CLASS 8 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE
Imperative and appropriate requests in Russian
How it works
In Russian, the imperative is used to express commands, requests, prompts, or suggestions. Common forms of the 2. person singular end in ‹-й› or ‹-и›, for example ‹читай!› or ‹говори!›. The 2. person plural, or the polite form, often ends in ‹-йте› or ‹-ите›, for example ‹читайте!› or ‹говорите!›. However, the exact formation depends on the verb stem; there are also irregular forms such as ‹сядь!› and ‹сядьте!›. In polite requests, the plural form is usually used, often together with ‹пожалуйста›.
Note
For a familiar individual, usually use the singular form of the imperative, for example ‹слушай!›. For several people or for a polite address, use the plural form, for example ‹слушайте!›. Pay attention to the context: ‹пожалуйста› makes a request more polite, and some verbs have irregular imperative forms.
For a familiar individual, usually use the singular form of the imperative, for example ‹слушай!›. For several people or for a polite address, use the plural form, for example ‹слушайте!›. Pay attention to the context: ‹пожалуйста› makes a request more polite, and some verbs have irregular imperative forms.
An example
Which form is correct when you say to several friends: “Listen!” – ‹слушай!› or ‹слушайте!›?
‹слушайте!› is correct, because several people are being addressed here. The ending ‹-йте› marks the 2. person plural.
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: Russian. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.