Difference between revisions of "Language/Russian/Grammar/Past-Tense"

Latest revision as of 18:08, 16 June 2023

◀️ Present Tense — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Common Foods ▶️

Russian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs and Conjugation → Past Tense

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Welcome to the lesson on the past tense in Russian! In this lesson, we will explore 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. The past tense is used to talk about actions that have already happened in the past. By mastering the past tense, you will be able to express yourself more accurately and effectively in Russian.

To form the past tense in Russian, we need to consider both the verb's ending and the noun's gender. In Russian, there are three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Each gender has its own set of rules for conjugating verbs in the past tense. We will explore these rules in detail in the following sections.

Template:TOC

Regular Verbs[edit | edit source]

Let's start by looking at how to form the past tense for regular verbs in Russian. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern of conjugation based on their endings. To form the past tense, we need to add specific endings to the verb stem.

For regular verbs ending in -ать, we remove -ть and add -л for masculine nouns, -ла for feminine nouns, and -ло for neuter nouns. For example:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
говорить	[gəvɐˈrʲitʲ]	to speak
он говорил	[on gəvɐˈrʲil]	he spoke
она говорила	[ɐˈna gəvɐˈrʲilə]	she spoke
это говорило	[ˈɛto gəvɐˈrʲilo]	it spoke

For regular verbs ending in -ить, we remove -ть and add -л for masculine and neuter nouns, and -ла for feminine nouns. For example:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
писать	[pʲɪˈsatʲ]	to write
он писал	[on pʲɪˈsal]	he wrote
она писала	[ɐˈna pʲɪˈsalə]	she wrote
это писало	[ˈɛto pʲɪˈsalə]	it wrote

For regular verbs ending in -еть, we remove -ть and add -л for masculine nouns, -ла for feminine nouns, and -ло for neuter nouns. For example:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
видеть	[vʲɪˈdʲetʲ]	to see
он видел	[on vʲɪˈdʲɛl]	he saw
она видела	[ɐˈna vʲɪˈdʲɛlə]	she saw
это видело	[ˈɛto vʲɪˈdʲɛlo]	it saw

It is important to note that these are just examples of regular verbs. There are irregular verbs in Russian that do not follow these patterns. We will cover irregular verbs in a later lesson.

Verbs with Stem Changes[edit | edit source]

Some verbs undergo stem changes in the past tense. Stem changes occur when the verb stem changes its form before adding the past tense endings. Let's take a look at a few examples:

The verb "делать" (to do) changes its stem to "делал" in the past tense:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
делать	[dʲɪˈlatʲ]	to do
он делал	[on dʲɪˈlal]	he did
она делала	[ɐˈna dʲɪˈlala]	she did
это делало	[ˈɛto dʲɪˈlalo]	it did

The verb "есть" (to eat) changes its stem to "ел" in the past tense:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
есть	[jɛstʲ]	to eat
он ел	[on jɛl]	he ate
она ела	[ɐˈna jɛla]	she ate
это ело	[ˈɛto jɛlo]	it ate

These are just a few examples of verbs with stem changes in the past tense. It is important to familiarize yourself with these irregularities as you progress in your Russian language learning journey.

Verbs with Gender Agreement[edit | edit source]

In addition to considering the verb's ending, we also need to take into account the noun's gender when conjugating verbs in the past tense. The past tense endings for regular verbs change based on the noun's gender.

For masculine nouns, we add -л to the verb stem. For feminine nouns, we add -ла, and for neuter nouns, we add -ло. Let's see some examples:

For a masculine noun:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
писать	[pʲɪˈsatʲ]	to write
он писал письмо	[on pʲɪˈsal ˈpʲismə]	he wrote a letter

For a feminine noun:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
писать	[pʲɪˈsatʲ]	to write
она писала письмо	[ɐˈna pʲɪˈsalə ˈpʲismə]	she wrote a letter

For a neuter noun:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
писать	[pʲɪˈsatʲ]	to write
это писало письмо	[ˈɛto pʲɪˈsalə ˈpʲismə]	it wrote a letter

It is important to remember that the past tense endings need to agree with the noun's gender. This is an essential aspect of Russian grammar that will help you communicate accurately and fluently in the past tense.

