|
Just as nouns can be grouped into declension classes, so verbs can be grouped into conjugation classes.
|
|
There is a major difference, however: you can usually identify the declension class of a noun by looking at its dictionary form, but the conjugation class of a verb is based on the non-past inflectional endings, not on the dictionary form. One learns various ways of making good guesses as to a verb's conjugation class by looking at the dictionary form (the infinitive form), but one still has to learn two key forms for every verb:
|
- the infinitive, to make the past tense (жќть: жќл...)
- the 3rd Person Plural, to make the non-past tense (живџт: живёт...)
|
|
If the 3rd Plural ends in -ут or -ют, the verb belongs to the first conjugation.
|
|
If the 3rd Plural ends in -ат or -ят, the verb belongs to the second conjugation.
|
|
The two sets of conjugational endings are also distinguished by the vowel -ё-
(-е- when unstressed) vs. -и- in four of the forms:
|
| First conjugation |
Second conjugation |
| я жив | -џ |
я говор | -є |
| ты жив | -ёшь |
ты говор | -ќшь |
| он(а) жив | -ёт |
он(а) говор | -ќт |
| мы жив | -ём |
мы говор | -ќм |
| вы жив | -ёте |
вы говор | -ќте |
| они жив | -џт |
они говор | -їт |
|
|
Spelling rules affect the way some of these endings are written.
|
|
There are four verbs whose non-past endings are irregular.
|
|
The 1st Sg. non-past forms of many 2nd conjugation verbs are affected by consonant alternation (e.g. вќдеть - вќжу).
|
|
Finally, in order to know how to pronounce the various verb forms, you need to know the verb's stress pattern.
|