Language/Russian/Grammar/Past-Tense
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
Welcome to the lesson on the past tense in Russian! In this lesson, we will explore how to form the past tense of Russian verbs and understand the rules for conjugation based on the verb's ending and the noun's gender. The past tense is used to talk about actions that have already happened in the past. By mastering the past tense, you will be able to express yourself more accurately and effectively in Russian.
To form the past tense in Russian, we need to consider both the verb's ending and the noun's gender. In Russian, there are three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Each gender has its own set of rules for conjugating verbs in the past tense. We will explore these rules in detail in the following sections.
Regular Verbs[edit | edit source]
Let's start by looking at how to form the past tense for regular verbs in Russian. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern of conjugation based on their endings. To form the past tense, we need to add specific endings to the verb stem.
For regular verbs ending in -ать, we remove -ть and add -л for masculine nouns, -ла for feminine nouns, and -ло for neuter nouns. For example:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
говорить | [gəvɐˈrʲitʲ] | to speak |
он говорил | [on gəvɐˈrʲil] | he spoke |
она говорила | [ɐˈna gəvɐˈrʲilə] | she spoke |
это говорило | [ˈɛto gəvɐˈrʲilo] | it spoke |
For regular verbs ending in -ить, we remove -ть and add -л for masculine and neuter nouns, and -ла for feminine nouns. For example:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
писать | [pʲɪˈsatʲ] | to write |
он писал | [on pʲɪˈsal] | he wrote |
она писала | [ɐˈna pʲɪˈsalə] | she wrote |
это писало | [ˈɛto pʲɪˈsalə] | it wrote |
For regular verbs ending in -еть, we remove -ть and add -л for masculine nouns, -ла for feminine nouns, and -ло for neuter nouns. For example:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
видеть | [vʲɪˈdʲetʲ] | to see |
он видел | [on vʲɪˈdʲɛl] | he saw |
она видела | [ɐˈna vʲɪˈdʲɛlə] | she saw |
это видело | [ˈɛto vʲɪˈdʲɛlo] | it saw |
It is important to note that these are just examples of regular verbs. There are irregular verbs in Russian that do not follow these patterns. We will cover irregular verbs in a later lesson.
Verbs with Stem Changes[edit | edit source]
Some verbs undergo stem changes in the past tense. Stem changes occur when the verb stem changes its form before adding the past tense endings. Let's take a look at a few examples:
The verb "делать" (to do) changes its stem to "делал" in the past tense:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
делать | [dʲɪˈlatʲ] | to do |
он делал | [on dʲɪˈlal] | he did |
она делала | [ɐˈna dʲɪˈlala] | she did |
это делало | [ˈɛto dʲɪˈlalo] | it did |
The verb "есть" (to eat) changes its stem to "ел" in the past tense:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
есть | [jɛstʲ] | to eat |
он ел | [on jɛl] | he ate |
она ела | [ɐˈna jɛla] | she ate |
это ело | [ˈɛto jɛlo] | it ate |
These are just a few examples of verbs with stem changes in the past tense. It is important to familiarize yourself with these irregularities as you progress in your Russian language learning journey.
Verbs with Gender Agreement[edit | edit source]
In addition to considering the verb's ending, we also need to take into account the noun's gender when conjugating verbs in the past tense. The past tense endings for regular verbs change based on the noun's gender.
For masculine nouns, we add -л to the verb stem. For feminine nouns, we add -ла, and for neuter nouns, we add -ло. Let's see some examples:
For a masculine noun:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
писать | [pʲɪˈsatʲ] | to write |
он писал письмо | [on pʲɪˈsal ˈpʲismə] | he wrote a letter |
For a feminine noun:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
писать | [pʲɪˈsatʲ] | to write |
она писала письмо | [ɐˈna pʲɪˈsalə ˈpʲismə] | she wrote a letter |
For a neuter noun:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
писать | [pʲɪˈsatʲ] | to write |
это писало письмо | [ˈɛto pʲɪˈsalə ˈpʲismə] | it wrote a letter |
It is important to remember that the past tense endings need to agree with the noun's gender. This is an essential aspect of Russian grammar that will help you communicate accurately and fluently in the past tense.
Practice[edit | edit source]
Now that we have covered the rules for forming the past tense in Russian, it's time to practice! Here are some exercises to help reinforce what you have learned:
1. Conjugate the following regular verbs in the past tense based on the given noun's gender:
- гулять (to walk) - masculine noun "парк" (park)
- гулять (to walk) - feminine noun "улица" (street)
- гулять (to walk) - neuter noun "озеро" (lake)
2. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the past tense for the given verb:
- Я ________ (говорить) с ним вчера. (I spoke to him yesterday.)
- Он ________ (делать) задание на прошлой неделе. (He did the assignment last week.)
- Мы ________ (писать) письмо своим друзьям. (We wrote a letter to our friends.)
3. Translate the following sentences into Russian using the past tense:
- I saw a beautiful sunset yesterday.
- She cooked a delicious meal for her family.
- They visited the museum last week.
Take your time to complete the exercises and check your answers. Practice is key to mastering the past tense in Russian!
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations on completing the lesson on the past tense in Russian! In this lesson, you learned how to form the past tense of Russian verbs and understand the rules for conjugation based on the verb's ending and the noun's gender. Remember to practice regularly to reinforce your knowledge and improve your skills in using the past tense.
In the next lesson, we will explore another important aspect of Russian grammar: the future tense. Stay motivated and continue your journey towards becoming proficient in the Russian language!
Videos[edit | edit source]
Forming the Past Tense in Russian - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Russian conjugation: Present, Past and Future tense - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Russian grammar - Past Tense, прошедшее время - времена в ...[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Russian Past Tense - Russian Verbs
- Past Tense of the Verb - Learn Russian Grammar
- Russian/Grammar/Past tense - Wikibooks, open books for an open ...
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Perfective Imperfective
- Accusative Case
- Порядок слов в русском предложении
- How to Use Have
- Future Tense
- Кое То Нибудь
- Noun Adjective Agreement
- Introduction to Pronouns
- Present Tense
◀️ Present Tense — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Common Foods ▶️ |