(All
words in pronunciation guide format - pronounce per
the following which may not exactly match the Cyrillic
spelling, though Russian pronunciation rules are much
more consistent than English's.
21 June 1995
Copyright 1995,
Bob LeChevalier,
2904 Beau Lane,
Fairfax VA 22031 USA
Phone: 703-385-0273
email: lojbab@access.digex.net |
| |
| Permission to distribute at no charge
to adoptive or prospective adoptive parents, with notice
to the copyright holder. I ask that you verify with
the date of distribution that this is a recent edition,
as I am frequently updating and enhancing it. Comments
and suggestions for improvement are strongly desired
and welcomed. |
| |
Cyrillic (KOI-8 electronic standard)
for each word will be added sometime in the future.
|
| ah |
as in "father" |
| eh |
as in "bet" |
| ee |
as in "sheen" but exaggerating
the sound by forcing your tongue up and forward |
| oh |
as in "boat" but round your
lips more |
| oo |
as in "boot" but round your
lips more |
| ui |
something like i as in "bit",
but with enough 'u' that you won't go too far wrong
with the vowel of "bowie" or "buoy" (said
faster - a single sound). |
| i |
like the "i" in "bit",
always unstressed. |
| uh |
like the "a" in "sofa" |
| ai |
as in "my" |
| zh |
the middle consonant of "measure" |
| kh |
the consonant of German "Ach" or
Scottish "loch" - make a 'k' but force air
by your throat stoppage and it will be easier. Often
times a rough-sounding "h" will do fine,
though. |
| shsh |
a long drawn-out sh sound with your tongue
near the roof of your mouth, almost touching to make
a 'ch' sound. A "shch" as in English freSH-CHeese,
is also acceptable. |
| r |
roll it |
| y |
after a vowel (at the end of a word)
is a hard forced 'y' sound with your tongue near the
roof of your mouth. |
| y |
>
at the start of a syllable is close to English
'y' |
| |
| y after a consonant at the end of a
syllable/word is not a vowel or even a separate sound
- it means that you should force your tongue up and
forward while saying that consonant. The difference
if you are familiar with Spanish is between "l" and "ll",
and between 'n' and 'n~'. At the end of a word (generally
a verb infinitive, this means a noticeable breathing
out with the tongue up and forward like for an "ee" sound,
but not actually voicing the vowel. What this 'y' is
really trying to indicate is called 'palatalization'
or 'soft consonants'. Some English examples of soft
consonanants exist, mostly where the vowel is a 'u'.
Compare where your tongue is when you say English: |
English |
my pronunciation format |
| "onion" vs. "un-in" |
UHN-nyin vs. UHN-in |
| "few" vs. "foo" |
fyoo vs. foo |
| "imbue" vs. "im-boo" |
im-BYOO vs. im-BOO |
| "mew" vs. "moo" |
myoo vs. moo |
| "pew" vs. "poo" |
pyoo vs. poo |
| |
| and in some but not English pronunciations: |
| "dew/due" vs. "do" |
dyoo vs. doo |
| "new" vs. "nu" |
nyoo vs. noo |
English questioning inflection will generally be understood as a question,
especially with the questions listed below. But Russian question intonation
actually is a bit different than English.
Critical to airplane travel - the first time you will be alone with your
child with no translator for an extended time. (i.e. panic time, becausse
kids are not used to sitting still and keeping quiet for a full day! Make
sure you tell all the people in adjacent seats the situation - someone
may speak Russian and be your savior, but in any case they will be more
understanding at the inevitable problems)
|
| pryee-styig-NYEE (while pointing) |
Fasten seat belt! |
| nah-sahm-ahl-YOH-tyee |
...on the airplane |
| spuh-KOY-nuh |
Settle down; Calm down!
The preferred word for ending boistrousness over "quiet" |
| syee-DEE! |
Sit Down! |
| leh-ZHEET |
Lay down! (for rest or nap) |
| NyEE gah-vuh-RYEE |
Don't talk! |
| TYEE-khuh! |
Shh!, More quietly! (usually said in
a lower voice) |
Next my own preparation, that I sent to school on my kids' first day.
