In this lesson, we will learn about the Russian verb "говорить," which means "to speak" or "to talk."

Understanding verbs in Russian is really important. It helps us see not only what is happening but also how the action is being done—whether it happens often, or if it’s finished. The verb "говорить" is a good example to help us learn these things.

Main Parts of "говорить"

Here are the main parts of the verb "говорить":

1. Infinitive: говорить (govorít') – to speak
2. Present Tense, 1st Person Singular: говорю (govoryu) – I speak
3. Past Tense, Masculine Singular: говорил (govoríl) – he spoke
4. Future Tense, 1st Person Singular: буду говорить (búdú govorít') – I will speak

Verb Aspect in Russian

Russian verbs have two main aspects: imperfective and perfective. They have different uses:

• Imperfective Aspect: This shows an action that is still going on, happens often, or isn’t finished yet. The verb "говорить" is in the imperfective aspect.

• Perfective Aspect: This shows an action that is complete or focuses on the result of an action. For "говорить," the perfective form is сказать (skazát'), which means "to say" or "to tell."

Conjugation Model for "говорить"

Imperfective Aspect: говорить

Present Tense Conjugations:

• я говорю (ya govoryu) – I speak
• ты говоришь (ty govorísh') – you speak
• он/она говорит (on/ona govorit) – he/she speaks
• мы говорим (my govorím) – we speak
• вы говорите (vy govoríte) – you (plural/formal) speak
• они говорят (oni govorят) – they speak

Past Tense:

• я говорил (ya govoríl) – I spoke (for males)
• я говорила (ya govorila) – I spoke (for females)

Perfective Aspect: сказать

Future Tense Conjugations:

• я скажу (ya skazhu) – I will say
• ты скажешь (ty skazhesh') – you will say
• он/она скажет (on/ona skazhet) – he/she will say
• мы скажем (my skazhem) – we will say
• вы скажете (vy skazhete) – you (plural/formal) will say
• они скажут (oni skazhut) – they will say

How Aspects Differ

• Using Imperfective ("говорить"):
  • To talk about ongoing actions: Я говорю по-русски. (I am speaking in Russian.)
  • To talk about habits: Я всегда говорю правду. (I always speak the truth.)
• Using Perfective ("сказать"):
  • To talk about actions that are finished: Я скажу это завтра. (I will say this tomorrow.)
  • To focus on the result: Он сказал, что придет. (He said that he would come.)

Summary

It’s important to know the main parts of "говорить" and how the imperfective and perfective aspects work. This understanding helps us express different actions in Russian. By practicing these forms, you will improve your speaking skills and learn how to communicate clearly about actions that are happening now or actions that are already complete.