Conjugation › Russian › Lyubit'
Russian · Verb Tables · Advanced
любить (lyubit') means "to love" in Russian. Present: я (ya) люблю (lyublyu), ты (ty) любишь (lyubish'), он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) любит (lyubit), мы (my) любим (lyubim), вы (vy) любите (lyubite), они (oni) любят (lyubyat). Below: all 15 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) | люблю (lyublyu) |
| ты (ty) | любишь (lyubish') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | любит (lyubit) |
| мы (my) | любим (lyubim) |
| вы (vy) | любите (lyubite) |
| они (oni) | любят (lyubyat) |
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) | любил / любила (lyubil / lyubila) |
| ты (ty) | любил / любила (lyubil / lyubila) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | любил / любила / любило (lyubil / lyubila / lyubilo) |
| мы (my) | любили (lyubili) |
| вы (vy) | любили (lyubili) |
| они (oni) | любили (lyubili) |
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) | полюбил / полюбила (polyubil / polyubila) |
| ты (ty) | полюбил / полюбила (polyubil / polyubila) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | полюбил / полюбила / полюбило (polyubil / polyubila / polyubilo) |
| мы (my) | полюбили (polyubili) |
| вы (vy) | полюбили (polyubili) |
| они (oni) | полюбили (polyubili) |
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 любить (budu lyubit') |
| ты (ty) | будешь любить (budesh' lyubit') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | будет любить (budet lyubit') |
| мы (my) | будем любить (budem lyubit') |
| вы (vy) | будете любить (budete lyubit') |
| они (oni) | будут любить (budut lyubit') |
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) | полюблю (polyublyu) |
| ты (ty) | полюбишь (polyubish') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | полюбит (polyubit) |
| мы (my) | полюбим (polyubim) |
| вы (vy) | полюбите (polyubite) |
| они (oni) | полюбят (polyubyat) |
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) | любил бы / любила бы (lyubil by / lyubila by) |
| ты (ty) | любил бы / любила бы (lyubil by / lyubila by) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | любил бы / любила бы / любило бы (lyubil by / lyubila by / lyubilo by) |
| мы (my) | любили бы (lyubili by) |
| вы (vy) | любили бы (lyubili by) |
| они (oni) | любили бы (lyubili 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 любил / любила (chtoby ya lyubil / lyubila) |
| ты (ty) | чтобы ты любил / любила (chtoby ty lyubil / lyubila) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | чтобы он любил / она любила / оно любило (chtoby on lyubil / ona lyubila / ono lyubilo) |
| мы (my) | чтобы мы любили (chtoby my lyubili) |
| вы (vy) | чтобы вы любили (chtoby vy lyubili) |
| они (oni) | чтобы они любили (chtoby oni lyubili) |
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) | люби (lyubi) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть любит (pust' lyubit) |
| мы (my) | давайте любить (davayte lyubit') |
| вы (vy) | любите (lyubite) |
| они (oni) | пусть любят (pust' lyubyat) |
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 люби (ne lyubi) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть не любит (pust' ne lyubit) |
| мы (my) | давайте не будем любить (davayte ne budem lyubit') |
| вы (vy) | не любите (ne lyubite) |
| они (oni) | пусть не любят (pust' ne lyubyat) |
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.
| любить (lyubit') |
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".
| любящий (lyubyashchiy) |
Past-tense stem (either aspect) + -вший (or -ший after a consonant), declined like an adjective. Means "[who/that] verbed / has verbed".
| любивший / полюбивший (lyubivshiy / polyubivshiy) |
Imperfective, mainly transitive verbs: 1st-person-plural present stem + adjective endings (-ый/-ая/-ое). Fairly bookish; not every verb forms one in everyday use (говорить rarely does — a paraphrase like о чём говорится is used instead).
| любимый (lyubimyy) |
Imperfective only: present stem + -я (-а after ж/ш/ч/щ). Invariable; describes an action simultaneous with the main verb's ("while verb-ing").
| любя (lyubya) |
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").
| полюбив (polyubiv) |
| Я люблю тебя. Ya lyublyu tebya. | I love you. |
| Полюби себя таким, какой ты есть. Polyubi sebya takim, kakoy ty yest'. | Love yourself as you are. |
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