Language/Russian/Grammar/The-verb-to-be

The translation to Russian of the verb "to be" is быть, but the infinitive is not very used.

In the present

The present of the verb to be does not exist.

For example if you want to say: "He is not at home", in Russian it will be "Его нет дома", or the opposite, "He is at home" will be "Он дома".

Another example: "I am interpreter" it will be, without verb "Я - переводчик"

For more complicated sentences, we will use an equivalent: "I think, therefore I am" which translates to "Я мыслю, следовательно, существую", that is, word-by-word "I think, therefore I exist".

To say "This", we will use "Это", "This is my house" gives "Это мой дом", "This is my apartment" gives "Это моя квартира".

To say "That" we will use "То", "That is what I was talking about" gives "Именно то о чём я говорил"

In the future

Here is how the verb is conjugated in the future.

• я буду

• ты будешь

• он будет
• она будет

• мы будем

• вы будете

• они будут

And two examples: "I will be in Paris" => "Я буду в Париже" / "He will be displeased" => "Он будет недоволен"

In the past

Here is the conjugation of the verb to be in the past:

• male: я, ты, он был

• female: я, ты, она была

• neutral: оно было

• plural: мы, вы, они были