофе.
On spraSEEL: “vy LYUbitye koFYE?” → on spraSEEL, lyubLYU lee ya KOfye.
He asked: “Do you like coffee?” → He asked if I like coffee.
Check out our post on reported speech in Russian to learn more!
Comparative particles like будто, словно, or вроде
The particles будто[BOOta](as if), словно[SLOVna](like, as if), вроде[VROdi](like/sort of), and the very colloquial типа[TEEpa](like/kinda) help to express comparison and are used with the predicate. For instance:
Он будто в воду глядел!
On BOOta v VOdoo gliDYEL!
As if he knew beforehand that something was going to happen!
lit. As if he was looking into the water!
Ты словно живёшь в каменном веке!
Ty SLOVna zhyVOSH v KAminam VYEkye!
It's like you're living in the Stone Age!
Он вроде заболел.
on VROdye zabaLYEL.
He seems to be ill.
Он хочет стать начальником или типа того.
On KHOchit stat naCHALnikam EEli TEEpa taVO.
He wants to be the boss or something (like that).
Important
The particle вроде[VROdi](like/sort of) on its own or in the set combinations вроде бы/как[vroDYE by/kak](seems to be/sort of) can denote a hypothetical or conditional possibility. For example:
Вроде (бы) они согласились подписать контракт.
VROdi (by) aNEE saglaSEElis patpiSAT kanTRAKT.
It seems they agreed to sign the contract.
Вроде (как) у нас получилось починить телевизор.
VROdI (kak) oo nas palooCHEElas pachiNEET tiliVEEzar.
It seems we managed to fix the TV.
Summary
Particles are function words that affect the meaning of other words or of the whole sentence.
Particles can be:
form-building (to create subjunctive or imperative mood; become the part of the verb form)
word-building (serve to create new words)
meaningful (introduce additional shades of meaning into sentences).
Meaningful particles have many categories: affirmative, negative, exclamation, intensifying, demonstrative, interrogative, comparative, etc.
If you’re ready to practice, try out these Russian particle activities, and apply what you’ve just learned!
