In this article, we will cover the topic of Russian verb and its forms, such as: Subjunctive and Imperative Mood in Russian language.
Verbs of Subjunctive or in other word Conditional mood in Russian language designate the action that the person or thing wants to happen, or something possible to happen if certain circumstances took place.
Verbs of Imperative or in other words Command mood in Russian denote an inducement to an order, advice, wish or action. In other words, when somebody wants someone or something to do an action.
Now letโs explain it one by one in more detailed and comprehensible way.
Subjunctive Mood in Russian language
Like we have already mentioned, Subjunctive mood designates the action which somebody wants to happen. (i.e. I would do this if I had that). Here are some facts of Subjunctive mood in Russian:
- Subjunctive mood is used to express the request or wish, and itโs followed by the separate written Russian participle โะฑัโ.
- The current participle can be used regardless of the number or gender in the sentence.
- The sentence in the subjunctive mood is always formed in Past Tense, meanwhile can also be referred to the Future or Present tenses.
- Keep in mind that subjunctive mood can have two aspects in each of the tenses: perfective and imperfective aspects.
- Talking about the formation of the subjunctive mood, verbs in such mood can change in number meantime the singular form of the verb can change in gender.
Letโs talk about the formation and examples of the subjunctive mood.
The simple formula of the mood is Past Tense + participle โะฑัโ. |
ะฏ ัะผะพััะตะป ะฑั ัะตะปะตะฒะธะทะพั โ I would watch TV (singular masculine)
ะั ัะผะพััะตะปะธ ะฑั ัะตะปะตะฒะธะทะพั โ We would watch TV (plural)
ะะฝ ัะผะพััะตะป ะฑั ัะตะปะตะฒะธะทะพั โ He would watch TV (singular masculine)
ะะฝะฐ ัะผะพััะตะปะฐ ะฑั ัะตะปะตะฒะธะทะพั โ She would watch TV (singular feminine)
ะะฝะพ ัะผะพััะตะปะพ ะฑั ัะตะปะตะฒะธะทะพั โ It would watch a TV (singular neuter)
Here are ways when you can use Subjunctive mood
1. Conditional form of the sentence โIf โฆ. I would โฆโ:
Russian | English |
ะัะปะธ ะฑั ัะตะฑะต ะฝัะฐะฒะธะปัั ัััะฑะพะป, ะผั ัะผะพััะตะปะธ ะฑั ะผะฐัั ะฒะผะตััะต. | If you like football, we would watch the match together. |
ะฏ ะฑั ะฟะพััะป ะฝะฐ ััะตะฝะธัะพะฒะบั, ะตัะปะธ ั ะฝะต ะฑัะป ะฑั ะฑะพะปะตะฝ. | I would go to the gym if I wouldnโt be sick. |
ะัะปะธ ะฑั ะพะฝะฐ ะฟะพะฟัะพัะธะปะฐ, ะฏ ะฝะต ะฑัะป ะฑั ะฟัะพัะธะฒ ััะพะณะพ. | If she had asked, I would not mind. |
2. In a suggestion form โI would recommend youโฆโ
Russian | English |
ะั ะฑั ะฝะต ะพะฑะปะพะบะฐัะธะฒะฐะปะธัั ะฝะฐ ะดะฒะตัั, ะพะฝะฐ ะผะพะถะตั ะพัะบัััััั. | You should not lean on the door, it can open. |
ะขั ะปัััะต ะฑั ะดะตะปะฐะป ััะพะบะธ ะฝะฐ ะทะฐะฒััะฐ ะฒ ัะบะพะปั. ะะฝะฐัะต ััะธัะตะปั ะฟะพััะฐะฒะธั ัะตะฑะต ะฟะปะพั ัั ะพัะตะฝะบั. | You better do your homework for school tomorrow. Otherwise, the teacher will give you a bad grade. |
ะั ะฑั ะฟะพัะฟะฐะปะธ ะฝะตะผะฝะพะณะพ ะฟะพัะปะต ะดะพัะพะณะธ. | You would sleep a little after the trip. |
3. In some purpose meaning sentence where the subjunctive mood is used with current formula participle โััะพะฑัโ + Past Tense. Example: โI did thisโฆ to see thatโฆโ.
