Lesson 3 of 24

Who You Are: Names, Nationalities and Professions

Introduce yourself properly: pick between ты and вы, ask and answer the name questions as fixed chunks, state a profession or a nationality with no verb at all, conjugate the class II -ить verbs, and make your first adjectives agree.

⏱ About 55 minutes 26 phrases 34 exercises

What you will learn

Ask and answer «Как тебя зовут?» and «Как вас зовут?», and give your own name with «Меня зовут…»
Decide whether the person in front of you takes ты or вы, and put the verb in the matching form
Conjugate the class II verbs говорить, любить and платить in the present tense, and handle the three that refuse the pattern: жить, смотреть and звать
State your profession and your nationality in the masculine or feminine form that fits, with no verb in the sentence
Make an adjective agree with its noun across all four nominative forms: большой, большая, большое, большие
Choose between и, а, но and или, and use а whenever you are contrasting two different people

Quick review

Say these aloud before you start. They come from earlier lessons.

Я студе́нт. I am a student. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я студе́нт.
Э́то Москва́. This is Moscow. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Э́то Москва́.
Ты врач? Are you a doctor? Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Ты врач?
Я чита́ю кни́гу. I am reading a book. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я чита́ю кни́гу.
Он не рабо́тает. He does not work. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Он не рабо́тает.
Вы понима́ете по-ру́сски? Do you understand Russian? Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Вы понима́ете по-ру́сски?

Theory

Conjugation II: the -ить verbs

Lesson 2 gave you one ending set: -ю, -ешь, -ет, -ем, -ете, -ют. Russian has a second one, and it is just as regular — -ю, -ишь, -ит, -им, -ите, -ят. Between them the two cover almost every verb in the language. Which set a verb takes is normally visible from the infinitive: verbs in -ить belong to the second, verbs in -ать, -ять and -овать to the first. The exceptions are few enough to memorise, and this lesson gives you the three that matter most.

The vowel inside the ending is the whole difference. Ты чита́ешь but ты говори́шь. Он зна́ет but он говори́т. Они́ чита́ют but они́ говоря́т. Learn to hear that е against и and you can hear the two conjugations; learn to produce it and a Russian will follow you even when an ending slips.

Two things about the -ить verbs are worth fixing now, because they cause almost every mistake. The first is that the я-form is where the surprises live: a good many verbs change a stem consonant there and nowhere else — люби́ть gives я люблю́, плати́ть gives я плачу́. The second is that stress is not predictable from the infinitive. говори́ть keeps it on the ending throughout (говорю́, говори́шь, говоря́т); люби́ть and плати́ть keep it on the stem everywhere except the я-form (лю́бишь, пла́тишь, but люблю́, плачу́). Learn the paradigm, not the dictionary headword.

Я говорю́ по-ру́сски. I speak Russian. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я говорю́ по-ру́сски.
Ты говори́шь хорошо́. You speak well. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Ты говори́шь хорошо́.
Они́ говоря́т. They are speaking. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Они́ говоря́т.
Мы лю́бим чита́ть. We love reading. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Мы лю́бим чита́ть.

Sound focus

Three verbs that refuse the pattern: жить, смотреть and звать

жить ends in -ить, so you would expect something like *живишь. What you get is живу́, живёшь, живёт, живём, живёте, живу́т — class I endings, and -у and -ут rather than -ю and -ют. A small closed group behaves this way: жить, пить, бить, шить, лить, вить. Not one of them is rare, so learn the six as a list and stop trusting the infinitive.

смотре́ть does the opposite. It ends in -еть, which normally means class I, but it conjugates as class II: я смотрю́, ты смо́тришь, они́ смо́трят. It sits in the traditional list of eleven exceptions — гнать, держа́ть, смотре́ть, ви́деть, дыша́ть, слы́шать, ненави́деть, оби́деть, терпе́ть, зави́сеть, верте́ть — and you will genuinely use смотре́ть and ви́деть from your first week. звать is class I, but its stem alternates: зва- in the infinitive and the past, зов- in the present and the imperative. зову́, зовёшь, зову́т; зва́л, звала́, зва́ли.

Now listen to what the stress does in these three, because this is where the ear has to be trained. жить is stressed on the ending right through the present — живу́, живёшь, живёт — and the ё in four of those six forms is no coincidence: ё in Russian is always stressed, so seeing it tells you where the accent falls with no mark needed at all. That is why живёт, зовёт and актёр carry no acute anywhere in this lesson. In the past, жить does exactly what быть does: жил, жила́, жи́ло, жи́ли, with only the feminine dragging the stress to the end. And in the sentence you will use most — Меня́ зову́т А́нна — hear the two vowels side by side: the first е of меня́ is unstressed and collapses to a thin [ɪ], while the о of зову́т keeps its full round [o] precisely because it carries the stress. That one short sentence is Russian vowel reduction at work.

