Conjugation › Russian › Stoyat'
Russian · Verb Tables · Advanced
стоять (stoyat') means "to stand" in Russian. Present: я (ya) стою (stoyu), ты (ty) стоишь (stoish'), он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) стоит (stoit), мы (my) стоим (stoim), вы (vy) стоите (stoite), они (oni) стоят (stoyat). 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) | стою (stoyu) |
| ты (ty) | стоишь (stoish') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | стоит (stoit) |
| мы (my) | стоим (stoim) |
| вы (vy) | стоите (stoite) |
| они (oni) | стоят (stoyat) |
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) | стоял / стояла (stoyal / stoyala) |
| ты (ty) | стоял / стояла (stoyal / stoyala) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | стоял / стояла / стояло (stoyal / stoyala / stoyalo) |
| мы (my) | стояли (stoyali) |
| вы (vy) | стояли (stoyali) |
| они (oni) | стояли (stoyali) |
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) | постоял / постояла (postoyal / postoyala) |
| ты (ty) | постоял / постояла (postoyal / postoyala) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | постоял / постояла / постояло (postoyal / postoyala / postoyalo) |
| мы (my) | постояли (postoyali) |
| вы (vy) | постояли (postoyali) |
| они (oni) | постояли (postoyali) |
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 стоять (budu stoyat') |
| ты (ty) | будешь стоять (budesh' stoyat') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | будет стоять (budet stoyat') |
| мы (my) | будем стоять (budem stoyat') |
| вы (vy) | будете стоять (budete stoyat') |
| они (oni) | будут стоять (budut stoyat') |
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) | постою (postoyu) |
| ты (ty) | постоишь (postoish') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | постоит (postoit) |
| мы (my) | постоим (postoim) |
| вы (vy) | постоите (postoite) |
| они (oni) | постоят (postoyat) |
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) | стоял бы / стояла бы (stoyal by / stoyala by) |
| ты (ty) | стоял бы / стояла бы (stoyal by / stoyala by) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | стоял бы / стояла бы / стояло бы (stoyal by / stoyala by / stoyalo by) |
| мы (my) | стояли бы (stoyali by) |
| вы (vy) | стояли бы (stoyali by) |
| они (oni) | стояли бы (stoyali 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 стоял / стояла (chtoby ya stoyal / stoyala) |
| ты (ty) | чтобы ты стоял / стояла (chtoby ty stoyal / stoyala) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | чтобы он стоял / она стояла / оно стояло (chtoby on stoyal / ona stoyala / ono stoyalo) |
| мы (my) | чтобы мы стояли (chtoby my stoyali) |
| вы (vy) | чтобы вы стояли (chtoby vy stoyali) |
| они (oni) | чтобы они стояли (chtoby oni stoyali) |
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) | стой (stoy) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть стоит (pust' stoit) |
| мы (my) | давайте стоять (davayte stoyat') |
| вы (vy) | стойте (stoyte) |
| они (oni) | пусть стоят (pust' stoyat) |
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 стой (ne stoy) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть не стоит (pust' ne stoit) |
| мы (my) | давайте не будем стоять (davayte ne budem stoyat') |
| вы (vy) | не стойте (ne stoyte) |
| они (oni) | пусть не стоят (pust' ne stoyat) |
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.
| стоять (stoyat') |
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".
| стоящий (stoyashchiy) |
Past-tense stem (either aspect) + -вший (or -ший after a consonant), declined like an adjective. Means "[who/that] verbed / has verbed".
| стоявший / постоявший (stoyavshiy / postoyavshiy) |
Imperfective only: present stem + -я (-а after ж/ш/ч/щ). Invariable; describes an action simultaneous with the main verb's ("while verb-ing").
| стоя (stoya) |
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").
| постояв (postoyav) |
| Он стоял у окна весь вечер. On stoyal u okna ves' vecher. | He stood by the window all evening. |
| Постойте здесь, пожалуйста. Postoyte zdes', pozhaluysta. | Please stand here for a moment. |
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