Needs and Wants |
| NAH-duh _____ |
I need _____ |
| NAH-duh _____? |
Do you need _____ |
| nyee-NAH-duh.... |
I don't need/want.... |
| MOHZH-nuh |
You may |
| yah hah-CHOO _____ |
I want (to) _____ with infinitive |
| yah nyee-hah-CHOO ____ |
I don't want (to) _____ with infinitive |
| KHOH-cheesh ______? |
Do you want (to) _____? with infinitive |
| pah-muh-GAI (myin-YAH, puh-ZHAHL-stuh) |
Help (me, please). |
| TYAH-lyehty |
Toilet |
| PYEE-syity |
to urinate (infinitive form - use with "NAH-duh" need)(this
is not the dictionary word, but is the word used by
kids) |
| ah-PYEE-syil-sah |
I wet myself (masculine) |
| -syi-lahs |
I wet myself (feminine) |
| KAHK-kity |
to defecate (infinitive form - use with "NAH-duh" need) |
| PYEETY |
to drink (or) |
| vuh-DAH |
water |
| sohk |
juice |
| KOO-sahtch |
to eat |
| yisty |
to eat (irregular verb) |
| BOO-tr-broht |
sandwich |
| yeesh-SHOH |
More! |
| yeesh-SHOH? |
Do you want more! |
| f-shyoh. |
That is all. I'm done. It is over. (Or
other indications of wholeness or completeness) |
| f-shyoh? |
Are you done? |
Commands and Rules |
| STOHP |
(will be understood as per the English) |
| sey-CHAHS! |
Now! |
| dah |
Yes |
| nyeht |
No (said with appropriate levels of forcefulness) |
| NAH-duh |
You need to ... |
| LAHD-nuh |
OK, It is permitted ('OK' will also generally
be understood) |
| nyil-ZYAH |
It is forbidden (seldom misunderstood) |
| OHP-yuht |
Again; Do it again! |
| yeesh-SHOH |
Continue! More! |
| f-SHYOH! |
That is all! No more! |
| EE-dyee Syoo-DAH |
Come here! |
| syee-DEE! |
Sit Down! |
| leh-ZHEET |
Lay down! (for rest or nap) |
| NYEE gah-vuh-RYEE |
Don't talk! |
| TYEE-khuh! |
Shh!, More quietly! (usually said in
a lower voice) |
| spuh-KOY-nuh |
Settle down; Calm down!
The preferred word for ending boistrousness over "quiet" |
| spuh-KOY-nuh VREH-myi-nyee |
Time-out (indicate a place to go with
" tyoo-DAH", and/or number of minutes, such as: |
| pyat myi-NOOT spuh-KOY-nuh |
5 minutes timeout |
| nyee i-GRAI |
Don't play! (but they don't seem to include
curious fiddling as 'play') |
| nyee troh-GAI |
Don't touch! |
| nyee klyoo-CHAI |
Don't fiddle with the key/knob/switch/button |
| DAI! (as the English word "die") |
Give it (generally understood as 'to
me')! |
| DAI m-NYEH! |
Give it to me! |
| BUIS-truh |
Fast/Faster. |
| MYED-lyi-nuh |
Slow/Slower. |
| OH-chiny |
Very much. |
| nyee |
before a word negates it; e.g. |
| nyee-OH-chiny |
Not very much. |
Positive Reinforcement - USE OFTEN, especially the last one |
| khuhr-rah-SHOH! |
Good! (but not especially strong as a
compliment) |
| pryee-KRAHS-nuh |
Excellent! |
| muh-lah-DYEHTS! |
Well done! Good job! Atta-boy/Atta-girl!
(Strong compliment with powerful reinforcement force
- use when they have actually done something or behaved
well - they like to hear it) |
Manners |
| ah-LOH! |
Hello. or more formally: |
| ZDRAHST-vui-tyee! |
literally, "Be well!" |
| pah-KAH! |
Bye-Bye. or more formally: |
| DAHS-vyi-DAH-nyuh |
literally, Till we see other |
| puh-ZHAHL-stuh |
Please. |
| spuh-SEE-buh |
Thank you. |
| puh-ZHAHL-stuh |
You're welcome (after thank you). |
| prah-STYEET-yee, puh-ZHAHL-stuh. |
Pardon me/Excuse me (e.g. after a burp),
to which you can reply: |
| yah prahst-YOO. |
I forgive you. |
| To prompt one of the above (or an English
equivalent when taught) when expected and not spoken: |
| kahk SKAH-zyee? |
What should you be saying? |
| nyee puh-nyee-MAI-yoo |
I don't understand you. (But Avgust sometimes
took this as a sign to repeat himself louder.) |
Please repeat: |
| chi-VOH |
with questioning voice |
| mah-SHEE-nuh |
car |
| ahf-TOH-boos |
bus, schoolbus (a yellow bus) |
| dohm |
house |
| stohl |
table |
Numbers |
| ah-DYEEN |
one (but in counting, the child will
use "rahz") |
| dva |
two |
| dryee |
three |
| chi-TYEER-ui |
four |
| pyaty |
five |
| shehsty |
six |
| syehmy |
seven |
| VOH-syimy |
eight |
| DYEH-byit |
nine |
| DYEH-syit |
ten |
| ah-DYEE-nuh-tsit |
eleven (one-teen as you can see from
the pattern) |
| dvyi-NAH-tsii |
twelve |
