Conjugation › Russian › Boyat'sya
Russian · Verb Tables · Advanced
бояться (boyat'sya) means "to be afraid" in Russian. Present: я (ya) боюсь (boyus'), ты (ty) боишься (boish'sya), он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) боится (boitsya), мы (my) боимся (boimsya), вы (vy) боитесь (boites'), они (oni) боятся (boyatsya). Below: all 12 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) | боюсь (boyus') |
| ты (ty) | боишься (boish'sya) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | боится (boitsya) |
| мы (my) | боимся (boimsya) |
| вы (vy) | боитесь (boites') |
| они (oni) | боятся (boyatsya) |
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) | боялся / боялась (boyalsya / boyalas') |
| ты (ty) | боялся / боялась (boyalsya / boyalas') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | боялся / боялась / боялось (boyalsya / boyalas' / boyalos') |
| мы (my) | боялись (boyalis') |
| вы (vy) | боялись (boyalis') |
| они (oni) | боялись (boyalis') |
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.
| — (no perfective counterpart; бояться is imperfective-only (imperfectivum tantum), since it names an ongoing state rather than a completed act) |
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 бояться (budu boyat'sya) |
| ты (ty) | будешь бояться (budesh' boyat'sya) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | будет бояться (budet boyat'sya) |
| мы (my) | будем бояться (budem boyat'sya) |
| вы (vy) | будете бояться (budete boyat'sya) |
| они (oni) | будут бояться (budut boyat'sya) |
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) | боялся бы / боялась бы (boyalsya by / boyalas' by) |
| ты (ty) | боялся бы / боялась бы (boyalsya by / boyalas' by) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | боялся бы / боялась бы / боялось бы (boyalsya by / boyalas' by / boyalos' by) |
| мы (my) | боялись бы (boyalis' by) |
| вы (vy) | боялись бы (boyalis' by) |
| они (oni) | боялись бы (boyalis' 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 боялся / боялась (chtoby ya boyalsya / boyalas') |
| ты (ty) | чтобы ты боялся / боялась (chtoby ty boyalsya / boyalas') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | чтобы он боялся / она боялась / оно боялось (chtoby on boyalsya / ona boyalas' / ono boyalos') |
| мы (my) | чтобы мы боялись (chtoby my boyalis') |
| вы (vy) | чтобы вы боялись (chtoby vy boyalis') |
| они (oni) | чтобы они боялись (chtoby oni boyalis') |
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) | бойся (boysya) — rare as a true command; survives in set literary/biblical phrases like "бойся Бога" |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть боится (pust' boitsya) |
| мы (my) | давайте бояться (davayte boyat'sya) — unnatural, essentially never said |
| вы (vy) | бойтесь (boytes') |
| они (oni) | пусть боятся (pust' boyatsya) |
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 бойся (ne boysya) — very common, everyday reassurance |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть не боится (pust' ne boitsya) |
| мы (my) | давайте не будем бояться (davayte ne budem boyat'sya) |
| вы (vy) | не бойтесь (ne boytes') |
| они (oni) | пусть не боятся (pust' ne boyatsya) |
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.
| бояться (boyat'sya) |
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".
| боящийся (boyashchiysya) |
Past-tense stem (either aspect) + -вший (or -ший after a consonant), declined like an adjective. Means "[who/that] verbed / has verbed".
| боявшийся (boyavshiysya) — no perfective counterpart exists |
Imperfective only: present stem + -я (-а after ж/ш/ч/щ). Invariable; describes an action simultaneous with the main verb's ("while verb-ing").
| боясь (boyas') |
| Дети боятся темноты. Deti boyatsya temnoty. | Children are afraid of the dark. |
| Не бойся, всё будет хорошо. Ne boysya, vsyo budet khorosho. | Don't be afraid, everything will be fine. |
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