Conjugation › Russian › Bit'
Russian · Verb Tables · Advanced
бить (bit') means "to beat" in Russian. Present: я (ya) бью (b'yu), ты (ty) бьёшь (b'yosh'), он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) бьёт (b'yot), мы (my) бьём (b'yom), вы (vy) бьёте (b'yote), они (oni) бьют (b'yut). Below: all 14 tenses we teach, with examples.
Imperfective verbs only — perfective verbs have no present tense. Stem + personal endings, expresses actions happening now, repeated/habitual actions, and general truths; also covers what English marks as the present continuous.
| я (ya) | бью (b'yu) |
| ты (ty) | бьёшь (b'yosh') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | бьёт (b'yot) |
| мы (my) | бьём (b'yom) |
| вы (vy) | бьёте (b'yote) |
| они (oni) | бьют (b'yut) |
Perfective/imperfective distinction lives in the stem, not the ending: infinitive stem minus -ть + -л (masculine), -ла (feminine), -ло (neuter), -ли (plural) — the same ending set for every verb in the language. Does not mark person, only gender and number; agreement is with the real subject's gender, so "I"/"you (singular)" have separate masculine/feminine forms. Imperfective past describes an ongoing, repeated or general past action, or one whose completion is not in focus.
| я (ya) | бил / била (bil / bila) |
| ты (ty) | бил / била (bil / bila) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | бил / била / било (bil / bila / bilo) |
| мы (my) | били (bili) |
| вы (vy) | били (bili) |
| они (oni) | били (bili) |
Same -л/-ла/-ло/-ли endings, but on the perfective partner verb's stem (прочитать, поговорить); marks a single completed action or its result, the normal choice for narrating a sequence of finished events.
| я (ya) | побил / побила (pobil / pobila) |
| ты (ty) | побил / побила (pobil / pobila) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | побил / побила / побило (pobil / pobila / pobilo) |
| мы (my) | побили (pobili) |
| вы (vy) | побили (pobili) |
| они (oni) | побили (pobili) |
Future of быть (буду, будешь, будет, будем, будете, будут) + imperfective infinitive. Used for ongoing, repeated or general actions in the future, or when the aspect of the action is not being emphasized.
| я (ya) | буду бить (budu bit') |
| ты (ty) | будешь бить (budesh' bit') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | будет бить (budet bit') |
| мы (my) | будем бить (budem bit') |
| вы (vy) | будете бить (budete bit') |
| они (oni) | будут бить (budut bit') |
The perfective verb's present-tense-shaped conjugation (same endings as an imperfective present) automatically carries future meaning, because a perfective verb cannot describe an ongoing present. Used for a single completed action that will happen once.
| я (ya) | побью (pob'yu) |
| ты (ty) | побьёшь (pob'yosh') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | побьёт (pob'yot) |
| мы (my) | побьём (pob'yom) |
| вы (vy) | побьёте (pob'yote) |
| они (oni) | побьют (pob'yut) |
Past-tense form (either aspect) + the invariant, moveable particle бы. There is only one form for past, present and future hypotheticals — context and adverbs (тогда, сейчас, завтра) show the time meant. Used for hypothetical or unreal conditions (usually with если...бы), polite requests and suggestions, and wishes.
| я (ya) | бил бы / била бы (bil by / bila by) |
| ты (ty) | бил бы / била бы (bil by / bila by) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | бил бы / била бы / било бы (bil by / bila by / bilo by) |
| мы (my) | били бы (bili by) |
| вы (vy) | били бы (bili by) |
| они (oni) | били бы (bili by) |
чтобы (что + бы fused into one word) + past-tense form, used after verbs of wanting, asking, ordering something for someone else to do (хочу, чтобы...), in purpose clauses ("in order that"), and after жаль/жалко for regrets. The subordinate verb always takes this чтобы + past shape regardless of the real time of the wish.
| я (ya) | чтобы я бил / била (chtoby ya bil / bila) |
| ты (ty) | чтобы ты бил / била (chtoby ty bil / bila) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | чтобы он бил / она била / оно било (chtoby on bil / ona bila / ono bilo) |
| мы (my) | чтобы мы били (chtoby my bili) |
| вы (vy) | чтобы вы били (chtoby vy bili) |
| они (oni) | чтобы они били (chtoby oni bili) |
True 2nd-person imperative: stem + -й (after a vowel), -и (after a consonant, stressed), or -ь (after a single consonant, unstressed) for "you (singular)"; add -те for "you (plural/formal)". 1st-person plural uses давай(те) + infinitive ("let's..."); 3rd person uses пусть/пускай + the ordinary present or simple-future form (a jussive, not a true imperative). Positive commands typically use the perfective aspect for a single expected action.
| я (ya) | — |
| ты (ty) | бей (bey) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть бьёт (pust' b'yot) |
| мы (my) | давайте бить (davayte bit') |
| вы (vy) | бейте (beyte) |
| они (oni) | пусть бьют (pust' b'yut) |
не + the same imperative forms. Negative commands strongly prefer the imperfective aspect (не читай, not не прочитай), because a perfective negative imperative sounds like a warning against something happening accidentally rather than a plain prohibition.
| я (ya) | — |
| ты (ty) | не бей (ne bey) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть не бьёт (pust' ne b'yot) |
| мы (my) | давайте не будем бить (davayte ne budem bit') |
| вы (vy) | не бейте (ne beyte) |
| они (oni) | пусть не бьют (pust' ne b'yut) |
Dictionary form, ending in -ть (or -ти/-чь for some consonant stems). Used after modal words (нужно, можно, хочу) and other conjugated verbs, and as a verbal noun.
| бить (bit') |
Imperfective verbs only: 3rd-person-plural present stem + -щий, declined like an adjective for gender, case and number (citation form is masculine nominative singular). Means "[who/that is] verb-ing".
| бьющий (b'yushchiy) |
Past-tense stem (either aspect) + -вший (or -ший after a consonant), declined like an adjective. Means "[who/that] verbed / has verbed".
| бивший / побивший (bivshiy / pobivshiy) |
Mostly from perfective transitive verbs: stem + -нный/-тый, declined like an adjective; has a short form (-н/-т, agreeing only in gender/number) used as the predicate of passive sentences. The everyday way to say "is/was done".
| побитый, short побит/-а/-о/-ы (pobityy, pobit/-a/-o/-y) |
Perfective only: past stem + -в (-вши before a reflexive -сь, or -ши after a consonant). Invariable; describes a completed action prior to the main verb's ("having verbed").
| побив (pobiv) |
| Часы бьют полночь. Chasy b'yut polnoch'. | The clock is striking midnight. |
| Не бей его! Ne bey yego! | Don't hit him! |
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