| dryi-NAH-tset |
thirteen |
| chi-tyeer-NAH-tsit |
fourteen |
| pyahty-NAH-tsit |
fifteen |
| shehsty-NAH-tsit |
sixteen |
| syemy-NAH-tsit |
seventeen |
| VOH-syimy-NAH-tsit |
eighteen |
| DYEH-byit-NAH-tsit |
nineteen |
| DVA-tsit |
twenty |
(Numbers before nouns will cause the ending of the noun to change by non-trivial
rules, but don't worry about this. |
Ordinal numbers (adjectives per discussion below) |
| PYEHR-vuiy |
|
| FTOH-raiy |
|
| TRYEH-tyeey |
|
| Colors |
| BYEHL-lui |
white |
| CHOHR-nui |
black |
| KRAHS-nui |
red
(krah-SYEE-vuh-yuh, a related word) beautiful, handsome |
| guh-loo-BOI |
blue |
| zyee-LYOH-nui |
green |
| ZHOHL-tui |
yellow |
What is it? |
| pah ahn-GLEE-skyee |
in English (add this phrase at the end
of any of the following) |
| pah ROO-skyee |
in Russian (add this phrase at the end
of any of the following) |
| shtoh EH-tuh? |
What is this? (never used with people
or domestic animals) |
| kuhTOH EH-tuh? |
Who is this? |
| EH-tuh ________. |
This is a _______. (OK with English if
followed by "pah an-GLEE-skee") |
| kahk tyi-BYAH zah-VOOT? |
What is your name? |
| kahk yeh-YOH zah-VOOT? |
What is her name? |
| kchk yi-VOH zah-VOOT? |
What is his name? |
| Chi-VOH? |
What did you say? (Please repeat!) |
| chi-VOH tui DYEH-luh-eesh? |
What are you doing? |
| chi-VOH yeh-YOH DYEH-luh-eet? |
What is she doing? |
| chi-VOH yi-VOH DYEH-luh-eet? |
What is he doing? |
| kahk? |
How? |
| tahk. |
This way. |
| guh-DYEH _____? |
Where is _____? |
| z-dyish |
Here. |
| toot. |
Here (contrasted with "there"). |
| tam. |
Over There. |
| koo-DAH? |
To where? (for movement) |
| syoo-DAH |
Hither/to here |
| too-DAH |
Thither/to there |
| kahg-DAH |
When? |
| seh-CHAHS |
Now. |
| SKOR-uh |
Soon. |
| SKOHL-kuh? |
How many? |
| s-chi-TAI |
Count (imperative) |
| SKOHL-kuh VRYEH-myi-nyee? |
What time is it? |
| SKOHL-kuh myi-NOO-tuh? |
What time is it? |
Indirect object is also called "dative". It is commonly associated
with the preposition "to" (e.g. in "He gave it to me", "he" is
subject, "it" is direct object, "me" is indirect object).
In Russian it is also used with verbs of subjective experience for the
person experiencing (not all that un-English): "To me, it seems good".
|
Pronouns as subjects
|
direct objects indirect objects
|
| yah |
I |
myin-YAH |
m-NYEH |
| tui |
You |
tyib-YAH |
tyib-YEH |
| ohn |
He |
yi-voh |
yeh-MOO |
| ah-NAH |
She |
yeh-YOH |
yei (English Yay!) |
| ah-NOH |
It |
yi-VOH |
yeh-MOO |
| mui |
We |
nahs |
nahm |
| vui |
You plural |
vahs |
vahm |
| ah-NYEE |
They |
ikh |
eem |
| EH-tuh |
It, when pointing to something (doesn't
change with case). |
Kids talking to adults will often use the plural you even for individuals.
|
Possessive Pronouns
|
| |
Thing possessed is consonant ending (masculine) |
-ah/-uh ending (feminine) |
plural |
| My |
moi |
mah-YAH |
mah-YEE |
| Your |
tvoi |
tvah-YAH |
tvah-YEE |
| Our |
nahsh |
NAHSH-uh |
NAHSH-ee |
| Their |
ikh |
ikh |
ikh |
There are other cases but the forms start getting confusing, and knowing
when to use them gets hard. Even your child will not have them mastered
exactly when they should be used.
|
Important nouns
|
| kuh-rahn-DAHSH |
pencil, crayon |
| boo-MAH-guh |
paper |
| K-NYEE-guhc |
book |
| chuh-SUI |
clock, watch |
| oo-chee-tuhl-NYEET-suh |
teacher (female) |
| oo-CHEE-tuhly |
teacher (male) |
| MAHL-chik |
boy |
| DYEH-booch-kuh |
girl |
| stool |
chair; stool |
Bob Dockery's list I'm going to separate this list into nouns, verbs, and
adjectives/adverbs. You can slop endings a lot with kids and they'll
understand, but sometimes the endings can make a big difference. |
The following are adverbs, and can be used to modify any sentence. Adverbs
ending with 'o' (the ones with pronunciations below ending with "uh" or
stressed "OH", usually can be turned into an adjective by replacing
that final vowel with an appropriate adjective ending. Russian is very
productive of new words this way. Sometimes the stress changes, but you
will usually communicate even with incorrect stress.