Russian | English |
ะะพะบัะพั, ะพะฝะฐ ะฟัะธัะปะฐ ะบ ะฒะฐะผ, ััะพะฑั ะฒั ะฟะพะปะตัะธะปะธ ะตะน ะทัะฑั. | Doctor, she came to you (purpose>>>) to treat her teeth. |
ะะฝะธ ัะฟัััะฐะปะธัั ะฟะพะด ะบัะพะฒะฐััั, ััะพะฑั ะฝะธะบัะพ ะธั ะฝะต ะฝะฐััะป. | They hid under the bed so that no one would find them. |
4. In the sentences expressing a wish, request, desire, or command, we use subjunctive mood after such verbs:
ั ะพัะตัั | to want |
ะฟัะพัะธัั | to ask |
ะฝะฐััะฐะธะฒะฐัั | to insist |
ะถะตะปะฐัั | to wish |
ัะผะพััะตัั | to watch, to see that |
4.1 The particle โะฑัโ is incorporated in โััะพะฑัโ in subordinate clauses:
Russian | English |
the wish ะฏ ั ะพัั, ััะพ ะฑั ัั ะฟัะธะทะฝะฐะปัั ะผะฝะต ะฒะพ ะฒััะผ! | I want you to confess to me everything! |
the command ะะฐัะฐะปัะฝะธะบ ะธะทะดะฐะป ัะบะฐะท, ััะพะฑั ะฒัะต ัะพัััะดะฝะธะบะธ ะฝะพัะธะปะธ ะพะดะธะฝะฐะบะพะฒัั ะพะดะตะถะดั. | The boss issued a decree that all employees wear the same clothes. |
Sometime subjunctive mood may be used in sentences with the opposite meaning. Then โ in the negated sentences (in some cases) โ the verb is used in the imperfective aspect. See examples:
Russian | English |
ะฏ ะฝะต ั ะพัั, ััะพะฑั ัั ั ะพะดะธะป ััะดะฐ ะฑะตะท ะผะตะฝั. | I don’t want you to go there without me. |
ะะฝะฐ ะฟะพะฟัะพัะธะปะฐ ะผะตะฝั, ััะพะฑั ั ะฒัะณัะปัะป ะตั ัะพะฑะฐะบั. | She asked me to walk her dog. |
4.2 To express a wish in MORE polite form, you can use verbs โั ะพัะตััโ and โะถะตะปะฐััโ in subjunctive mood by adding the participle โะฑัโ after such verbs:
Russian | English |
ะฏ ั ะพัะตะป ะฑั ะฟะพะณะพะฒะพัะธัั ั ัะพะฑะพะน. | I would like to talk to you. |
ะะฝะฐ ะฟะพะถะตะปะฐะปะฐ ะฑั ะพััะฐัััั โะธะฝะบะพะณะฝะธัะพโ. | She would like to remain incognito. |
Imperative Mood in Russian language
Now itโs time to discuss Imperative mood in Russian. Imperative mood verbs denote an inducement to an order, advice, wish or action. The discrepancy for the Imperative mood is that there is no particle โะฑัโ used like it was mentioned in subjunctive mood.
Here are some facts of Imperative mood in Russian:
1. Imperative mood verbs are used to express the order or command and it may decline in a number depending on person. (i.e. singular imperative โะดะตะปะฐะนโ to plural imperative โะดะตะปะฐะนัะตโ (to do); singular imperative โัะผะพััะธโ to plural imperative โัะผะพััะธัะตโ (to watch) and etc.)
2. By adding the ending โ-ัะตโ to the singular imperative verb form you can form the plural imperative form. See the example above in 1st paragraph.
3. The letter “ั” has to be written after consonants in the end of verbs of imperative mood. As well as even before “-ัั” and “-ัะต“, the letter โัโ should be remained. (see some examples: ะฝะฐะทะฝะฐัั added โัะตโ ะฝะฐะทะฝะฐัััะต.). Some exceptions to remember: ะปัะณ – ะปัะณัะต, ะฟัะธะปัะณ – ะฟัะธะปัะณัะต that donโt have the letter โัโ in the end.
