Conjugation › Russian › Moch'
Russian · Verb Tables · Advanced
мочь (moch') means "to be able" in Russian. Present: я (ya) могу (mogu), ты (ty) можешь (mozhesh'), он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) может (mozhet), мы (my) можем (mozhem), вы (vy) можете (mozhete), они (oni) могут (mogut). Below: all 13 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) | могу (mogu) |
| ты (ty) | можешь (mozhesh') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | может (mozhet) |
| мы (my) | можем (mozhem) |
| вы (vy) | можете (mozhete) |
| они (oni) | могут (mogut) |
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) | мог / могла (mog / mogla) |
| ты (ty) | мог / могла (mog / mogla) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | мог / могла / могло (mog / mogla / moglo) |
| мы (my) | могли (mogli) |
| вы (vy) | могли (mogli) |
| они (oni) | могли (mogli) |
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) | смог / смогла (smog / smogla) |
| ты (ty) | смог / смогла (smog / smogla) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | смог / смогла / смогло (smog / smogla / smoglo) |
| мы (my) | смогли (smogli) |
| вы (vy) | смогли (smogli) |
| они (oni) | смогли (smogli) |
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 мочь (budu moch') |
| ты (ty) | будешь мочь (budesh' moch') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | будет мочь (budet moch') |
| мы (my) | будем мочь (budem moch') |
| вы (vy) | будете мочь (budete moch') |
| они (oni) | будут мочь (budut moch') |
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) | смогу (smogu) |
| ты (ty) | сможешь (smozhesh') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | сможет (smozhet) |
| мы (my) | сможем (smozhem) |
| вы (vy) | сможете (smozhete) |
| они (oni) | смогут (smogut) |
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) | мог бы / могла бы (mog by / mogla by) |
| ты (ty) | мог бы / могла бы (mog by / mogla by) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | мог бы / могла бы / могло бы (mog by / mogla by / moglo by) |
| мы (my) | могли бы (mogli by) |
| вы (vy) | могли бы (mogli by) |
| они (oni) | могли бы (mogli 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 мог / могла (chtoby ya mog / mogla) |
| ты (ty) | чтобы ты мог / могла (chtoby ty mog / mogla) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | чтобы он мог / она могла / оно могло (chtoby on mog / ona mogla / ono moglo) |
| мы (my) | чтобы мы могли (chtoby my mogli) |
| вы (vy) | чтобы вы могли (chtoby vy mogli) |
| они (oni) | чтобы они могли (chtoby oni mogli) |
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) | — (no natural imperative; ability isn't commanded) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть сможет (pust' smozhet) |
| мы (my) | — |
| вы (vy) | — (no natural imperative) |
| они (oni) | пусть смогут (pust' smogut) |
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) | — (no natural imperative) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть не сможет (pust' ne smozhet) |
| мы (my) | — |
| вы (vy) | — (no natural imperative) |
| они (oni) | пусть не смогут (pust' ne smogut) |
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.
| мочь (moch') |
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".
| могущий (moguschiy) — bookish; best known in всемогущий, "almighty" |
Past-tense stem (either aspect) + -вший (or -ший after a consonant), declined like an adjective. Means "[who/that] verbed / has verbed".
| могший / смогший (mogshiy / smogshiy) |
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").
| смогши (smogshi) — theoretically possible, very rarely used |
| Я не могу сейчас говорить. Ya ne mogu seychas govorit'. | I can't talk right now. |
| Если бы он мог, он бы помог. Yesli by on mog, on by pomog. | If he could, he would help. |
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