Conjugation › Russian › Nesti
Russian · Verb Tables · Advanced
нести (nesti) means "to carry" in Russian. Present: я (ya) несу (nesu), ты (ty) несёшь (nesyosh'), он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) несёт (nesyot), мы (my) несём (nesyom), вы (vy) несёте (nesyote), они (oni) несут (nesut). Below: all 16 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) | несу (nesu) |
| ты (ty) | несёшь (nesyosh') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | несёт (nesyot) |
| мы (my) | несём (nesyom) |
| вы (vy) | несёте (nesyote) |
| они (oni) | несут (nesut) |
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) | нёс / несла (nyos / nesla) |
| ты (ty) | нёс / несла (nyos / nesla) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | нёс / несла / несло (nyos / nesla / neslo) |
| мы (my) | несли (nesli) |
| вы (vy) | несли (nesli) |
| они (oni) | несли (nesli) |
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) | понёс / понесла (ponyos / ponesla) |
| ты (ty) | понёс / понесла (ponyos / ponesla) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | понёс / понесла / понесло (ponyos / ponesla / poneslo) |
| мы (my) | понесли (ponesli) |
| вы (vy) | понесли (ponesli) |
| они (oni) | понесли (ponesli) |
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 нести (budu nesti) |
| ты (ty) | будешь нести (budesh' nesti) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | будет нести (budet nesti) |
| мы (my) | будем нести (budem nesti) |
| вы (vy) | будете нести (budete nesti) |
| они (oni) | будут нести (budut nesti) |
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) | понесу (ponesu) |
| ты (ty) | понесёшь (ponesyosh') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | понесёт (ponesyot) |
| мы (my) | понесём (ponesyom) |
| вы (vy) | понесёте (ponesyote) |
| они (oni) | понесут (ponesut) |
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) | нёс бы / несла бы (nyos by / nesla by) |
| ты (ty) | нёс бы / несла бы (nyos by / nesla by) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | нёс бы / несла бы / несло бы (nyos by / nesla by / neslo by) |
| мы (my) | несли бы (nesli by) |
| вы (vy) | несли бы (nesli by) |
| они (oni) | несли бы (nesli 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 нёс / несла (chtoby ya nyos / nesla) |
| ты (ty) | чтобы ты нёс / несла (chtoby ty nyos / nesla) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | чтобы он нёс / она несла / оно несло (chtoby on nyos / ona nesla / ono neslo) |
| мы (my) | чтобы мы несли (chtoby my nesli) |
| вы (vy) | чтобы вы несли (chtoby vy nesli) |
| они (oni) | чтобы они несли (chtoby oni nesli) |
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) | неси (nesi) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть несёт (pust' nesyot) |
| мы (my) | давайте нести (davayte nesti) |
| вы (vy) | несите (nesite) |
| они (oni) | пусть несут (pust' nesut) |
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 неси (ne nesi) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть не несёт (pust' ne nesyot) |
| мы (my) | давайте не будем нести (davayte ne budem nesti) |
| вы (vy) | не несите (ne nesite) |
| они (oni) | пусть не несут (pust' ne nesut) |
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.
| нести (nesti) |
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".
| несущий (nesushchiy) |
Past-tense stem (either aspect) + -вший (or -ший after a consonant), declined like an adjective. Means "[who/that] verbed / has verbed".
| нёсший / понёсший (nyosshiy / ponyosshiy) |
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).
| несомый (nesomyy) |
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".
| понесённый, short понесён/-а/-о/-ы (ponesyonnyy, ponesyon/-a/-o/-y) |
Imperfective only: present stem + -я (-а after ж/ш/ч/щ). Invariable; describes an action simultaneous with the main verb's ("while verb-ing").
| неся (nesya) |
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").
| понеся (ponesya) |
| Она несёт тяжёлую сумку. Ona nesyot tyazhyoluyu sumku. | She is carrying a heavy bag. |
| Неси коробку осторожно! Nesi korobku ostorozhno! | Carry the box carefully! |
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