|
| e.g. TYEE-khuh quietly -> TYEE-khuh-yuh
DOHCH-kuh |
quiet daughter |
| chee-TATY khah-ruh-SHOH |
"to read well" |
| -> khah-ROH-shuh-yuhDYEH-buhch-kuh |
"good girl" |
| +be free |
svuh-BOHD-nyuh |
| +careful |
uh-stah-ROHZH-nuh |
| +CALM, MUST BE |
NAH-Duh spuh-KOI-nuh |
| +calm(ly) |
spuh-KOI-nuh |
| +first |
snuh-CHAH-luh |
| +FORBIDDEN |
nyil-ZYAH |
| +good (beneficially) |
BLAH-guh |
| +good (well) |
khuh-rah-SHOH (used much more than the
other) |
| +here |
voht' (has the sense of "see here" as
with French "Voila") |
| |
toot (more useful for 'here') |
| +indoors |
v-DOH-myee (literally "in the house") |
| +inside |
vnoo-TRYEE (also the preposition "inside") |
| +later on, afterwards |
pah-TOHM (also "and then") |
| +later |
POHZ-zheh (comparative = more late) |
| +now |
seh-CHAHS |
| +only |
TOHL-kuh |
| +OK |
LAHD-nuh |
| +quickly |
BUIS-truh |
| +quietly |
TYEE-khuh |
| +slow |
MYEHD-lyin-nuh |
| +soon |
SKOH-ruh |
| +tasty |
F-KOOS-nuh |
| +today |
syi-VOHD-nyuh |
Adjectives |
The main problem with adjectives is the endings. They have to agree with
the noun they modify. This means that for nouns ending in vowel 'uh'
or 'ah' (feminine) the modifiers go like this
|
| subject |
'-ah-yuh' |
| direct object |
'-oo-yoo' |
| indirect object |
'-oi' |
| Consonant endings (masculine) |
| subject |
'-ui'or 'yiy' |
| direct object (inanimate) |
'-ui' or 'yiy' |
| direct object (people) |
'-yi-voh' (warning - this ending is spelled
as '-ego' in Cyrillic) |
| indirect object |
'-OH-moo' |
(there are all kinds of complications for plurals, and I'm leaving out
some singular cases too) |
Many of the adjectives you have listed are ones I used more as adverbs,
in which case, replace the vowel ending with '-uh'.
|
| +big |
bahly-SHOI(like the name of the ballet) |
| +clean |
CHEES-tyiy |
| +cold |
KHOH-luhd-nui |
| +hot in temperature |
gohr-YAH-chiy |
| +hot in weather |
ZHAHR-kiy |
| +dangerous |
ah-PAHS-nyiy |
| +small |
MAH-lyin-kiy |
| +warm |
TYOH-plui |
| +pleasant |
DOH-brui |
| +BLESS YOU |
bood-zdah-ROHF (be healthy) |
| +bye bye |
pah-KAH |
| +cat is scared |
KOHTCH-kuh bah-YAH-yeet-suh |
| +excuse me |
iz-vyi-NYEE-tyee |
| +forgive me, sorry |
prah-STYEE-tyee (myin-YAH) puh-ZHAHL-stuh |
| +good bye |
duh-zvyi-DAHN-yuh |
| +GOOD DAY |
DOH-brui dyehny (also good afternoon) |
| +GOOD MORNING |
DOH-brui OO-truhm |
| +GOOD NIGHT |
spuh-KOI-nuh NOH-chui |
| +heartache |
SYEHRT-tsuh BOH-lyeet (this could also
mean chest pains) doo-SHEHB-nuh-yuh BOHLY (strictly
emotional pain) nyee-khvah-TAH-yeet (to miss someone
- BUT the person feeling the loss comes first like
a subject, but has the form of the INDIRECT OBJECT
- most subjective experiences like this "happen
to you", hence are indirect objects, but there
is no one doing it to you so there is no explicit subject
- the verb form is in 3rd person singular. |
| +hello |
pryi-VYEHT |
| +I love you |
yah-tyi-BYAH lyoob-LYOO |
| +NO |
NYEHT |
| +NOT A TOY |
EH-tuh nyee-i-GROOSH-kuh |
| +please |
puh-ZHAHL-stuh (also means "your
welcome" after "thanks") |
| +thank you |
spah-SYEE-buh |
| +time out |
syi-DYEE pyat MEE-noot (sit 5 min)<br> -
if she understands this intent, fine. But I used |
| +time out |
pyat MEE-noot spuh-KOY-nuh (5 minutes
of calmly) |
One of the easier to learn differences between Russian question intonation
and English, is that in questions with question words like where/when/how/who/what,
you raise your pitch and intensity ON THE QUESTION WORD and then let
the rest of the question trail off. English has all questions raising
pitch towards the end of the sentence.
