Conditional sentences in Russian use the word "если," which means "if."

These sentences have a special way of being built, and it’s important to know some grammar rules.

Basic Structure

Conditional sentences usually look like this:

• Если + Present Tense + Future Tense/Present Tense/Imperative

Here’s an example:

• Если ты пойдёшь (if you go),
• я пойду (I will go).

Key Grammar Points

1. Present Tense Verbs:

   • For regular verbs, like писать (to write), you can say:
     • я пишу (I write),
     • ты пишешь (you write).
   • For irregular verbs, like быть (to be), the present tense part is often skipped, but you can think of it as я есть.

2. Aspect of Verbs:

   • Imperfective aspect means the action is happening right now (like читать - to read).
   • Perfective aspect means the action is finished (like прочитать - to read something completely).

3. Genitive Case:

   • This shows ownership or amounts.
   • Example: книга матери (mother's book).

4. Comparatives and Superlatives:

   • A comparative word means something is faster: быстрее (faster).
   • A superlative word means it is the fastest: самый быстрый (the fastest).

5. Asking Questions:

   • The usual order of words is: Subject-Verb-Object.
   • Example: Ты читаешь книгу? (Are you reading a book?)

6. Reflexive Verbs:

   • An example is умываться (to wash oneself).

7. Dative Case:

   • This case is for indirect objects.
   • Example: Я даю книгу другу (I’m giving a book to a friend).

8. Past Tense Formation:

   • Regular verbs change like this: писать (to write) becomes писал (I wrote).
   • Irregular verbs change differently; for example: идти (to go) becomes шёл (I went).

9. Instrumental Case:

   • An example is с другом (with a friend).

By following these rules, you can create conditional sentences in Russian. This will help you speak and understand the language better in different situations.