The Present Tense of the Verb. The 1st and 2nd Verb Conjugations
Настоящее время глагола. 1-ое и 2-ое спряжения глагола
The Present Tense of the Russian verb corresponds
to the English Present Indefinite, Present Continuous and Present Perfect.
In the present tense verbs conjugate (change for person and number). Each person has its own ending.
In accordance with their personal endings verbs fall into two groups:
verbs of the 1st conjugation and verbs of the 2nd conjugation.
Many Russian 1st conjugation verbs are conjugated on the pattern of читать.
Many Russian 2nd conjugation verbs are conjugated on the pattern of говорить.
|
The Present Tense |
|
| 1st conjugation | 2nd conjugation |
| Infinitive: читать | Infinitive: говорить |
| я читаю | я говорю |
|
ты читаешь |
ты говоришь |
|
он читает |
он говорит |
| она читает | она говорит |
|
мы читаем |
мы говорим |
|
вы читаете |
вы говорите |
|
они читают |
они говорят |
Russian verbs may have the stress fixed on the stem (like читать) or on the ending (like говорить)
or they may belong to the mixed stress type: the stress falls on the ending in the 1st person singular
and on the stem in all the other persons.