Я живу́ здесь. I live here. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я живу́ здесь.
Он живёт там. He lives there. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Он живёт там.
Она́ смо́трит, а я говорю́. She is watching and I am speaking. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Она́ смо́трит, а я говорю́.
Меня́ зову́т Том. My name is Tom. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Меня́ зову́т Том.

ты and вы: one social decision, no new grammar

Russian has two ways of saying "you", and getting it wrong is a social slip rather than a grammatical one. ты is singular and close: family, friends, children, classmates, people of your own age in an informal setting, colleagues once the ice has broken. вы is the plural of both, and the polite singular for adults you do not know, older people, officials, shop assistants, hotel staff, doctors, teachers — anyone you are dealing with professionally.

Unlike Italian Lei or German Sie, Russian вы is simply the second-person plural. There is no third-person trick and nothing new to conjugate: Ты чита́ешь becomes Вы чита́ете in exactly the same way it does when you are talking to two friends. The entire cost of the distinction is one judgement about the person in front of you.

If you are unsure, begin with вы. It is never offensive, whereas an unwelcome ты can be, and the offer to switch always comes from the older or more senior of the two — Дава́йте на ты. In this lesson the choice surfaces in one fixed pair: Как тебя́ зову́т? and Как вас зову́т? Notice that зову́т is identical in both. It is the 3rd person plural of звать either way, so only the pronoun moves.

Как тебя́ зову́т? What is your name? (to a friend or a child) Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Как тебя́ зову́т?
Как вас зову́т? What is your name? (to someone you have just met) Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Как вас зову́т?
Ты говори́шь по-ру́сски. You speak Russian. (informal, one person) Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Ты говори́шь по-ру́сски.
Вы говори́те по-ру́сски. You speak Russian. (formal, or to a group) Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Вы говори́те по-ру́сски.

Who you are: no verb, two genders, one agreeing adjective

Everything you need to introduce yourself is now in place. Lesson 1 gave you the sentence with no verb in it — Я студе́нт — and gender decided by the ending. This lesson fills that frame with content: professions, countries and nationalities. Он инжене́р. Она́ журнали́стка. Я англича́нин. There is no article to insert and no copula to conjugate; a noun in the nominative does the entire job.

Nationalities come in two shapes, and the difference matters. ру́сский is an adjective, so its feminine is simply the -ая form of the same word: он ру́сский, она́ ру́сская. англича́нин and англича́нка, италья́нец and италья́нка are nouns, so there are two separate words and you pick the one that matches the person in front of you. Both patterns are common and you will meet both constantly. Some professions have no feminine noun at all — инжене́р is the standard example — and then a woman says она́ инжене́р, which is correct Russian rather than a shortcut.

The adjective is the last new piece and the easiest system in Russian grammar. In the nominative it has four forms and no more: большо́й, больша́я, большо́е, больши́е. The noun chooses and the adjective obeys, and the plural collapses all three genders into one form, so больши́е serves for дома́, кни́ги and города́ alike. Which masculine ending a given adjective takes is a matter of spelling rather than meaning: -ый after a hard consonant (но́вый), -ий after г, к, х and after ж, ш, щ, ч (ру́сский, хоро́ший), and -ой only where the ending itself is stressed (большо́й, молодо́й).

Он учи́тель, а она́ учи́тельница. He is a teacher and she is a teacher. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Он учи́тель, а она́ учи́тельница.
Я инжене́р. I am an engineer. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я инжене́р.
Москва́ — большо́й го́род. Moscow is a big city. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Москва́ — большо́й го́род.
Она́ ру́сская, а он италья́нец. She is Russian and he is Italian. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Она́ ру́сская, а он италья́нец.

и, а, но, или: four words that hold a sentence together

Russian needs four connectors where English manages with three, and the extra one is the most useful of the four. и is plain "and". но is "but", in the sense of a genuine obstacle or contradiction. или is "or". а has no single English equivalent: it means "and, whereas", and you use it when the second half says something different about a different subject without contradicting the first. Я студе́нт, а она́ врач — "I am a student and she is a doctor". Using а where English would use "and" is one of the fastest audible signs that your Russian is real rather than translated.

