Difference between revisions of "Language/Russian/Grammar/Use-of-the-verb-быть-in-the-past"

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* они были (plural)
* они были (plural)


=== '''<big>Examples (примеры):</big>''' ===
==Examples (примеры)==
* Когда это было?
* Когда это было?
When was it?
When was it?

Revision as of 18:41, 9 April 2020

To use the verb to be in the past in Russian
To use the verb to be in the past in Russian

.

Hello everybody,

In today's lesson you will learn some useful vocabulary about ¨HOW TO USE THE VERB TO BE IN THE PAST¨ in Russian.

Feel free to edit this page by adding new words and expressions!

Good learning! :)


Very often, when they talk about the past, Russians use the past tense of быть:

The conjugation of the verb быть

  • я, ты, он был (male)
  • я, ты, она была (female)
  • оно было (neutral and impersonal)
  • они были (plural)

Examples (примеры)

  • Когда это было?

When was it?

  • Это было вчера.

It was yesterday.

  • Это было здорово!

It was great!

  • Где ты был?

Where were you?

  • Книга была интересной.

The book was interesting.

  • Вчера мы были в театре.

Yesterday we were at the theater.

How to say 'I had', 'you had', etc.

Do you remember how you say 'I have' in Russian? It's the same pattern for saying 'I had'.

Examples

  • У меня была температура вчера. - I had a fever yesterday.
  • У него были проблемы, но сейчас всё хорошо. - He had problems, but now everything is fine.

Температура is a feminine word, so we use the feminine form of the verb быть. Проблемы is plural, so we use были.

In negative sentences, we always use было irrespective of gender of subject. Remember that in this case, the subject is still genitive.

  • У нас не было денег. - We did not have money.
  • У них не было документов. - They had no papers.
  • У него не было выхода. - He had no solution.
  • У меня никогда не было велосипеда. - I never had a bike.

Some explanations for using the verb to be in the past in Russian

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION

ENGLISH

RUSSIAN PRONUNCIATION

BRAZILIAN

PORTUGUESE

BRAZILIAN

PORTUGUESE

I was yah buhl (a) Я  БЫЛ (A) iá bâL (a) Eu era / estava
You were tuh buhl (ah) TЫ  БЫЛ (A) tâ bâL (a) Você era / estava
He was ohn buhl / OH  БЫЛ on bâL Ele era / estava
She was ah nah buh lah OHA  БЫЛA aná bâ la Ela era / estava
We were muh buh lih MЫ  БЫЛИ mâ bâ li Nós éramos / estávamos
You were vuh buh lih BЫ  БЫЛИ vâ bâ li Vocês eram / estavam
They were ah nih buh lih OHИ  БЫЛИ aní bâ li Eles eram / estavam

Elas eram / estavam

Examples

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION

ENGLISH

RUSSIAN PRONUNCIATION

BRAZILIAN

PORTUGUESE

BRAZILIAN

PORTUGUESE

When

was it?

kahg dah eh tah

buh lah

Когда это

было?

ka gui dá é ta

bâ la

Quando foi

isso?

It was

yesterday.

eh tah buh lah

vcheh rah

Это было

вчера.

é ta bâ la

vtche rá

Foi

ontem.

It was

great!

eh tah buh lah

zdah roh vah

Это было

здорово!

é ta bâ la

zda rô va

Foi

ótimo!

Where

were you?

gih dyeh

tuh buhl

Где ты

был?

gui die tâ

bâL

Onde você

estava?

The book

was interesting.

knih gah buh lah

ihn teh ryehs noy

Книга была

интересной.

ki ni ga bâ la

in te ries noi

O livro foi

interessante.

Yesterday we were

at the theater.

vchehrah muh buh lih

vih tih ah tryeh

Вчера мы были

в театре.

vtche rá mâ bâ li

vi te a trie

Ontem nós estávamos

no teatro.


Note that in this type of sentences, the Russians accentuate the particle не and do not put emphasis on the verb было.