Russian Language Grammar

Table of Russian Irregular Verbs

Table Guide

1. Verb endings

In the following Table the verbs are listed according to the eleven types of endings of their infinitives:

-ать, -ять, -еть, -уть, -оть, -ыть, -ти, -сть, -зть, -чь, -ить

(a) Most verbs ending in -ать, -ять, and -еть belong to the First Conjugation.

(b) All verbs ending in -уть, -оть, -ыть, -ти, -сть, -зть, and -чь belong to the First Conjugation.

(c) The great majority of verbs ending in -ить belong to the Second Conjugation.

2. Order of verb listing

Under each type of ending the verbs are listed as follows:

First Conjugation

Regular (when applicable)

Irregular

Second Conjugation

Regular (when applicable)

Irregular

Remark: It will be remembered that regular verbs form their present tense by dropping the last two letters of their infinitive (in the first conjugation) or the last three letters of their infinitive (in the second conjugation) and then by adding the corresponding characteristic endings.

чита-ть: я чита-ю, ты чита-ешь... они чита-ют

говор-ить: я говор-ю, ты говор-ишь... они говор-ят

The past tense is formed by dropping the last two letters of the infinitive and by adding -л, -ла, -ло or -ли to the stem.

чита-ть: читал, читала, читало, читали

Verbs classified here as "irregular" are those which form their present or past tense differently.

3. Productive types of verbs

Only one typical example is given for each productive type (regular or irregular). The number of these verbs is not only very large but is, in fact, constantly increasing. For example:

краснеть	a verb derived from an adjective
влиять	a "translation" of the French "in-fluencer"
сканировать	a newly formed verb with a foreign root

4. Personal endings

The first and second person singular and the third person plural, present tense, or future perfective, are given with every verb that heads a group of similar ones, which is given immediately below. (Sometimes, a verb within a group will not be used in the 1st person, e.g., течь – to flow.)

5. Unstable letters

The symbols - a, + e, etc. which are given in the Notes, draw attention to letters which are dropped or which appear in the stem of the present tense (or future perfective):

–a	with ждать: жду, ждёшь... ждут
–а, +е	with брать: беру, берёшь... берут

6. Mutation of letters

A mutation of letters is indicated in the Notes by д → ж (for видеть: вижу), с → ш (for носить: ношу), е → о (for петь: пою), etc.

7. Only irregularly formed past tense or imperative moods are listed.

8. Prefixed verbs are conjugated similarly to verbs of the same root given in the Table, that is выдавать similar to давать; указать similar to сказать.

9. The first verb within a group gives the stress pattern for other verbs. Exceptions within the group are listed.