Practice[edit | edit source]

Now that we have covered the rules for forming the past tense in Russian, it's time to practice! Here are some exercises to help reinforce what you have learned:

1. Conjugate the following regular verbs in the past tense based on the given noun's gender:

гулять (to walk) - masculine noun "парк" (park)
гулять (to walk) - feminine noun "улица" (street)
гулять (to walk) - neuter noun "озеро" (lake)

2. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the past tense for the given verb:

Я ________ (говорить) с ним вчера. (I spoke to him yesterday.)
Он ________ (делать) задание на прошлой неделе. (He did the assignment last week.)
Мы ________ (писать) письмо своим друзьям. (We wrote a letter to our friends.)

3. Translate the following sentences into Russian using the past tense:

I saw a beautiful sunset yesterday.
She cooked a delicious meal for her family.
They visited the museum last week.

Take your time to complete the exercises and check your answers. Practice is key to mastering the past tense in Russian!

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

Congratulations on completing the lesson on the past tense in Russian! 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. Remember to practice regularly to reinforce your knowledge and improve your skills in using the past tense.

In the next lesson, we will explore another important aspect of Russian grammar: the future tense. Stay motivated and continue your journey towards becoming proficient in the Russian language!

Table of Contents - Russian Course - 0 to A1[edit source]

Course Presentation

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Basic Phrases and Greetings

Nouns and Gender

Numbers and Time

Cases and Prepositions

Family and Relationships

Verbs and Conjugation

Food and Dining

Russian Traditions and Holidays

Travel and Transportation

Adjectives and Adverbs

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

Russian Literature and Arts

Videos[edit | edit source]

Forming the Past Tense in Russian - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Russian conjugation: Present, Past and Future tense - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Russian grammar - Past Tense, прошедшее время - времена в ...[edit | edit source]

Sources[edit | edit source]

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

◀️ Present Tense — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Common Foods ▶️

