Understanding the Importance of Verbs in Russian
Verbs form the backbone of the Russian language, allowing you to express actions, states, and intentions. For intermediate learners, expanding your verb vocabulary is crucial for more natural and fluid communication. These 40 verbs in Russian will significantly enhance your ability to express yourself in various contexts. Building upon the Russian Vocabulary: 40 Essential Words to Learn that you've already mastered, these verbs will take your Russian language skills to the next level, enabling you to construct more complex sentences and engage in meaningful conversations with native speakers.
Russian Verb Aspects: A Quick Refresher
Before diving into our list of 40 essential verbs, it's important to remember that Russian verbs typically come in aspectual pairs: imperfective and perfective. The imperfective aspect describes ongoing, habitual, or repeated actions, while the perfective aspect indicates completed actions or actions with a clear result. This distinction is fundamental to using Russian verbs correctly.
Important
Understanding verb aspects is crucial for intermediate Russian learners. Always pay attention to whether you need the imperfective (ongoing action) or perfective (completed action) form of a verb.
Let's look at a quick example:
Essential Everyday Action Verbs
These verbs represent common actions you'll use in daily conversations. Mastering them will allow you to describe your routine and activities with greater precision.
1. To Do/Make
(delat'/sdelat')
This versatile verb is used to express doing or making something. It's one of the most frequently used verbs in Russian.
2. To Speak/Talk
(govorit'/skazat')
This essential verb allows you to express communication and is crucial for discussing language abilities.
Examples
I speak Russian well, but I speak French poorly.
3. To Know
Russian has two verbs for "to know": (znat') for knowing information and (umet') for knowing how to do something.
4. To Understand
(ponimat'/ponyat')
This verb is essential for communication and expressing comprehension.
5. To See/Watch
(videt'/uvidet') and (smotret'/posmotret')
These verbs help you describe visual experiences, with subtle differences in meaning.
Motion Verbs: Getting Around in Russian
Motion verbs in Russian are particularly complex and important for intermediate learners. They include directional prefixes and distinctions between unidirectional and multidirectional movement.
6. To Go (By Foot)
(idti/poiti) - unidirectional (khodit'/pokhodit') - multidirectional
Notes
The distinction between unidirectional and multidirectional verbs of motion is unique to Russian and other Slavic languages. Unidirectional verbs describe movement in one direction at one specific time, while multidirectional verbs describe habitual movement or movement in multiple directions.
7. To Go (By Vehicle)
(yekhat'/poyekhat') - unidirectional (yezdit'/poyezdit') - multidirectional
8. To Come/Arrive
(prikhodit'/priyti) - on foot (priyezzhat'/priyekhat') - by vehicle
9. To Leave/Depart
(ukhodit'/uyti) - on foot (uyezzhat'/uyekhat') - by vehicle
Communication Verbs
Communication verbs are essential for expressing how you interact with others. These verbs will help you describe various forms of communication.
10. To Ask
(sprashivat'/sprosit')
11. To Answer
(otvechat'/otvetit')
12. To Call
(zvonit'/pozvonit')
13. To Write
(pisat'/napisat')
14. To Read
(chitat'/prochitat')
Daily Routine Verbs
These verbs will help you describe your daily activities and routines in Russian.
15. To Eat
(yest'/s'yest')
16. To Drink
(pit'/vypit')
17. To Sleep
(spat'/pospat')
18. To Wake Up
(prosypat'sya/prosnut'sya)
Important
Note that "to wake up" in Russian is a reflexive verb, which means it includes the reflexive particle -ся (-sya) at the end. Many Russian verbs follow this pattern when the action reflects back on the subject.
19. To Work
(rabotat'/porabotat')
20. To Rest
(otdykhat'/otdokhnut')
Cognitive and Emotional Verbs
These verbs help express thoughts, feelings, and mental states, which are crucial for more nuanced communication.
21. To Think
(dumat'/podumat')
22. To Remember
(pomnit'/zapomnit')
23. To Forget
(zabyvat'/zabyt')
24. To Want
(khotet'/zakhotet')
25. To Love
(lyubit'/polyubit')
Notes
In Russian, (lyubit') is used both for romantic love and for expressing preferences (like "to like" in English).
Practical Action Verbs
These verbs describe common physical actions that are useful in many everyday contexts.
26. To Take
(brat'/vzyat')
27. To Give
(davat'/dat')
28. To Buy
(pokupat'/kupit')
29. To Sell
(prodavat'/prodat')
30. To Help
(pomogat'/pomoch')
Modal and Auxiliary Verbs
These verbs help express ability, necessity, and possibility, making your Russian more nuanced.
31. To Be Able To/Can
(moch'/smoch')
32. To Have To/Must
(dolzhen/dolzhna/dolzhny)
This is not a verb but an adjective used with the verb "to be" (which is often omitted in the present tense).
Important
Unlike English, Russian uses a gender-specific form of "должен" (dolzhen) in the singular: "должен" for masculine subjects and "должна" for feminine subjects.
33. To Begin/Start
(nachinat'/nachat')
34. To Finish/End
(zakanchivat'/zakonchit')
Reflexive Verbs in Russian
Reflexive verbs are those where the action reflects back on the subject. They're formed by adding the reflexive particle -ся (-sya) to the end of regular verbs.
35. To Get Dressed
(odevat'sya/odet'sya)
36. To Wash (Oneself)
(myt'sya/pomyt'sya)
37. To Meet/Get Acquainted
(znakomit'sya/poznakomit'sya)
Examples
Let's get acquainted! My name is Ivan.
Advanced Concept Verbs
These verbs express more complex ideas and actions, helping you communicate at a more sophisticated level.
38. To Decide
(reshat'/reshit')
39. To Change
(menyat'/pomenyat') or (izmenyat'/izmenit')
40. To Create
(sozdavat'/sozdat')
Practical Tips for Mastering Russian Verbs
Learning Russian verbs can be challenging, but with the right approach, you can make significant progress. Here are some practical tips:
Learn verbs in pairs: Always learn both the imperfective and perfective forms together to understand their relationship.
Practice conjugation regularly: Create flashcards with different pronouns and practice conjugating verbs in different tenses.
Use verbs in context: Rather than memorizing isolated verbs, learn them within phrases and sentences you're likely to use.
Group verbs by prefix: Many Russian verbs share the same root but have different prefixes that modify their meaning (e.g., , , ).
Focus on high-frequency verbs: Start with the most commonly used verbs (like those in this list) before moving on to more specialized vocabulary.
Important
When learning a new Russian verb, always note: - Both aspects (imperfective and perfective) - Any irregular conjugations - Whether it's reflexive - What case it takes for its objects
Conclusion
Mastering these 40 essential Russian verbs will significantly enhance your ability to communicate in everyday situations. By understanding their aspects, conjugations, and usage patterns, you'll be able to express a wide range of actions and concepts with confidence. Remember that consistent practice is key - try to use these verbs regularly in conversation and writing to reinforce your learning.
As you continue your Russian language journey, gradually incorporate more specialized verbs related to your specific interests or professional needs. The strong foundation provided by these 40 verbs will make learning additional vocabulary much easier.
Notes
Continue building your Russian language skills with 30 Common Russian Phrases for Everyday Conversations, where you'll learn practical expressions that utilize many of the verbs covered in this article.