To talk about things that happened in the past using regular verbs in Russian, you need to change the verb from its basic form. This way of changing depends on if you're talking about a boy, a girl, or a group of people. Remember this when you chat!
Find the Basic Form: Most Russian verbs in their basic form end with -ть. Here are a few examples:
Take Off the Ending: Remove the -ть:
Add Past Tense Endings: Next, you'll add endings based on gender and the number of people:
For boys: Он играл в футбол. (He played soccer.)
For girls: Она читала книгу. (She read a book.)
For things: Оно ставило рекорд. (It set a record.)
For groups: Мы говорили о фильме. (We talked about the movie.)
Using the past tense makes your conversations more interesting. Here are some ways to use it:
Asking about things that happened:
Ты играл в спортивные игры? (Did you play sports?)
Она смотрела новый фильм? (Did she watch the new movie?)
Sharing what you think about past experiences:
Мне понравился этот фильм. (I liked this movie.)
Мы изучали русский язык в школе. (We studied Russian at school.)
To get better at using the past tense, try these activities:
Listening Practice: Listen to Russian podcasts or conversations. Pay attention to the verbs they use in the past tense.
Speaking Practice: Talk about what you or someone else did yesterday or last week.
Reading Practice: Read some medium-level texts. Find and write down the past tense verbs you see.
Writing Practice: Write a short paragraph or diary entry about your last vacation using past tense verbs.
When you speak, focus on how the past tense endings sound. Practice saying full sentences with past forms. This helps you express your feelings better.
Finally, practice with a friend. Pick fun situations, like making plans or talking about what happened recently. Use the past tense to share your ideas clearly.
This kind of practice can help you feel more comfortable and confident when using the past tense in everyday conversations.
To talk about things that happened in the past using regular verbs in Russian, you need to change the verb from its basic form. This way of changing depends on if you're talking about a boy, a girl, or a group of people. Remember this when you chat!
Find the Basic Form: Most Russian verbs in their basic form end with -ть. Here are a few examples:
Take Off the Ending: Remove the -ть:
Add Past Tense Endings: Next, you'll add endings based on gender and the number of people:
For boys: Он играл в футбол. (He played soccer.)
For girls: Она читала книгу. (She read a book.)
For things: Оно ставило рекорд. (It set a record.)
For groups: Мы говорили о фильме. (We talked about the movie.)
Using the past tense makes your conversations more interesting. Here are some ways to use it:
Asking about things that happened:
Ты играл в спортивные игры? (Did you play sports?)
Она смотрела новый фильм? (Did she watch the new movie?)
Sharing what you think about past experiences:
Мне понравился этот фильм. (I liked this movie.)
Мы изучали русский язык в школе. (We studied Russian at school.)
To get better at using the past tense, try these activities:
Listening Practice: Listen to Russian podcasts or conversations. Pay attention to the verbs they use in the past tense.
Speaking Practice: Talk about what you or someone else did yesterday or last week.
Reading Practice: Read some medium-level texts. Find and write down the past tense verbs you see.
Writing Practice: Write a short paragraph or diary entry about your last vacation using past tense verbs.
When you speak, focus on how the past tense endings sound. Practice saying full sentences with past forms. This helps you express your feelings better.
Finally, practice with a friend. Pick fun situations, like making plans or talking about what happened recently. Use the past tense to share your ideas clearly.
This kind of practice can help you feel more comfortable and confident when using the past tense in everyday conversations.