The distinction worth drilling is и against а. When one subject does two things, use и: Я чита́ю и слу́шаю. When two subjects each do their own thing, use а: Я чита́ю, а она́ слу́шает. English says "and" in both cases and the difference vanishes; Russian keeps it, and a native speaker hears immediately which one you chose.

Punctuation follows the meaning and is not optional in Russian writing. A comma always goes before а and before но. Before или in a plain choice question it does not: Ты студе́нт и́ли учи́тель? Before и the rule depends on what и is joining — two words or two verbs inside a single clause take no comma, while two whole clauses each with their own subject and verb do. Я чита́ю кни́гу и слу́шаю ра́дио has none; Я чита́ю, и она́ чита́ет has one.

Я студе́нт, а она́ врач. I am a student and she is a doctor. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я студе́нт, а она́ врач.
Я говорю́ по-ру́сски, но я не чита́ю. I speak Russian, but I do not read. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я говорю́ по-ру́сски, но я не чита́ю.
Ты студе́нт и́ли учи́тель? Are you a student or a teacher? Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Ты студе́нт и́ли учи́тель?
Я чита́ю, и она́ чита́ет. I read, and she reads. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я чита́ю, и она́ чита́ет.

Conjugation I and Conjugation II side by side (present tense)

Form	чита́ть — class I	говори́ть — class II	жить — class I despite -ить	смотре́ть — class II despite -еть
я	чита́ю	говорю́	живу́	смотрю́
ты	чита́ешь	говори́шь	живёшь	смо́тришь
он / она / оно	чита́ет	говори́т	живёт	смо́трит
мы	чита́ем	говори́м	живём	смо́трим
вы	чита́ете	говори́те	живёте	смо́трите
они	чита́ют	говоря́т	живу́т	смо́трят

Two ending sets cover almost every Russian verb: class I is -ю / -ешь / -ет / -ем / -ете / -ют, class II is -ю / -ишь / -ит / -им / -ите / -ят. The last two columns are the honest picture of the infinitive: -ить usually means class II, but жить belongs to class I, and смотреть belongs to class II even though it ends in -еть. Learn the infinitive together with the я-form and you will never have to guess.

Gender and agreement: one adjective, four forms

Form	большо́й	но́вый	ру́сский
он / дом / го́род — masculine	большо́й	но́вый	ру́сский
она́ / кни́га / Москва́ — feminine	больша́я	но́вая	ру́сская
оно́ / молоко́ — neuter	большо́е	но́вое	ру́сское
они́ / дома́, кни́ги, города́ — plural	больши́е	но́вые	ру́сские

The noun decides, the adjective follows. Look at the last row: Russian has one plural adjective form for all three genders, so больши́е дома́, больши́е кни́ги and больши́е города́ all use the same word. The three columns also show the three masculine endings — -ой when the ending is stressed (большо́й), -ый after a hard consonant (но́вый), and -ий after г к х ж ш щ ч (ру́сский).

He and she: the masculine form and the feminine form

Form	Он …	Она́ …
teacher	учи́тель	учи́тельница
journalist	журнали́ст	журнали́стка
actor	актёр	актри́са
engineer	инжене́р	инжене́р
Russian	ру́сский	ру́сская
English	англича́нин	англича́нка
Italian	италья́нец	италья́нка

Two different mechanisms produce the same result. Russian is an adjective, so its feminine is simply the -ая ending of the same word. The others are nouns with feminine suffixes: -ница (учительница), -ка (журналистка, англичанка, итальянка), -иса (актриса). A few professions have no feminine noun at all — инжене́р is one — and then a woman says она́ инжене́р, which is standard Russian and not a shortcut.

ты or вы: one social decision, no new grammar

Form	ты — one person you know	вы — polite singular, or any group
The name question	Как тебя́ зову́т?	Как вас зову́т?
The greeting	Приве́т!	Здра́вствуйте!
чита́ть (class I)	Ты чита́ешь	Вы чита́ете
говори́ть (class II)	Ты говори́шь	Вы говори́те
жить (class I)	Ты живёшь	Вы живёте
Как дела́?	Как дела́?	Как ва́ши дела́?

вы is not a third-person form the way Italian Lei is — it is simply the second-person plural, so there is nothing new to conjugate, only a judgement to make. Use ты with family, friends, children and people who have offered it; use вы with adults you do not know, older people, officials and anyone you deal with professionally. When in doubt, begin with вы: it is never offensive, and an unwelcome ты can be.

Vocabulary

Learn each word with its stress mark and its pronunciation. Nouns are given with their gender, animacy and their full six-case declension; verbs are given with their aspect and, where one exists, their partner verb.

