In case you were wondering

The Russian Verb

Compared to the complexity of the English verbal system, the Russian one is quite simple.

PAST

I worked

I did work

I was working

I had worked

I had been working

Я рабо́тал
PRESENT

I work

I do work

I am working

I have worked

I have been working

Я рабо́таю
FUTURE

I will work

I will be working

I will have worked

I will have been working

I am going to work

I am going to be working

Я бу́ду рабо́тать

The Past Tense

Past tense verbs agree with their subjects (which are always in the nominative case) in gender or number. To form the past tense, take the infinitive работать, drop the ending -ть and add -л, -ла, -ло or -ли.

Он

Она́

Оно́

Они́

я рабо́тал

я рабо́тала

мы рабо́тали

ты рабо́тал

ты рабо́тала

вы рабо́тали

он рабо́тал

она рабо́тала

оно рабо́тало

они рабо́тали

The Present Tense

Present tense verbs agree with their subjects (which are always in the nominative case) in person and number. There are two conjugation patterns for the present tense. They differ only by the vowel which is used in the endings:

First conjugationSecond conjugation
я рабо́таюя говорю́
ты рабо́таешьты говори́шь
он рабо́таетон говори́т
она рабо́таетона́ говори́т
оно рабо́таетоно́ говори́т
мы рабо́таеммы говори́м
вы рабо́таетевы говори́те
они рабо́таютони́ говоря́т

The future tense

There are two ways to form verbs in the future tense:

  1. Using a "helping verb" plus the imperfective infinitive:

    я бу́ду рабо́татьмы бу́дем рабо́тать
    ты бу́дешь рабо́татьвы бу́дете рабо́тать
    он бу́дет рабо́тать 
    она бу́дет рабо́татьони́ бу́дут рабо́тать
    оно бу́дет рабо́тать  

  2. Conjugating a perfective infinitive:

    я порабо́таюмы порабо́таем
    ты порабо́таешьвч порабо́таете
    он порабо́тает 
    она пораб́отаетони порабо́тают
    оно пораб́отает 

The terms imperfective and perfective refer to the distinction between 2 verbs whose actual meaning is the same, but whose focus shifts from viewing the action as process (ongoing in the past, present or future) to viewing a "limit" having been reached (in the past or future; present is precluded). Sometimes this limit is an "end" (a result) and other times it is a "beginning". For a more complete explanation of this phenomenon, consult a Russian grammar.