|
| +what is it? |
SHTOH eh-tuh |
| +WHAT IS THIS IN RUS SHTOH |
eh-tuh pah-ROOS-kiy |
| +what is that? |
SHTOH eh-tuh |
| +how in Russian |
KAHK eh-tuh pah-ROOS-kiy (but this presumes
she knows what the English means) |
| +when? |
kahg-DAH |
| +whither(movement)? |
koo-DAH |
| +where (location)? |
g-DYEH |
| +who? |
k-TOH |
| +how? |
KAHK |
| +YES |
DAH |
Nouns |
Some easy declension rules. |
-ah/-uh at the end of a noun usually changes to -oo as a direct object
and to -ee as an indirect object |
e.g water: vah-DAH vah-DOO vah-DEE |
Consonants at the end of a noun mean that there is usually no change for
direct object, and -oo for indirect object. Animate consonant-ending
words are strange - add an "-uh" (but adjectives for these
have a different ending: "-yi-voh") |
-ee (replacing a different final vowel if appropriate) is also the regular
plural for most words
|
| +apple |
YAH-bluh-kuh |
| +arm |
ROO-kuh (also means hand) |
| +banana |
bah-NAHN |
| +book |
k-NYEE-guh |
| +boy |
MAHL-chik |
| +BREAD |
khlyehp (close to "klehp" if
that looks imposing) |
| +BREAD, small roll |
BOO-luhch-kuh |
| +bus |
ahf-TOH-boos |
| +cartoon |
MOOLY-chee-kiy (a kids shortening of
the longer adult phrase meaning "animated film " THIS
IS NOT A DICTIONARY WORD! |
| +cat |
KOHTCH-kuh |
| +chicken |
koo-RYEE-tsuh |
| +Christmas tree |
YOHLY-kuh (fir tree) |
| +coat |
pahl-TOH |
| +a cold (illness) |
prah-STOO-duh |
| +cookie |
pyi-CHEH-nyi |
| +cucumber |
ah-goor-YEHTS |
| +dinner |
ah-BYEHT (only in the traditional sense
with midday meal as the main meal - which is the Russian
norm) |
| +dinner (supper) |
OO-zhin |
| +dog |
suh-BAH-kuh (note that dogs in Russia
are less tame and more wolf-like. Kids are naturally
more afraid of them.) |
| +door |
dvyehry (close to dvehr) |
| +dress |
PLAH-tyuh ("the dress" requires "EH-tuh" in
front) |
| +face |
LYEE-tsuh |
| +finger |
PAH-lyits (plural PAHL-tsui) |
| +fish |
RUI-buh |
| +fork |
VYEEL-kuh |
| +girl |
DYEH-buhch-kuh |
| +glasses, eye |
ach-KEE |
| +grapes |
vyee-nuh-GRAH-dui |
| +hand |
ROO-kuh (also means the whole arm - no
separate word for the "end of the arm " |
| +knapsack |
RAH-nyits, ryook-ZAHK |
| +love |
lyoo-BOHV |
| +lunch |
FTOH-roi ZAHF-truhk (literally 2nd breakfast
- probably really refers to a late morning snack when
the main meal of the day is to be in the mid-afternoon. |
| +lunch (American) |
ah-BYEHT |
| +meat |
MYAH-suh (generic for any kind of non-poultry) |
| +minute |
myi-NOO-tuh (but with numbers before
it, drop the ending) |
| +orange |
ah-pil-SYEEN (fruit) |
| +our daughter |
NAH-shuh DOHCH-kuh (rather distant -
better use the more affectionate NAH-shuh DOH-cheen-kuh) |
| +outdoors |
nah-OO-lyee-tsuh (literally "on
the street" this is the more common usage so be
careful of context because it CAN also imply the other
meaning of "street" see "road" and
always use that instead of street to make this to make
this clearer. |
| +peach |
PYEHR-syik |
| +pear |
GROOSH-kuh |
| +PEN |
ROOCH-kuh |
| +pencil |
kuh-rahn-DAHSH |
| +purse |
kah-shi-LYOHK (change purse) |
| +purse |
SOOM-kuh (normal), SOO-muhch-kuh (little
purse - kid's) |
| +rain |
dohzhdy |
| +road |
dah-ROH-guh "not on the road" =
nyee nah-dah-ROH-gyee |
| +skirt |
YOOB-kuh |
| +snow |
snyek |
| +son |
suin |
| +spoon |
LOHSH-kuh |
| +teacher - male |
oo-CHEE-tily |
| +teacher - female |
oo-chee-tily-NYEET-suh |
| +toilet |
tai-LYEHT |
| +tomorrow |
ZAHF-truh |
| +work |
rah-BOH-tuh (the job) |
| +yard (courtyard) |
dvohr "in the yard" for "outside" nah-dvahr-YEH |
| Verbs - Imperatives |
(these are all familiar, singular forms
as you will use to a child. The child may add the suffix "-tyi" addressing
an adult) |
| +Brush your teeth! |
pah-CHEES-tyi (ZOO-byee) |
| +Close! |
zah-KRUI |
| +eat all up |
sy-YISTY fsyoh |
| +fasten (seat belt) |
pryee-styig-NYEE-tyee |
| +let's go |
pah-SHLYEE |
| +look here, at me |
(pah)-smah-TRYEE [add myi-NYAH for "at
me"] without the "pah" it is the imperfective,
and means something like "be looking at (me or
whatever) in general" like a teacher might use
to a class. With "pah" it means look right
now at something specific. |
| +open, you |
aht-KRUI |
| +go to sleep |
spyahty |
| +Teach me |
nah-oo-CHEE |
| +wash hands |
pah-MUI ROO-kyee |
| Verbs - Other forms |
|
All Russian verbs occur in pairs which distinguish between the modes "perfective" and "imperfective".