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 <span pgnav>
 {| class="wikitable pg_template_nav"
@@ Line 8: / Line 9: @@
 {{Russian-Page-Top}}
+<div class="pg_page_title">[[Language/Russian|Russian]]  → [[Language/Russian/Grammar|Grammar]] → [[Language/Russian/Grammar/0-to-A1-Course|0 to A1 Course]] → Verbs and Conjugation → Past Tense</div>
+{{#seo:
+|title=Russian Grammar → Verbs and Conjugation → Past Tense
+|keywords=Russian grammar, Russian verbs, Russian conjugation, past tense in Russian
+|description=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.
+}}
+==Introduction==
+Welcome to the lesson on the past tense in Russian! In this lesson, we will explore 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. The past tense is used to talk about actions that have already happened in the past. By mastering the past tense, you will be able to express yourself more accurately and effectively in Russian.
+To form the past tense in Russian, we need to consider both the verb's ending and the noun's gender. In Russian, there are three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Each gender has its own set of rules for conjugating verbs in the past tense. We will explore these rules in detail in the following sections.
+{{TOC}}
+===Regular Verbs===
-<div class="pg_page_title">[[Language/Russian|Russian]]  → [[Language/Russian/Grammar|Grammar]] → [[Language/Russian/Grammar/0-to-A1-Course|0 to A1 Course]] → Verbs and Conjugation → Past Tense</div>
+Let's start by looking at how to form the past tense for regular verbs in Russian. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern of conjugation based on their endings. To form the past tense, we need to add specific endings to the verb stem.
+For regular verbs ending in -ать, we remove -ть and add -л for masculine nouns, -ла for feminine nouns, and -ло for neuter nouns. For example:
+{| class="wikitable"
+! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| говорить || [gəvɐˈrʲitʲ] || to speak
+|-
+| он говорил || [on gəvɐˈrʲil] || he spoke
+|-
+| она говорила || [ɐˈna gəvɐˈrʲilə] || she spoke
+|-
+| это говорило || [ˈɛto gəvɐˈrʲilo] || it spoke
+|}
-__TOC__
+For regular verbs ending in -ить, we remove -ть and add -л for masculine and neuter nouns, and -ла for feminine nouns. For example:
-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.
+{| class="wikitable"
+! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| писать || [pʲɪˈsatʲ] || to write
+|-
+| он писал || [on pʲɪˈsal] || he wrote
+|-
+| она писала || [ɐˈna pʲɪˈsalə] || she wrote
+|-
+| это писало || [ˈɛto pʲɪˈsalə] || it wrote
+|}
+For regular verbs ending in -еть, we remove -ть and add -л for masculine nouns, -ла for feminine nouns, and -ло for neuter nouns. For example:
-<span link>Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: [[Language/Russian/Grammar/How-to-Use-be|How to Use be]] & [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Instrumental-Case|Instrumental Case]].</span>
+{| class="wikitable"
-== Understanding the Past Tense in Russian ==
+! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| видеть || [vʲɪˈdʲetʲ] || to see
+|-
+| он видел || [on vʲɪˈdʲɛl] || he saw
+|-
+| она видела || [ɐˈna vʲɪˈdʲɛlə] || she saw
+|-
+| это видело || [ˈɛto vʲɪˈdʲɛlo] || it saw
+|}
-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.
+It is important to note that these are just examples of regular verbs. There are irregular verbs in Russian that do not follow these patterns. We will cover irregular verbs in a later lesson.
-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.
+===Verbs with Stem Changes===
-Let me give you an example:
+Some verbs undergo stem changes in the past tense. Stem changes occur when the verb stem changes its form before adding the past tense endings. Let's take a look at a few examples:
-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).
+The verb "делать" (to do) changes its stem to "делал" in the past tense:
-== Examples ==
+{| class="wikitable"
+! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| делать || [dʲɪˈlatʲ] || to do
+|-
+| он делал || [on dʲɪˈlal] || he did
+|-
+| она делала || [ɐˈna dʲɪˈlala] || she did
+|-
+| это делало || [ˈɛto dʲɪˈlalo] || it did
+|}
-Here are some examples of past tense verbs with different noun genders:
+The verb "есть" (to eat) changes its stem to "ел" in the past tense:
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
 |-
-| Играл || Ee-gral || Played (masculine)
+| есть || [jɛstʲ] || to eat
 |-
-| Читала || Chee-ta-la || Read (feminine)
+| он ел || [on jɛl] || he ate
 |-
-| Писало || Piss-a-la || Wrote (neuter)
+| она ела || [ɐˈna jɛla] || she ate
 |-
-| Знали || Zna-li || Knew (plural)
+| это ело || [ˈɛto jɛlo] || it ate
 |}
-== Forming the Past Tense in Russian ==
+These are just a few examples of verbs with stem changes in the past tense. It is important to familiarize yourself with these irregularities as you progress in your Russian language learning journey.
+===Verbs with Gender Agreement===
+In addition to considering the verb's ending, we also need to take into account the noun's gender when conjugating verbs in the past tense. The past tense endings for regular verbs change based on the noun's gender.
-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.
+For masculine nouns, we add -л to the verb stem. For feminine nouns, we add -ла, and for neuter nouns, we add -ло. Let's see some examples:
-. 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:
+For a masculine noun:
-- Смотреть (to watch) becomes Посмотрел (watched)
+{| class="wikitable"
-- Говорить (to speak) becomes Выговорил (spoke out)
+! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
-- Делать (to do) becomes Сделал (did)
+|-
+| писать || [pʲɪˈsatʲ] || to write
+|-
+| он писал письмо || [on pʲɪˈsal ˈpʲismə] || he wrote a letter
+|}
-. If the verb stem ends with a vowel, then -л is added. For example:
+For a feminine noun:
-- Гулять (to walk) becomes гулял (walked)
+{| class="wikitable"
-- Жить (to live) becomes жил (lived)
+! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| писать || [pʲɪˈsatʲ] || to write
+|-
+| она писала письмо || [ɐˈna pʲɪˈsalə ˈpʲismə] || she wrote a letter
+|}
-. For some verbs, the stem may change somewhere in the word. For example:
+For a neuter noun:
-- Носить (to wear) becomes Нёс (wore)
+{| class="wikitable"
-- Видеть (to see) becomes Видал (saw)
+! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| писать || [pʲɪˈsatʲ] || to write
+|-
+| это писало письмо || [ˈɛto pʲɪˈsalə ˈpʲismə] || it wrote a letter
+|}
-. Some verbs are irregular and do not follow any specific pattern. Some examples are:
+It is important to remember that the past tense endings need to agree with the noun's gender. This is an essential aspect of Russian grammar that will help you communicate accurately and fluently in the past tense.
-- Идти (to go) becomes Шёл (went)
+==Practice==
-- Быть (to be) becomes Был (was)
-== Practice ==
+Now that we have covered the rules for forming the past tense in Russian, it's time to practice! Here are some exercises to help reinforce what you have learned:
-Here are some exercises to help you practice forming the past tense in Russian:
+. Conjugate the following regular verbs in the past tense based on the given noun's gender:
-. Я ___ домой (I went home).
+* гулять (to walk) - masculine noun "парк" (park)
-- Answer: Я пошел домой. (I went home.)
+* гулять (to walk) - feminine noun "улица" (street)
+* гулять (to walk) - neuter noun "озеро" (lake)
-. Она ___ на собрание (She went to the meeting).
+. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the past tense for the given verb:
-- Answer: Она пошла на собрание. (She went to the meeting.)
-. Он ___ письмо (He wrote a letter).
+* Я ________ (говорить) с ним вчера. (I spoke to him yesterday.)
-- Answer: Он написал письмо. (He wrote a letter.)
+* Он ________ (делать) задание на прошлой неделе. (He did the assignment last week.)
+* Мы ________ (писать) письмо своим друзьям. (We wrote a letter to our friends.)
-. Мы ___ фильм (We watched a movie).
+. Translate the following sentences into Russian using the past tense:
-- Answer: Мы посмотрели фильм. (We watched a movie.)
-== Conclusion ==
+* I saw a beautiful sunset yesterday.
+* She cooked a delicious meal for her family.
+* They visited the museum last week.
-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!
+Take your time to complete the exercises and check your answers. Practice is key to mastering the past tense in Russian!
+==Conclusion==
-<span link>Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Conditional-Mood|Conditional Mood]] & [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Present-Tense-Conjugations|Present Tense Conjugations]].</span>
+Congratulations on completing the lesson on the past tense in Russian! 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. Remember to practice regularly to reinforce your knowledge and improve your skills in using the past tense.
-{{#seo:
-|title=Russian Grammar → Verbs and Conjugation → Past Tense
+In the next lesson, we will explore another important aspect of Russian grammar: the future tense. Stay motivated and continue your journey towards becoming proficient in the Russian language!
-|keywords=Russian, grammar, verbs, conjugation, past tense, Russian language, lessons, wiki
-|description=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. Keep practicing and don't be afraid to make mistakes!
-}}
 {{Russian-0-to-A1-Course-TOC}}
@@ Line 102: / Line 181: @@
 [[Category:0-to-A1-Course]]
 [[Category:Russian-0-to-A1-Course]]
-<span gpt></span> <span model=gpt-3.5-turbo></span> <span temperature=1></span>
+<span gpt></span> <span model=gpt-3.5-turbo-16k></span> <span temperature=0.7></span>
 ==Videos==
@@ Line 114: / Line 193: @@
 ===Russian grammar - Past Tense, прошедшее время - времена в ...===
 <youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4r2sQTqlww</youtube>
+==Sources==
+* [https://www.russianlessons.net/grammar/verbs_past.php Russian Past Tense - Russian Verbs]
+* [http://masterrussian.com/aa021500a.shtml Past Tense of the Verb - Learn Russian Grammar]
+* [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Russian/Grammar/Past_tense Russian/Grammar/Past tense - Wikibooks, open books for an open ...]
 ==Other Lessons==
@@ Line 126: / Line 214: @@
 * [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Present-Tense|Present Tense]]
-<span class='maj'></span>
-==Sources==
-* [https://www.russianlessons.net/grammar/verbs_past.php Russian Past Tense - Russian Verbs]
-* [http://masterrussian.com/aa021500a.shtml Past Tense of the Verb - Learn Russian Grammar]
-* [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Russian/Grammar/Past_tense Russian/Grammar/Past tense - Wikibooks, open books for an open ...]
 {{Russian-Page-Bottom}}
-<span links></span>
 <span pgnav>
 {| class="wikitable pg_template_nav"