Russian	English	Gender / aspect	Pronunciation	Audio
говори́ть imperfective	to speak, to talk, to say	imperfective	/ɡəvɐˈrʲitʲ/ guh-vuh-REET	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: говорить
жить imperfective	to live	imperfective	/ʐɨtʲ/ ZHIHT	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: жить
смотре́ть imperfective	to look at, to watch	imperfective	/smɐˈtrʲetʲ/ smuh-TRYET	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: смотреть
люби́ть imperfective	to love, to like	imperfective	/lʲʊˈbʲitʲ/ lyoo-BEET	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: любить
плати́ть imperfective	to pay	imperfective	/plɐˈtʲitʲ/ pluh-TEET	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: платить
звать imperfective	to call; in the fixed formula Меня зовут… "my name is…"	imperfective	/zvatʲ/ ZVYAT	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: звать
учи́тель masculine · animate	teacher (male, or generic)	masculine · animate	/ʊˈtɕitʲɪlʲ/ oo-CHIH-til	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: учитель
инжене́р masculine · animate	engineer (male, or generic)	masculine · animate	/ɪnʐɨˈnʲer/ in-zhih-NYER	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: инженер
программи́ст masculine · animate	programmer, software developer (male, or generic)	masculine · animate	/prəɡrɐˈmʲist/ pruh-gruh-MEEST	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: программист
журнали́ст masculine · animate	journalist (male, or generic)	masculine · animate	/ʐʊrˈnalʲɪst/ zhoo-rnuh-LEEST	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: журналист
продаве́ц masculine · animate	shop assistant, salesperson (male, or generic)	masculine · animate	/prədɐˈvʲets/ pruh-duh-VYETS	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: продавец
актёр masculine · animate	actor (male)	masculine · animate	/ɐˈktʲor/ uk-TYOHR	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: актёр
учи́тельница feminine · animate	teacher (female)	feminine · animate	/ʊˈtɕitʲɪlʲnʲɪtsə/ oo-CHIH-til-nih-tsih	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: учительница
журнали́стка feminine · animate	journalist (female)	feminine · animate	/ʐʊrˈnalʲɪstkə/ zhoo-rnuh-LEEST-kuh	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: журналистка
актри́са feminine · animate	actress	feminine · animate	/ɐˈktrʲisə/ uk-TREE-suh	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: актриса
Росси́я feminine · inanimate	Russia	feminine · inanimate	/rɐˈsʲijə/ ruh-SEE-yuh	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Россия
А́нглия feminine · inanimate	England	feminine · inanimate	/ˈanɡlʲɪjə/ AHN-glih-yuh	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Англия
Ита́лия feminine · inanimate	Italy	feminine · inanimate	/ɪˈtalʲɪjə/ ih-TAH-lih-yuh	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Италия
ру́сский adjective	Russian; a Russian man	adjective	/ˈruskʲɪj/ ROO-skiy	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: русский
англича́нин masculine · animate	Englishman	masculine · animate	/ɐnɡlʲɪˈtɕanʲɪn/ un-glih-CHAH-nin	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: англичанин
англича́нка feminine · animate	Englishwoman	feminine · animate	/ɐnɡlʲɪˈtɕankə/ un-glih-CHAHN-kuh	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: англичанка
италья́нец masculine · animate	Italian man	masculine · animate	/ɪtɐˈlʲjanʲɪts/ ih-tuh-LYAH-nits	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: итальянец
италья́нка feminine · animate	Italian woman	feminine · animate	/ɪtɐˈlʲjankə/ ih-tuh-LYAHN-kuh	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: итальянка
и conjunction	and	conjunction	/i/ EE	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: и
а conjunction	and, whereas; but (mildly)	conjunction	/a/ AH	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: а
но conjunction	but	conjunction	/no/ NOH	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: но
и́ли conjunction	or	conjunction	/ˈilʲɪ/ EE-lih	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: или
большо́й adjective	big, large	adjective	/bɐlʲˈʂoj/ bul-SHOY	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: большой
но́вый adjective	new	adjective	/ˈnovɨj/ NOH-viy	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: новый
фами́лия feminine · inanimate	surname, family name	feminine · inanimate	/fɐˈmʲilʲɪjə/ fuh-MEE-lih-yuh	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: фамилия
студе́нт masculine · animate	student (male, or generic)	masculine · animate	/stʊˈdʲent/ stoo-DYENT	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: студент
врач masculine · animate	doctor	masculine · animate	/vratɕ/ VRAHCH	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: врач
вы pronoun	you (plural, or formal singular)	pronoun	/vɨ/ VIH	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: вы
по-ру́сски adverb	in Russian	adverb	/pɐˈruskʲɪ/ puh-ROO-skih	Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: по-русски

Full six-case declension of the 19 nouns in this lesson

Each case is listed with the question word that selects it. Find the question you are answering and the ending follows.

