Verbs describe movement or action. You’ll need them whenever you want to talk about what you, somebody or something else does, did or wants to do. Essential stuff. Memorize the verbs below and you’ll be well equipped for most basic Russian conversations.

This lesson is part of the chapter “Learning Russian“.

Basic Words & Phrases: Verbs

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Important verbs

EnglishRussianRussian
(Romanization)		Russian
(Stress)		Pronunciation
(Audio)
(to) beбытьbyt'byt'
(to) haveиметьimet'imet'
(to) do / (to) makeделатьdelat'delat'
can / (to) know how toмочьmoch'moch'
(to) know (how)знатьznat'znat'
(to) know / (to) be acquainted withзнать
быть знакомым (с)		znat'
byt' znakomym (s)		znat'
byt' znakomym (s)
(to) understandпониматьponimat'ponimat'
(to) speak / (to) talkговоритьgovorit'govorit'
(to) listen toслушатьslushat'slushat'
(to) hearслышатьslyshat'slyshat'
(to) seeвидетьvidet'videt'
(to) feelчувствоватьchuvstvovat'chustvovat'
(to) liveжитьzhit'zhit'
(to) wantхотетьkhotet'khotet'
(to) needнуждатьсяnuzhdat'sianuzhdat'sia
(to) likeлюбитьliubit'liubit'
(to) loveлюбитьliubit'liubit'
(to) giveдаватьdavat'davat'
(to) takeбратьbrat'brat'
(to) playигратьigrat'igrat'
(to) laughсмеятьсяsmeiat'siasmeiat'sia
(to) comeприходитьprikhodit'prikhodit'
(to) goидтиidtiidti
(to) go by […] (e.g. by car)ехать (на)ekhat' (na)ekhat' (na)
(to) writeписатьpisat'pisat'
(to) readчитатьchitat'chitat'
(to) countсчитатьschitat'schitat'
(to) pronounceпроизноситьproiznosit'proiznosit'
(to) spellпроизносить по буквамproiznosit' po bukvamproiznosit' po bukvam
(to) conjugateсоединятьsoediniat'soediniat'
(to) rememberпомнить
запоминать		pomnit'
zapominat'		pomnit'
zapominat'
(to) forgetзабыватьzabyvat'zabyvat'
(to) eatкушатьkushat'kushat'
(to) tryпытатьсяpytat'siapytat'sia
(to) useиспользоватьispol'zovat'ispol'zovat'
(to) openоткрыватьotkryvat'otkryvat'
(to) closeзакрыватьzakryvat'zakryvat'
(to) greet / (to) welcomeприветствоватьprivetstvovat'privetstvovat'
(to) beginначинатьnachinat'nachinat'
(to) endзаканчиватьzakanchivat'zakanchivat'

Vocabulary trainer: Basic Verbs in Russian

How do you say
(to) count
in Russian?

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