It is critical to the exact meaning to choose the right verb. The essence
of "imperfective" is a process that is ongoing, continuous, or
habitual. The essence of "perfective" is of a discrete occurance.
Thus talking/conversing is expressed through an imperfective, while saying
something specific is discrete and perfective. "I was reading yesterday" is
rather nebulous and open-ended and is expressed with the imperfective. "I
read the book yesterday" is a discrete happening and uses perfective. |
| |
| In most cases, the perfective form of
a verb is obtained by adding a prefix to the imperfective
verb, with "po-" (in pronunciation guide "pah-")
as the most common perfective prefix. |
| |
| |
| The "present tense" for a perfective
form is actually a future form. It means the discrete
event is about to happen and has not yet started. |
| |
| All Russian verbs conjugate. That is,
they change form depending on the subject of the sentence.
For the most part, the changes are fairly regular -
there are only a couple of patterns to learn, and even
the exceptions follow a small number of patterned rules
- just different subsets of them. But learning the
patterns is non-trivial since they are defined in terms
of classes of sounds, palatalization, and word roots
that are not always obvious from the dictionary form. |
| |
In the following, I will list the forms
of the verbs in the following order. Where I have left
the set incomplete, apply the listed endings to parallel
the limited set given.
|
| English |
Imperfective Infinitive |
Perfective Infinitive |
| Singular |
| 1st person (I) |
-oo/-yoo |
| 2nd person (you) |
-eesh/-YOHSH |
| 3rd person (he/she/it) |
-eet/-YOHT |
| Plural |
| 1st person (we) |
-eem/-YOHM |
| 2nd person (you) |
-ee-tyee/-YOH-tyee |
| 3rd person (they) |
-oot/-yoot (-it/-yit/-AHT/-YAHT
where infinitive is "-eet/-zaht/-zhaht") |
| Past |
| masculine |
-ahl/-eel |
| feminine |
-ah-luh/-ee-luh |
| plural |
-ah-lyee/-ee-lyee |
| +able, be |
oo-MYEHTY
also "know how to" takes infinitive of thing done oo-MYEH-yoo |
| *** |
| +clean (up) |
CHEES-tyeety |
pah-... |
| |
CHEE-shshoo |
| |
CHEES-tyeesh |
| *** |
| +cook/prepare |
gah-TOH-vyeety |
to be cooking |
pryee-.. |
to prepare a meal |
| |
gah-TOH-vlyoo |
| |
gah-TOH-vyeesh |
| *** |
|
| +drink |
pyeety |
to be drinking |
VUI-pyeety |
to drink up |
| |
py-YOO |
VUI-py-yoo |
| |
py-YOSH |
VUI-py-yeesh |
| |
py-YOHT |
VUI-py-yeet |
| |
py-YOM |
VUI-py-yeem |
| |
py-YOH-tyi |
VUI-py-yee-tyi |
| |
py-YOOT |
VUI-py-yoot |
| |
pyeel |
VUI-pyeel |
| |
pyee-LAH |
VUI-pyee-luh |
| |
PYEE-lyee |
VUI-pyee-lyee |
| +eat |
KOO-shuhty |
to be eating |
pah-KOO-shuhty |
to eat a meal |
| |
KOO-shuh-yoo |
| |
pah-KOO-shuh-yoo |
| |
KOO-shuh-yeesh |
| |
pah-KOO-shuh-yeesh |
| |
KOO-shuh-yeet |
| |
pah-KOO-shuh-yeet |
| |
KOO-shuh-yeem |
| |
pah-KOO-shuh-yeem |
| |
KOO-shuh-yee-tyi |
| |
pah-KOO-shuh-yee-tyi |
| |
KOO-shuh-yoot |
| |
pah-KOO-shuh-yoot |
| |
KOO-shuhl |
| |
pah-KOO-shuhl |
| |
KOO-shuh-luh |
| |
pah-KOO-shuh-luh |
| |
KOO-shuh-lyee |
| |
pah-KOO-shuh-lyee |
| +eat |
yisty |
eat at food |
sy-.. |
to eat up |
| |
yehm |
| |
yish |
| |
yist |
| |
yi-DYEEM |
| |
yi-DYEE-tyi |
| |
yi-DYAHT |
| |
yehl |
| |
YEH-luh |
| |
YEH-lyee |
| +eat breakfast |
ZAHF-truh-kuhty |
eat at breakfast |
pah-... |
complete breakfast |
| |
ZAHF-truh-kuh-yoo |
| |