Singular

Form	учи́тель (m)	инжене́р (m)	программи́ст (m)	журнали́ст (m)	продаве́ц (m)	актёр (m)	учи́тельница (f)	журнали́стка (f)	актри́са (f)	Росси́я (f)	А́нглия (f)	Ита́лия (f)	англича́нин (m)	англича́нка (f)	италья́нец (m)	италья́нка (f)	фами́лия (f)	студе́нт (m)	врач (m)
nom · Кто? Что?	учи́тель	инжене́р	программи́ст	журнали́ст	продаве́ц	актёр	учи́тельница	журнали́стка	актри́са	Росси́я	А́нглия	Ита́лия	англича́нин	англича́нка	италья́нец	италья́нка	фами́лия	студент	врач
gen · Кого? Чего?	учи́теля	инжене́ра	программи́ста	журнали́ста	продавца́	актёра	учи́тельницы	журнали́стки	актри́сы	Росси́и	А́нглии	Ита́лии	англича́нина	англича́нки	италья́нца	италья́нки	фами́лии	студента	врача
dat · Кому? Чему?	учи́телю	инжене́ру	программи́сту	журнали́сту	продавцу́	актёру	учи́тельнице	журнали́стке	актри́се	Росси́и	А́нглии	Ита́лии	англича́нину	англича́нке	италья́нцу	италья́нке	фами́лии	студенту	врачу
acc · Кого? Что?	учи́теля	инжене́ра	программи́ста	журнали́ста	продавца́	актёра	учи́тельницу	журнали́стку	актри́су	Росси́ю	А́нглию	Ита́лию	англича́нина	англича́нку	италья́нца	италья́нку	фами́лию	студента	врача
instr · Кем? Чем?	учи́телем	инжене́ром	программи́стом	журнали́стом	продавцо́	актёром	учи́тельницой	журнали́сткой	актри́сой	Росси́ей	А́нглией	Ита́лией	англича́нином	англича́нкой	италья́нцем	италья́нкой	фами́лией	студентом	врачом
prep · О ком? О чём?	учи́теле	инжене́ре	программи́сте	журнали́сте	продавце́	актёре	учи́тельнице	журнали́стке	актри́се	Росси́и	А́нглии	Ита́лии	англича́нине	англича́нке	италья́нце	италья́нке	фами́лии	студенте	враче

Plural

Form	учи́тель (m)	инжене́р (m)	программи́ст (m)	журнали́ст (m)	продаве́ц (m)	актёр (m)	учи́тельница (f)	журнали́стка (f)	актри́са (f)	Росси́я (f)	А́нглия (f)	Ита́лия (f)	англича́нин (m)	англича́нка (f)	италья́нец (m)	италья́нка (f)	фами́лия (f)	студе́нт (m)	врач (m)
nom · Кто? Что?	учи́тели	инжене́ры	программи́сты	журнали́сты	продавцы́	актёры	учи́тельницы	журнали́стки	актри́сы	—	—	—	англича́не	англича́нки	италья́нцы	италья́нки	фами́лии	студенты	врачи́
gen · Кого? Чего?	учи́телей	инжене́ров	программи́стов	журнали́стов	продавцо́в	актёров	учи́тельниц	журнали́сток	актри́с	—	—	—	англича́н	англича́нок	италья́нцев	италья́нок	фами́лий	студентов	враче́й
dat · Кому? Чему?	учи́телям	инжене́рам	программи́стам	журнали́стам	продавца́м	актёрам	учи́тельницам	журнали́сткам	актри́сам	—	—	—	англича́нам	англича́нкам	италья́нцам	италья́нкам	фами́лиям	студентам	врача́м
acc · Кого? Что?	учи́телей	инжене́ров	программи́стов	журнали́стов	продавцо́в	актёров	учи́тельниц	журнали́сток	актри́с	—	—	—	англича́н	англича́нок	италья́нцев	италья́нок	фами́лии	студентов	враче́й
instr · Кем? Чем?	учи́телями	инжене́рами	программи́стами	журнали́стами	продавца́ми	актёрами	учи́тельницами	журнали́стками	актри́сами	—	—	—	англича́нами	англича́нками	италья́нцами	италья́нками	фами́лиями	студентами	врача́ми
prep · О ком? О чём?	учи́телях	инжене́рах	программи́стах	журнали́стах	продавца́х	актёрах	учи́тельницах	журнали́стках	актри́сах	—	—	—	англича́нах	англича́нках	италья́нцах	италья́нках	фами́лиях	студентах	врача́х

Ready-to-use phrases

До́брое у́тро!

