Conjugation › Russian › Vesti
Russian · Verb Tables · Advanced
вести (vesti) means "to lead" in Russian. Present: я (ya) веду (vedu), ты (ty) ведёшь (vedyosh'), он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) ведёт (vedyot), мы (my) ведём (vedyom), вы (vy) ведёте (vedyote), они (oni) ведут (vedut). 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) | веду (vedu) |
| ты (ty) | ведёшь (vedyosh') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | ведёт (vedyot) |
| мы (my) | ведём (vedyom) |
| вы (vy) | ведёте (vedyote) |
| они (oni) | ведут (vedut) |
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) | вёл / вела (vyol / vela) |
| ты (ty) | вёл / вела (vyol / vela) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | вёл / вела / вело (vyol / vela / velo) |
| мы (my) | вели (veli) |
| вы (vy) | вели (veli) |
| они (oni) | вели (veli) |
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) | повёл / повела (povyol / povela) |
| ты (ty) | повёл / повела (povyol / povela) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | повёл / повела / повело (povyol / povela / povelo) |
| мы (my) | повели (poveli) |
| вы (vy) | повели (poveli) |
| они (oni) | повели (poveli) |
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 вести (budu vesti) |
| ты (ty) | будешь вести (budesh' vesti) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | будет вести (budet vesti) |
| мы (my) | будем вести (budem vesti) |
| вы (vy) | будете вести (budete vesti) |
| они (oni) | будут вести (budut vesti) |
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) | поведу (povedu) |
| ты (ty) | поведёшь (povedyosh') |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | поведёт (povedyot) |
| мы (my) | поведём (povedyom) |
| вы (vy) | поведёте (povedyote) |
| они (oni) | поведут (povedut) |
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) | вёл бы / вела бы (vyol by / vela by) |
| ты (ty) | вёл бы / вела бы (vyol by / vela by) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | вёл бы / вела бы / вело бы (vyol by / vela by / velo by) |
| мы (my) | вели бы (veli by) |
| вы (vy) | вели бы (veli by) |
| они (oni) | вели бы (veli 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 вёл / вела (chtoby ya vyol / vela) |
| ты (ty) | чтобы ты вёл / вела (chtoby ty vyol / vela) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | чтобы он вёл / она вела / оно вело (chtoby on vyol / ona vela / ono velo) |
| мы (my) | чтобы мы вели (chtoby my veli) |
| вы (vy) | чтобы вы вели (chtoby vy veli) |
| они (oni) | чтобы они вели (chtoby oni veli) |
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) | веди (vedi) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть ведёт (pust' vedyot) |
| мы (my) | давайте вести (davayte vesti) |
| вы (vy) | ведите (vedite) |
| они (oni) | пусть ведут (pust' vedut) |
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 веди (ne vedi) |
| он / она / оно (on / ona / ono) | пусть не ведёт (pust' ne vedyot) |
| мы (my) | давайте не будем вести (davayte ne budem vesti) |
| вы (vy) | не ведите (ne vedite) |
| они (oni) | пусть не ведут (pust' ne vedut) |
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.
| вести (vesti) |
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".
| ведущий (vedushchiy) |
Past-tense stem (either aspect) + -вший (or -ший after a consonant), declined like an adjective. Means "[who/that] verbed / has verbed".
| ведший / поведший (vedshiy / povedshiy) — both rare, mostly literary; the noun ведущий ("host, presenter") is what people actually use this participle for |
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).
| ведомый (vedomyy) — literary; survives mainly as the adjective "led, passive-natured" (ведомый по жизни) |
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".
| поведённый (povedyonnyy) — rare, literary |
Imperfective only: present stem + -я (-а after ж/ш/ч/щ). Invariable; describes an action simultaneous with the main verb's ("while verb-ing").
| ведя (vedya) |
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").
| поведя (povedya) — rare; ведя alone is far more common even for a completed action |
| Она ведёт группу туристов по городу. Ona vedyot gruppu turistov po gorodu. | She is leading a group of tourists around the city. |
| Поведи детей в школу, пожалуйста. Povedi detey v shkolu, pozhaluysta. | Take the children to school, please. |
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