Verbs · Lesson 4
Окончания настоящего
Present endings
Present conjugation is two clubs: type I (е-endings: читаешь) and type II (и-endings: говоришь). Spell the vowel after ж/ш/ч/щ/г/к/х by the 7-letter rule.
How it works
Present conjugation is two clubs: type I (е-endings: читаешь) and type II (и-endings: говоришь). Spell the vowel after ж/ш/ч/щ/г/к/х by the 7-letter rule.
Then open Tables, Notes, Exceptions, and Examples in that order.
When to use it
- Only imperfective verbs have a real present: я читаю = I read / I am reading.
- Type I: most -ать, -ять, -овать, -нуть, -ти. Endings: -ешь, -ет, -ут/-ют.
- Type II: most -ить, plus a closed list of -еть / -ать exceptions. Endings: -ишь, -ит, -ат/-ят.
- я is -у or -ю in both types. они is -ут/-ют (I) or -ат/-ят (II).
Pro tip
Don’t guess from the English. Look at the infinitive club (usually -ать = I, -ить = II), then check the short exception list.