Good morning!

IPA /ˈdobrəjə ˈutrə/

Say it DOH-bruh-yuh OO-truh!

A set morning greeting, used with colleagues and strangers alike. Learn it whole: до́брое is the neuter form of до́брый "good", agreeing with у́тро.

neutral greetings

До́брый день!

Good afternoon! (literally "good day")

IPA /ˈdobrɨj ˈdʲenʲ/

Say it DOH-briy DYEN!

The all-purpose daytime greeting, from late morning until early evening. день is masculine, so the adjective takes -ый.

neutral greetings

До́брый ве́чер!

Good evening!

IPA /ˈdobrɨj ˈvʲetɕɪr/

Say it DOH-briy VYEH-chihr!

The third member of the set. All three are neutral-polite and work with ты and with вы.

neutral greetings

До свида́ния!

Goodbye!

IPA /də svʲɪˈdanʲɪjə/

Say it duh svih-DAH-nih-yuh!

Literally "until the meeting". до is a preposition that takes the genitive, but nothing here needs analysing — learn the four syllables as one word.

neutral greetings

Как тебя́ зову́т?

What is your name? (informal, to one person)

IPA /kak tʲɪˈbʲa zɐˈvut/

Say it KAHK tih-BYAH zuh-VOOT?

Literally "how do they call you?". тебя́ is the accusative of ты and зову́т is the 3rd person plural of звать, but learn the sentence as one unanalysed chunk — the case behind it is Lesson 6.

informal introductions questions register

Как вас зову́т?

What is your name? (formal, or to more than one person)

IPA /kak vas zɐˈvut/

Say it KAHK VAHS zuh-VOOT?

One word different from the informal version, and it is the safe default with any adult you have just met.

formal introductions questions register politeness

Меня́ зову́т А́нна.

My name is Anna. (literally "they call me Anna")

IPA /mʲɪˈnʲa zɐˈvut ˈanːə/

Say it mih-NYAH zuh-VOOT AH-nuh.

The only way Russians introduce themselves. Меня́ зову́т plus your name; the verb never changes, whoever you are.

neutral introductions

О́чень прия́тно!

Pleased to meet you!

IPA /ˈotɕɪnʲ prʲɪˈjatnə/

Say it OH-chin prih-YAHT-nuh!

Said once, immediately after the names are exchanged. прия́тно on its own means "pleasant"; о́чень is the "very" you met in Lesson 2.

polite introductions politeness

Как дела́?

How are things? How are you?

IPA /kak dʲɪˈla/

Say it KAHK dih-LAH?

A real question in Russian, not a phatic reflex: expect a short answer, and give one. The formal version is Как ва́ши дела́?

informal greetings questions

Как ва́ша фами́лия?

What is your surname?

IPA /kak ˈvaʂə fɐˈmʲilʲɪjə/

Say it KAHK VAH-shih fuh-MEE-lih-yuh?

Used on forms and at desks. For the given name you ask Как вас зову́т?, not *Как ваше имя?

formal introductions questions

Вы говори́те по-ру́сски?

Do you speak Russian?

IPA /vɨ ɡəvɐˈrʲitʲe pɐˈruskʲɪ/

Say it VIH guh-vuh-REE-tyuh puh-ROO-skih?

говорить is conjugation II, so the вы-form is -ите, not the -ете of class I. The language is the adverb по-русски — no noun and no case.

formal questions languages register

Я говорю́ по-ру́сски.

I speak Russian.

IPA /ja ɡəvɐˈrʲu pɐˈruskʲɪ/

Say it YAH guh-vuh-RYOO puh-ROO-skih.

The я-form of говорить keeps the plain stem: говорю́. Watch the stress — it never leaves the ending in this verb.

neutral languages

Она́ учи́тельница.

She is a teacher.

IPA /ɐˈna ʊˈtɕitʲɪlʲnʲɪtsə/

Say it uh-NAH oo-CHIH-til-nih-tsih.

No verb, no article. The zero copula you met in Lesson 1 does all the work, and the feminine noun does the agreeing.

neutral professions work

Я инжене́р.

I am an engineer.

IPA /ja ɪnʐɨˈnʲer/

Say it YAH in-zhih-NYER.

Professions stay in the masculine form when a woman states her own job informally: она́ инжене́р is normal Russian, not a shortcut.

neutral professions work

Он журна́лист, а она́ врач.

