Beginner Lesson 5

Я говорю по-русски. [ya gavaryoo paroosski]	I speak Russian
Ты говоришь по-русски. [ti gavarish paroosski]	You speak Russian
Он говорит по-русски. [on gavarit paroosski]	He speaks Russian
Мы говорим по-русски. [mi gavarim paroosski]	We speak Russian
Вы говорите по-русски. [vi gavariti paroosski]	You speak Russian
Они говорят по-русски. [ani gavaryat paroosski]	They speak Russian

Russian verbs conjugation

Russian verbs conjugate, i.e. they change their forms according to the person and number of the subject in the sentence. In general, they change their endings, but some other changes are also possible. The very first thing you should know about Russian verbs is that there are two patterns of verbs endings, called the first conjugation and the second conjugation.

The first conjugation includes verbs that have endings -еть and -ать in the infinitive. The present tense forms of these verbs (except the first person singular and the third person plural) usually have the letter "e" (sometimes ё) in the ending. For example, take a look of the present tense conjugation for the verb понимать understand:

Я понимаю
Ты понимаешь
Он понимает
Мы понимаем
Вы понимаете
Они понимают

The majority of verbs of the second conjugation includes have endings -ить in the infinitive. The present tense forms of these verbs (except the first person singular and the third person plural) usually have the letter "и" in the ending. Take a look of the present tense conjugation for the verb говорить to speak:

Я говорю
Ты говоришь
Он говорит
Мы говорим
Вы говорите
Они говорят

III. Do you speak Russian well?

Transcription
говорить [gavarit]	to speak
понимать [panimat]	to understand
по-русски [parooski]	in Russian
по-английски [paangliyski]	in English
по-французски [pafrantsooski]	in French
по-немецки [panimyetski]	in German
хорошо [harasho]	well
плохо [ploha]	badly
немного [nimnoga]	a little

IV. Negation in Russian

Negation

Russian negative sentences are built with the negative particle не which is placed before the verb. Look at the following examples:

Я не говорю по-русски. - I do not speak Russian.

Она не понимает по-английски. - She does not understand English.

Model

Вы говорите по-русски? (we)
[vi gavariti parooski?]

Нет, мы не говорим по-русски.
[nyet, mi ni gavarim parooski]

Do you speak Russian? - No, we do not (speak Russian).

Questions

Линда говорит по-французски? (she) - ... [linda gavarit pafrantsooski? ]	Check yourself
Вы говорите по-русски? (I) - ... [vi gavariti parooski? ]	Check yourself
Он говорит по-английски? (he) - ... [on gavarit paangliyski? ]	Check yourself
Оксана говорит по-английски? (she) - ... [aksana gavarit paangliyski? ]	Check yourself
Ты говоришь по-немецки? (I) - ... [ti gavarish panimyetski? ]	Check yourself

	True	False
1. Her name is Ann.
2. She is from Russia.
3. She speaks French.

	True	False
1. He is from Australia.
2. He is a student.
3. He speaks Russian and French.

Study Russian Online

I. Meet new people

II. Do you speak Russian?

III. Do you speak Russian well?

IV. Negation in Russian

Model

V. Language skills

читать (I conjugation) [chitat]	Check yourself
звонить (II conjugation) [zvanit]	Check yourself

1. I speak Russian.	Check yourself
2. He understands English.	Check yourself
3. Steve and John speak Russian.	Check yourself
4. Do you speak French? (informal)	Check yourself
5. We understand Russian.	Check yourself
6. Mary speaks English.	Check yourself