Conjugation › Russian › Lezhat'
Russian · Verb Tables · Advanced
лежать (lezhat') means "to lie down" in Russian. Present: я (ya) лежу (lezhu), ты (ty) лежишь (lezhish'), он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) лежит (lezhit), мы (my) лежим (lezhim), вы (vy) лежите (lezhite), они (oni) лежат (lezhat). 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) | лежу (lezhu) |
| ты (ty) | лежишь (lezhish') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | лежит (lezhit) |
| мы (my) | лежим (lezhim) |
| вы (vy) | лежите (lezhite) |
| они (oni) | лежат (lezhat) |
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) | лежал / лежала (lezhal / lezhala) |
| ты (ty) | лежал / лежала (lezhal / lezhala) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | лежал / лежала / лежало (lezhal / lezhala / lezhalo) |
| мы (my) | лежали (lezhali) |
| вы (vy) | лежали (lezhali) |
| они (oni) | лежали (lezhali) |
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) | лёг / легла (lyog / legla) |
| ты (ty) | лёг / легла (lyog / legla) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | лёг / легла / легло (lyog / legla / leglo) |
| мы (my) | легли (legli) |
| вы (vy) | легли (legli) |
| они (oni) | легли (legli) |
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 лежать (budu lezhat') |
| ты (ty) | будешь лежать (budesh' lezhat') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | будет лежать (budet lezhat') |
| мы (my) | будем лежать (budem lezhat') |
| вы (vy) | будете лежать (budete lezhat') |
| они (oni) | будут лежать (budut lezhat') |
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) | лягу (lyagu) |
| ты (ty) | ляжешь (lyazhesh') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | ляжет (lyazhet) |
| мы (my) | ляжем (lyazhem) |
| вы (vy) | ляжете (lyazhete) |
| они (oni) | лягут (lyagut) |
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) | лёг бы / легла бы (lyog by / legla by) |
| ты (ty) | лёг бы / легла бы (lyog by / legla by) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | лёг бы / легла бы / легло бы (lyog by / legla by / leglo by) |
| мы (my) | легли бы (legli by) |
| вы (vy) | легли бы (legli by) |
| они (oni) | легли бы (legli 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 лёг / легла (chtoby ya lyog / legla) |
| ты (ty) | чтобы ты лёг / легла (chtoby ty lyog / legla) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | чтобы он лёг / она легла / оно легло (chtoby on lyog / ona legla / ono leglo) |
| мы (my) | чтобы мы легли (chtoby my legli) |
| вы (vy) | чтобы вы легли (chtoby vy legli) |
| они (oni) | чтобы они легли (chtoby oni legli) |
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) | ляг (lyag) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть ляжет (pust' lyazhet) |
| мы (my) | давайте ляжем (davayte lyazhem) |
| вы (vy) | лягте (lyagte) |
| они (oni) | пусть лягут (pust' lyagut) |
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 лежи (ne lezhi) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть не лежит (pust' ne lezhit) |
| мы (my) | давайте не будем лежать (davayte ne budem lezhat') |
| вы (vy) | не лежите (ne lezhite) |
| они (oni) | пусть не лежат (pust' ne lezhat) |
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.
| лежать (lezhat') |
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".
| лежащий (lezhashchiy) |
Past-tense stem (either aspect) + -вший (or -ший after a consonant), declined like an adjective. Means "[who/that] verbed / has verbed".
| лежавший / лёгший (lezhavshiy / lyogshiy) |
Imperfective only: present stem + -я (-а after ж/ш/ч/щ). Invariable; describes an action simultaneous with the main verb's ("while verb-ing").
| лёжа (lyozha) |
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").
| лёгши (lyogshi) — rare, bookish |
| Кот лежит на диване. Kot lezhit na divane. | The cat is lying on the sofa. |
| Ляг и отдохни немного. Lyag i otdokhni nemnogo. | Lie down and rest a bit. |
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