How to form the Imperative mood
To form verbs of imperative mood you need to take the conjugated verb with 3rd person plural (conjugated with personal pronoun โtheyโ) present for the imperfective aspect, and future for the perfective aspect. And replace endings -ะฐั, -ัั, -ัั and -ัั with -ะน, -ะธ and -ั for informal form of speech. And for the formal form, replace the same endings -ะฐั, -ัั, -ัั and -ัั with -ะนัะต, -ะธัะต or -ััะต. Letโs see some examples for your better comprehension:
English & Russian Infinitive | Russian 3rd person plural | Russian Imperative singular | Russian Imperative plural |
to do – ะดะตะปะฐัั | ะดะตะปะฐัั | ะดะตะปะฐะน* | ะดะตะปะฐะนัะต* |
to read – ัะธัะฐัั | ัะธัะฐัั | ัะธัะฐะน* | ัะธัะฐะนัะต* |
to watch – ัะผะพััะตัั | ัะผะพัััั | ัะผะพััะธ** | ัะผะพััะธัะต** |
to write – ะฟะธัะฐัั | ะฟะธััั | ะฟะธัะธ** | ะฟะธัะธัะต** |
to live – ะถะธัั | ะถะธะฒัั | ะถะธะฒะธ** | ะถะธะฒะธัะต** |
to throw – ะฑัะพัะฐัั | ะฑัะพััั | ะฑัะพัั*** | ะฑัะพัััะต*** |
* –ะน or –ะนัะต are added because the present stem ends in a vowel
** –ะธ or –ะธัะต are added because the present stem ends in a consonant. Plus, when the first person singular is emphasized (stressed) on the ending.
*** –ั or –ััะต are added because the present stem ends in a consonant. Plus, when the first person singular is not emphasized (stressed) on the ending
Here is the short list of irregulars of imperative verbs that you need to memorize and practice:
English/Russian | Russian 3rd person plural | Russian Imperative singular |
ะฑะธัั – to beat | ะฑะตะน | ะฑะตะนัะต |
ัะฐะทะฑะธัั – to break, to shatter | ัะฐะทะฑะตะน | ัะฐะทะฑะตะนัะต |
ะฒะธัั – to twine | ะฒะตะน | ะฒะตะนัะต |
ะปะธัั – to pour | ะปะตะน | ะปะตะนัะต |
ะฟะธัั – to drink | ะฟะตะน | ะฟะตะนัะต |
ัะธัั – to sew | ัะตะน | ัะตะนัะต |
ัะทะฝะฐะฒะฐัั – get to know, to recognize | ัะทะฝะฐะน | ัะทะฝะฐะนัะต |
ะปะตัั – to lie down | ะปัะณ | ะปัะณัะต |
ะตััั/ะบััะฐัั – to eat | ะตัั/ะบััะฐะน | ะตัััะต/ะบััะฐะนัะต |
ะดะฐัั – to give | ะดะฐะน | ะดะฐะนัะต |
ะฟะตัะตะดะฐัั – pass, transmit | ะฟะตัะตะดะฐะน | ะฟะตัะตะดะฐะนัะต |
ะฟะพะตั ะฐัั – to go, to ride (by transport) | ะฟะพะตะทะถะฐะน | ะะพะตะทะถะฐะนัะต |
Keep in mind that there are other verbs irregulars. To know them all requires you to practice Russian regularly then knowing those imperative mood verbs comes naturally.
Here are ways when you can use Imperative mood
1. Imperative mood verbs can be used in the suggestion of doing something right away.
NOTE! You should pay attention if you want to use perfective or imperfective aspects in imperative mood. The basic principle is that you use imperfective in continuous, repeated or habitual actions. But you should use perfective verbs in the result of the single actions.
Russian | English |
ะัะธะฒะตะดะธัะต ะผะฝะต ะตะณะพ ัะตะนัะฐั! | Bring him to me now (perfective, single action, formal) |
ะัะธะฒะพะดะธัะต ะผะฝะต ะฒะฐัะตะณะพ ัะตะฑัะฝะบะฐ ะฟะพัะฐัะต! | Bring me your child more often! (imperfective, multiple action, formal) |
ะะฐะฑัะดั ััะดะฐ ะดะพัะพะณั! | Forget the way here! (perfective, single action, informal) |
ะะพะดะฐะน ะผะฝะต ัะฐัะบั! | Hand me a cup! (perfective, single action, informal) |
Note: It may sound more peremptory, if not impolite in case if you use singular form.
2. The Perfective Imperative may be used to express an immediate or even distant future.
Russian | English |
ะะฐะฟะธัะธ ะผะฝะต ัะฒะพะน ะฐะดัะตั! | Write your address to me! (perfective, single action, informal) |
ะกะฟะพะนัะต ะผะฝะต ะฒะฐัั ะฝะพะฒัั ะฟะตัะฝั. | Sing me your new song. (perfective, single action, formal) |
ะะฐะนัะต ะฝะฐะผ ะทะฝะฐัั, ะบะพะณะดะฐ ะดะพะฑะตัััะตัั ะดะพะผะพะน! | Let us know when you get home! |
Hopefully, the article was comprehensible for you. Keep practicing so youโll achieve fluency and grammar literacy of the Russian language.
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