He is a journalist and she is a doctor.

IPA /on ʐʊrˈnalʲɪst a ɐˈna vratɕ/

Say it OHN zhoo-RNAH-list, AH uh-NAH VRAHCH.

The textbook use of а: two different subjects, two different facts, no contradiction. English has to use "and" here and loses the contrast.

neutral professions connectors

Я студе́нт, но я не рабо́таю.

I am a student, but I do not work.

IPA /ja stʊˈdʲent no ja nʲe rɐˈbotəjʊ/

Say it YAH stoo-DYENT, NOH YAH NYEH ruh-BOH-tuh-yoo.

но signals a real conflict between the two halves, so it is the right connector here and а would be wrong. The не of Lesson 2 sits directly before the verb.

neutral study connectors negation work

Ты студе́нт и́ли учи́тель?

Are you a student or a teacher?

IPA /tɨ stʊˈdʲent ˈilʲɪ ʊˈtɕitʲɪlʲ/

Say it TIH stoo-DYENT EE-lih oo-CHIH-til?

A choice question keeps the word order of a statement; the voice rises on the first option and falls on the last. No comma goes before или.

informal questions study professions

Он ру́сский.

He is Russian.

IPA /on ˈruskʲɪj/

Say it OHN ROO-skiy.

A masculine adjective standing alone as the predicate. No verb, no article.

neutral languages geography

Она́ ру́сская.

She is Russian.

IPA /ɐˈna ˈruskəjə/

Say it uh-NAH ROO-skuh-yuh.

Same word, feminine ending. The adjective agrees with она, and this is the whole of Russian agreement in the nominative.

neutral languages geography

Я англича́нин.

I am English (said by a man).

IPA /ja ɐnɡlʲɪˈtɕanʲɪn/

Say it YAH un-glih-CHAH-nin.

A woman says я англича́нка. Unlike ру́сский, which is an adjective, these nationality words are nouns and have two separate forms.

neutral geography introductions

Она́ италья́нка.

She is Italian.

IPA /ɐˈna ɪtɐˈlʲjankə/

Say it uh-NAH ih-tuh-LYAHN-kuh.

The man is италья́нец; the е of that suffix disappears in every other form.

neutral geography introductions

Москва́ — большо́й го́род.

Moscow is a big city.

IPA /mɐˈskva bɐlʲˈʂoj ˈɡorət/

Say it muh-SKVAH — bul-SHOY GOH-rut.

When both halves of a zero-copula sentence are nouns, Russian puts a dash where "is" would be. The adjective simply agrees with the masculine го́род.

neutral city adjectives geography

Я люблю́ чита́ть.

I love reading. (literally "I love to read")

IPA /ja lʲʊˈblʲu tɕɪˈtatʲ/

Say it YAH lyoo-BLYOO chih-TYAT.

любить plus an infinitive, with no connector and no case. The я-form is люблю́, with the б turned into бл.

neutral hobbies feelings study

Ско́лько вы пла́тите?

How much do you pay?

IPA /ˈskolʲkə vɨ ˈplatʲɪtʲe/

Say it SKOHL-kuh VIH PLAH-tih-tyuh?

сколько from Lesson 2 plus a class II verb. Add за plus the accusative when you say what for — that case is Lesson 6.

neutral shopping questions numbers

Он живёт здесь.

He lives here.

IPA /on ʐɨˈvʲot zdʲesʲ/

Say it OHN zhih-VYOHT ZDYES.

живёт carries no stress mark because ё is always stressed. The 3rd person singular of жить ends in -ёт, not in the -ит you would expect from an -ить verb.

neutral place

Что вы смо́трите?

What are you watching?

IPA /ʂto vɨ ˈsmotrʲɪtʲe/

Say it SHTOH VIH SMOH-trih-tyuh?

The question word goes first and nothing else moves — the Lesson 2 rule. Note the stress: вы смо́трите, but я смотрю́.

neutral questions hobbies

Dialogues

A first meeting at a conference in Moscow

Irina and David have just been introduced by a colleague. They are adults who do not know each other, so both use вы throughout.

Irina
Добрый день! Как вас зовут?

Good afternoon! What is your name?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Добрый день! Как вас зовут?
David
Добрый день! Меня зовут Дэвид. А вас?

Good afternoon! My name is David. And yours?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Добрый день! Меня зовут Дэвид. А вас?
Irina
Меня зовут Ирина. Очень приятно!

My name is Irina. Pleased to meet you!
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Меня зовут Ирина. Очень приятно!
David
Очень приятно! Вы говорите по-русски?