ZAHF-truh-kuh-yeesh |
| *** |
|
| +eat lunch |
ah-BYEH-duhty |
eat at lunch |
pah-... |
eat complete lunch |
| |
ah-BYEH-duh-yoo |
| |
ah-BYEH-duh-yeesh |
| *** |
|
| +eat dinner |
OO-zhi-nuhty |
eat at supper |
pah-... |
eat complete dinner |
| |
OO-zhi-nuh-yoo |
| |
OO-zhi-nuh-yeesh |
| *** |
|
| +fear |
bah-YAH-tsuh |
to be afraid |
perfective not relevant |
| |
the "suh" is a reflexive verb suffix (usually
meaning to do to oneself) - the ending for the verb
proper is what conjugates |
| |
bah-YOOS |
| |
bah-YEESH-suh |
| |
bah-YEET-suh |
| *** |
|
| +give |
dah-VAHTY |
dahty |
| |
dah-YOO |
dahm |
| |
dah-YOHSH |
dahsh |
| |
dah-YOHT |
dahst |
| |
dah-YOHM |
dah-DYEEM |
| |
dah-YOH-tyi |
dah-DYEE-tyee |
| |
dah-YOOT |
dah-DOOT |
| |
dah-VAHL |
dahl |
| |
dah-VAH-luh |
dah-LAH |
| |
dah-VAH-lyee |
DAH-lyee |
| +help |
puh-mah-GAHTY |
pah-MOHCH |
| |
puh-mah-GAH-yoo |
puh-mah-GOO |
| |
puh-mah-GAH-yeesh |
pah-MOH-zheesh |
| |
puh-mah-GAH-yeet |
pah-MOH-zheet |
| *** |
|
|
| +hug |
uhb-nyee-MAHTY |
ahb-NYAHTY |
| |
uhb-nyee-MAH-yoo |
uhb-nyi-MOO |
| |
uhb-nyee-MAH-yeesh |
ahb-NYEE-myish |
| |
uhb-nyee-MAH-yeet |
ahb-NYEE-myeet |
| |
uhb-nyee-MAH-yeem |
ahb-NYEE-myeem |
| |
uhb-nyee-MAH-yee-tyi |
ahb-NYEE-myee-tyi |
| |
uhb-nyee-MAH-yoot |
ahb-NYEE-moot |
| |
uhb-nyee-MAHL |
OHB-nyil |
| |
uhb-nyee-MAH-luh |
uhb-nyi-LAH |
| |
uhb-nyee-MAH-lyee |
OHB-nyi-lyee |
| +hurt,feel pain |
bah-LYEHTY |
|
| |
not used |
|
| |
not used |
|
| |
bah-LYEET |
|
| |
e.g. "finger hurts" pah-LYEHTS bah-LYEET |
|
| |
not used |
|
| |
not used |
|
| |
bah-LYAHT |
|
| |
e.g. "fingers hurt" pahl-TSUI bah-LYAHT |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +ill, be |
bah-LYEHTY (different verb than feel pain - different
endings) |
|
| |
bah-LYEH-yoo |
|
| |
bah-LYEH-yeesh |
|
| |
bah-LYEH-yeet |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +know |
znahty |
oo-... |
to find out |
| |
ZHNAH-yoo |
|
| |
ZHNAH-yeesh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +love or like |
lyoo-BYEETY |
no perfective |
| |
lyoo-BLYOO |
|
| |
LYOO-byeesh |
|
| |
LYOO-byeet |
|
| |
LYOO-byeem |
|
| |
LYOO-byi-tyee |
|
| |
LYOO-byit |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +open |
uht-kryi-VAHTY |
aht-KRUITY |
| |
uht-kryi-VAH-yoo |
aht-KROH-yoo |
| |
uht-kryi-VAH-yeesh |
aht-KROH-yeesh |
| *** |
|
|
| +close |
zuh-kryi-VAHTY |
zah-KRUITY |
| |
zuh-kryi-VAH-yoo |
zah-KROH-yoo |
| |
zuh-kryi-VAH-yeesh |
zah-KROH-yeesh |
| *** |
|
|
| +talk, say |
guh-vah-RYEETY |
skah-ZAHTY |
| |
guh-vah-RYOO |
skah-ZHOO |
| |
guh-vah-RYEESH |
SKAH-zyesh |
| |
guh-vah-RYEET |
SKAH-zyeet |
| |
guh-vah-RYEEM |
SKAH-zyeem |
| |
guh-vah-RYEE-tyee |
SKAH-zyee-tyee |
| |
guh-vah-RYAHT |
SKAH-zuht |
| |
guh-vah-RYEEL |
skah-ZAHL |
| |
guh-vah-RYEE-luh |
skah-ZAH-luh |
| |
guh-vah-RYEE-lyee |
Skuh-ZAH-lyee |
| +understand |
puh-nyee-MAHTY |
POH-nyity |
| |
puh-nyee-MAH-yoo |
pai-MOO |
| |
puh-nyee-MAH-yeesh |
pai-MYOHSH |
| *** |
|
|
| +wait |
zhdahty |
puh-dah- ZHDAH-yoo |
| *** |
|
|
| +stroll around |
goo-LYAHTY |
puh-... |
| |
goo-LYAH-lyoo |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +see |
VYEE-dyity |
oo-... |
| |
to catch sight of |
|
| |
vyee-ZHOO |
|
| |
VYEE-dyeesh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +watch |
smah-TRYEHTY |
puh-... |
| |
smah-TRYOO |
|
| |
