Language/Russian/Grammar/Past-Tense
As a Russian language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I know that learning verb conjugation in any language can be a challenge. But don't worry, I'm here to guide you through the Russian past tense! In this lesson, you will learn 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. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to communicate about past events and actions in Russian.
Understanding the Past Tense in Russian
In order to use the past tense in Russian, we need to identify the verb's ending. Like with the present tense, Russian verbs change depending on who is doing the action, whether it's me, you or they. However, unlike the present tense, the past tense also requires us to take into account the gender of the noun.
The verb endings will either end in -л, -ла, -ло, or -ли. In other words, the ending of the past tense verb will depend on the gender of the noun that comes before the verb.
Let me give you an example:
If the gender of the noun is masculine, the past tense verb will end in -л, i.e., "играл" (played). If the gender of the noun is feminine, the past tense verb will end in -ла, i.e., "читала" (read). If the gender of the noun is neuter, the past tense verb will end in -ло, i.e., "писало" (wrote). Finally, if the gender of the noun is plural, the past tense verb will end in -ли, i.e., "знали" (knew).
Examples
Here are some examples of past tense verbs with different noun genders:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Играл | Ee-gral | Played (masculine) |
| Читала | Chee-ta-la | Read (feminine) |
| Писало | Piss-a-la | Wrote (neuter) |
| Знали | Zna-li | Knew (plural) |
Forming the Past Tense in Russian
Let's take a closer look at how to form the past tense in Russian. The basic rule is to remove the infinitive ending (-ть, -чь, -ти, etc.) and add the appropriate ending (-л, -ла, -ло, -ли) depending on the gender of the noun that comes before the verb. But there are some additional rules and exceptions that we need to keep in mind.
1. If the verb stem ends in a consonant, then при-, про-, and вы- are added before the verb stem to create the past tense. For example:
- Смотреть (to watch) becomes Посмотрел (watched) - Говорить (to speak) becomes Выговорил (spoke out) - Делать (to do) becomes Сделал (did)
2. If the verb stem ends with a vowel, then -л is added. For example:
- Гулять (to walk) becomes гулял (walked) - Жить (to live) becomes жил (lived)
3. For some verbs, the stem may change somewhere in the word. For example:
- Носить (to wear) becomes Нёс (wore) - Видеть (to see) becomes Видал (saw)
4. Some verbs are irregular and do not follow any specific pattern. Some examples are:
- Идти (to go) becomes Шёл (went) - Быть (to be) becomes Был (was)
Practice
Here are some exercises to help you practice forming the past tense in Russian:
1. Я ___ домой (I went home). - Answer: Я пошел домой. (I went home.)
2. Она ___ на собрание (She went to the meeting). - Answer: Она пошла на собрание. (She went to the meeting.)
3. Он ___ письмо (He wrote a letter). - Answer: Он написал письмо. (He wrote a letter.)
4. Мы ___ фильм (We watched a movie). - Answer: Мы посмотрели фильм. (We watched a movie.)
Conclusion
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. Keep practicing and don't be afraid to make mistakes! Engaging in regular practice with a tutor or native speaker is an excellent way to reinforce your understanding of Russian verbs and how they change in different tenses. Happy studying!
Videos
Forming the Past Tense in Russian - YouTube
Russian conjugation: Present, Past and Future tense - YouTube
Russian grammar - Past Tense, прошедшее время - времена в ...
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