The past tense of Russian verbs
One rule: stem + -л / -ла / -ло / -ли depending on gender and number
⚡Key points
The basic rule
The Russian past is simpler than the present: it does not depend on the person (я, ты, он…), only on the gender and number of the subject. Drop the -ть of the infinitive and add -л + the agreement ending.
чита́ть (to read) in the past
| Masculine | чита́л | я / ты / он чита́л (I/he read) |
| Feminine | чита́ла | я / ты / она́ чита́ла (she read) |
| Neuter | чита́ло | оно́ чита́ло (radio, window…) |
| Plural | чита́ли | мы / вы / они́ чита́ли (we read) |
💡⚠️ The subject’s gender decides, not the person
The rule works for almost every verb
Whatever the present-tense conjugation (1st or 2nd group), the past follows the same rule from the infinitive. You don’t need to know the present to form the past.
The past of some common verbs (masculine form)
| говори́ть (to speak) | говори́л | говори́ла, говори́ло, говори́ли |
| рабо́тать (to work) | рабо́тал | рабо́тала, рабо́тало, рабо́тали |
| жить (to live) | жил | жила́, жило, жи́ли |
| видеть (to see) | ви́дел | ви́дела, ви́дело, ви́дели |
| купить (to buy) | купи́л | купи́ла, купи́ло, купи́ли |
Irregular past forms to know
A few very frequent verbs do not follow the regular pattern — often the masculine -л disappears, or the stem changes. Memorise them as they are.
Common irregulars
идти (to go on foot) → completely different stem
он шёл, она́ шла, оно́ шло, они́ шли.
Я шёл домо́й, когда́ нача́лся́ дождь. (man)
Verbs in -чь and -ти: no -л in the masculine
мочь (to be able) → он мог, она́ могла́, они́ могли́.
нести (to carry) → он нёс, она́ несла́, они́ несли́.
быть (to be) → был, была, было, были
Вчера́ я был дома. / Вчера́ я была дома.
Э́то было давно́. (that was long ago)
Dialogue: what did you do yesterday?
Olga: What did you do yesterday? — Maxim: In the morning I worked, and in the evening I read a book. — Olga: And I was at the cinema with a friend. The film was excellent! — Maxim: Great! We haven’t rested in a long time.