Russian Verb Conjugation Explained (1st & 2nd)

The conjugation system in three ideas

Almost everything about Russian verbs comes down to three ideas. First, aspect: nearly every verb is either imperfective (an ongoing, repeated or general action) or perfective (a single, completed one), and they come in pairs. Second, conjugation class: in the present and future, a verb takes one of just two sets of personal endings. Third, the past tense ignores both of those patterns and instead agrees with the subject's gender and number.

Aspect deserves its own page, because it changes what a conjugated form means. The short version: an imperfective verb conjugated in the non-past is present tense, while a perfective verb with the very same endings is future. So «я читаю» means "I am reading" but «я прочитаю» means "I will read it." If that distinction is new to you, read the dedicated guide to Russian verb aspect first, then come back here for the endings.

With aspect understood, conjugation itself is mostly mechanical. The two classes (called 1st and 2nd conjugation) cover the regular verbs, and a small set of very common irregular verbs simply has to be memorized. Let us take them in order.

1st vs 2nd conjugation, and how to tell them apart

In the present and future, every regular Russian verb follows one of two ending patterns. 1st-conjugation verbs use the -е- vowel (-ешь, -ет, -ем, -ете) and end the «они» form in -ут or -ют. 2nd-conjugation verbs use the -и- vowel (-ишь, -ит, -им, -ите) and end the «они» form in -ат or -ят. That «они» ending is the single clearest tell.

The infinitive gives you a strong hint, but not a guarantee. Most verbs ending in -ить are 2nd conjugation (говорить -> говорят, любить -> любят). Most verbs ending in -ать, -ять, -еть, -овать and -нуть are 1st conjugation (делать -> делают, рисовать -> рисуют). There are well-known exceptions you simply learn (видеть, слышать, гнать, держать, дышать and a handful of others are 2nd conjugation despite their -еть/-ать ending), which is why checking the «они» form - or a conjugator - is the safe move.

Two regular sound changes make some forms look odd at first. In many 2nd-conjugation verbs the «я» form triggers a consonant mutation (видеть -> вижу, любить -> люблю with an inserted -л-). And a spelling rule applies everywhere: after ж, ч, ш, щ, г, к, х you write -у/-а instead of -ю/-я and -и instead of -ы, so слышать gives слышу, not слышю. These are predictable, not exceptions to memorize.

Forming the imperative

The imperative (commands and requests) has an informal singular form for «ты» and a plural or polite form for «вы», made by adding -те. To build the «ты» form, take the «они» present stem and look at its last sound. If the stem ends in a vowel, add -й (читают -> читай, читайте). If it ends in a consonant and the «я» form is stressed on the ending, add -и (говорят -> говори, говорите). Otherwise add -ь (-ьте).

A handful of everyday verbs have irregular imperatives that are best learned as set phrases: есть -> ешь(те), пить -> пей(те), ехать -> поезжай(те), дать -> дай(те). You will meet these constantly, so they stick quickly.

Worked examples

делать (1st conjugation, imperfective): я делаю, ты делаешь, он делает, мы делаем, вы делаете, они делают; past делал / делала / делали; imperative делай(те). A textbook-regular 1st-conjugation verb with no surprises.

говорить (2nd conjugation, imperfective): я говорю, ты говоришь, он говорит, мы говорим, вы говорите, они говорят; past говорил / говорила; imperative говори(те). The telltale -ят in the «они» form marks it as 2nd conjugation.

писать (1st conjugation with a stem mutation): the с becomes ш throughout - я пишу, ты пишешь, они пишут - but the endings are still the regular 1st-conjugation set. A reminder that a sound change is not a new pattern.

идти (irregular): я иду, ты идёшь, они идут in the present, but the past switches stem entirely to шёл / шла / шло / шли. The clearest reason the high-frequency verbs must be learned individually.