SMOH-tryeesh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +hear |
SLUI-shuhty |
oo-... |
| |
SLUI-shoo |
|
| |
SLUI-sheesh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +listen |
SLOO-shuhty |
pah-... |
| |
SLOO-shuh-yoo |
|
| |
SLOO-shuh-yeesh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +want |
khuh-TYEHTY |
zuh-... |
| |
khuh-CHOO |
|
| |
KHOH-cheesh |
|
| |
KHOH-cheet |
|
| |
khuh-TYEEM |
|
| |
khuh-TYEE-tyee |
|
| |
khuh-TYAT |
|
| |
khuh-TEHL |
|
| |
khuh-TEH-luh |
|
| |
khuh-TEH-lyee |
|
| +to warm (self) |
GRYEHT-suh - the "suh" is a reflexive verb
suffix (usually meaning to do to oneself) - the ending
for the verb proper is what conjugates |
| |
GREH-yoos |
|
| |
GREH-yeesh-suh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +study |
zuh-nyee-MAHTY(to do affairs) |
zahn-YAHTY to complete a task |
| |
zuh-nyee-MAH-yoo |
zai-MOO |
| |
zuh-nyee-MAH-yeesh |
zai-MYOHSH |
| *** |
|
|
| +do |
DYEH-luhty |
to do |
s-... |
to complete something |
| |
DYEH-luh-yoo |
|
| |
DYEH-luh-yeesh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +read |
chi-TAHT |
pruh-... |
| |
chi-TAH-yoo |
|
| |
chi-TAH-yeesh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +write |
pyee-SAHTY |
nah-... |
| |
pyee-SHOO |
|
| |
PYEE-sheesh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +think, opine |
DOO-muhty |
pah-... |
| |
DOO-muh-yoo |
|
| |
DOO-muh-yeesh |
|
| *** |
|
|
| +think,consider |
s-chi-TAHT |
s-chehsty |
| +count |
|
|
| |
s-chi-TAH-yoo |
sahch-TOO |
| |
s-chi-TAH-yeesh |
sahch-TYOHSH |
| *** |
|
|
For verbs of motion, there are several perfectives,
all of which conjugate like the imperfective, but with
a prefix in front. The prefixes are all forms of prepositions
when in separate words, so this is actually not unlike
English (Or better German with its "Separable
prefix" verbs). E.g. out-go/come = exit in-go/come
= enter upon-go/come = find/come upon
|
Oftentimes the prefixed verbs of motion have acquired
colloquial meanings (sometimes similar to English ones
as in "come upon" = "find") in
addition to their more obvious movement-related ones
|
You can see below that Russian also makes the distinction
between movement on foot vs. in a vehicle, and between
going to a destination and travelling where any indicated
destination is a temporary stop
|
| +go to on foot |
ee-TYEE |
Perfectives |
| |
|
nah-... |
come upon (find) |
| |
|
v-... |
enter |
| |
|
eez-... |
proceed |
| |
|
aht-... |
depart |
| |
|
zah-... |
go behind (and others) |
| |
|
vui-... |
exit |
| |
|
peh-reh-... |
traverse |
| |
|
s-... |
descend, also pass for |
| |
|
pahd-... |
go up to (approach) |
| |
|
pah-... |
set out |
| |
|
pryee-... |
arrive, come to |
| |
|
ee-DOO |
|
| |
|
ee-DYOHSH |
|
| |
|
ee-DYOHT |
|
| |
|
ee-DYOHM |
|
| |
|
ee-DYOH-tyee |
|
| |
|
ee-DOOT |
|
| |
|
shohl |
|
| |
|
shlah |
|
| |
|
shlyee |
|
| +go to by vehicle |
YEH-khuhty |
|
|
| |
YEH-doo |
|
|
| |
YEH-dyeesh |
|
|
| |
YEH-dyeet |
|
|
| |
YEH-dyeem |
|
|
| |
YEH-dyee-tyee |
|
|
| |
YEH-doot |
|
|
| |
YEH-khuhl |
|
|
| |
YEH-khuh-luh |
|
|
| |
YEH-khuh-lyee |
|
|
| +travel via foot |
khah-DYEETY |
Perfectives |
|
| |
|
nah-... |
come upon (find) |
| |
|
v-... |
enter |
| |
|
eez-... |
proceed |
| |
|
aht-... |
depart |
| |
|
zah-... |
go behind (and others) |
| |
|
vui-... |
exit |
| |
|
peh-reh-... |
traverse |
| |
|
s-... |
descend, also pass for |
| |
|
