Russian for English speakers Beach · Lesson 3

Have you taken this ?

Russian past tense of взять — Ты взял это? (Did you take this?) — and forms of irregular verbs.

Conversation

  1. Magicat Magicat

    Ты взял полотенца на пляж?

    Ty vzjal polotenca na pljaž?

    Have you taken the towel to the beach?

    Tip: Past tense is expressed by last letter "L" if you are male and "LA" if you are female

  2. Lindo Lindo

    Да, я взял полотенца на пляж

    Da, ja vzjal polotenca na pljaž

    Yes, I have taken the towel to the beach

  3. Magicat Magicat

    А зонтик ты взял?

    A zontik ty vzjal?

    And have you taken umbrella?

  4. Lindo Lindo

    Сегодня так ветрено, что я решил его не брать

    Segodnja tak vetreno, čto ja rešil ego ne bratʹ

    It is so windy today that I decided not to take it

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How does the verb взять work?

Взять = 'to take' (perfective). Past: взял (male), взяла (female), взяло (neuter), взяли (plural).

Perfective vs imperfective?

Russian verbs come in pairs: imperfective (process) and perfective (completed). Брать (imperfective) / взять (perfective).

Russian for 'forget'?

Забыть (perfective) / забывать (imperfective). Я забыл = 'I forgot'. Я забываю = 'I keep forgetting'.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Russian lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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