Pleased to meet you! Do you speak Russian?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Очень приятно! Вы говорите по-русски?
Irina
Да, я говорю по-русски. Я русская. А вы кто?

Yes, I speak Russian. I am Russian. And who are you?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Да, я говорю по-русски. Я русская. А вы кто?
David
Я англичанин. Я студент.

I am English. I am a student.
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я англичанин. Я студент.
Irina
Вы студент? Вы не работаете?

You are a student? You do not work?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Вы студент? Вы не работаете?
David
Нет, я не работаю. А вы?

No, I do not work. And you?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Нет, я не работаю. А вы?
Irina
Я журналистка. До свидания, Дэвид!

I am a journalist. Goodbye, David!
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я журналистка. До свидания, Дэвид!

Two Italians at a party in Moscow

Marco and Nina are the same age and have just been introduced by a friend, so they use ты from the first sentence.

Marco
Привет! Как тебя зовут?

Hi! What is your name?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Привет! Как тебя зовут?
Nina
Меня зовут Нина. А тебя?

My name is Nina. And you?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Меня зовут Нина. А тебя?
Marco
А меня зовут Марко. Ты русская?

And my name is Marco. Are you Russian?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: А меня зовут Марко. Ты русская?
Nina
Нет, я итальянка. А ты?

No, I am Italian. And you?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Нет, я итальянка. А ты?
Marco
Я тоже итальянец! Очень приятно.

I am Italian too! Pleased to meet you.
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я тоже итальянец! Очень приятно.
Nina
Очень приятно. Ты студент?

Pleased to meet you. Are you a student?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Очень приятно. Ты студент?
Marco
Нет, я не студент. Я актёр. А ты кто?

No, I am not a student. I am an actor. And what are you?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Нет, я не студент. Я актёр. А ты кто?
Nina
Я учительница. Я живу здесь.

I am a teacher. I live here.
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я учительница. Я живу здесь.
Marco
Хорошо! Я тоже живу здесь.

Good! I live here too.
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Хорошо! Я тоже живу здесь.

A new colleague on the first morning

Mariya and Oleg both started at the same office this week and meet for the first time on Monday morning. Neither knows the other, so both use вы.

Mariya
Доброе утро! Вы Олег?

Good morning! Are you Oleg?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Доброе утро! Вы Олег?
Oleg
Да, я Олег. А вы Мария?

Yes, I am Oleg. And you are Mariya?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Да, я Олег. А вы Мария?
Mariya
Да. Очень приятно!

Yes. Pleased to meet you!
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Да. Очень приятно!
Oleg
Очень приятно. Вы журналистка?

Pleased to meet you. Are you a journalist?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Очень приятно. Вы журналистка?
Mariya
Нет, я учительница. А вы кто?

No, I am a teacher. And what are you?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Нет, я учительница. А вы кто?
Oleg
Я инженер. Вы говорите по-русски?

I am an engineer. Do you speak Russian?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я инженер. Вы говорите по-русски?
Mariya
Да, я русская. А вы?

Yes, I am Russian. And you?
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Да, я русская. А вы?
Oleg
Я итальянец, но я говорю по-русски.

I am Italian, but I speak Russian.
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я итальянец, но я говорю по-русски.
Mariya
Очень хорошо! До свидания!

Very good! Goodbye!
Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Очень хорошо! До свидания!

Exercises

Answer actively — try to recall the Russian before you look at any hint.

Conjugation Exercise 1

Give the present tense form for "вы".

говорить — вы

Show answer and explanation

говори́те

Conjugation II: drop the -ть of the infinitive and add -ите. говори́ть runs говорю́, говори́шь, говори́т, говори́м, говори́те, говоря́т, with the stress on the ending in every single form.

Conjugation Exercise 2

Give the present tense form for "они".

жить — они

Show answer and explanation

живу́т

жить ends in -ить but conjugates as class I, and its present stem ends in в, so the endings are -у and -ут: живу́, живёшь, живёт, живём, живёте, живу́т. There is no such form as *живят.

Conjugation Exercise 3

Give the present tense form for "я".

смотреть — я

Show answer and explanation

смотрю́

смотре́ть is one of the eleven -еть/-ать verbs that conjugate as class II. Its я-form takes the stress onto the ending — смотрю́ — but the rest of the paradigm puts it back on the stem: ты смо́тришь, они́ смо́трят.

Conjugation Exercise 4

Give the present tense form for "ты".

любить — ты

Show answer and explanation

лю́бишь

The stem is люб- with the stress on ю: лю́бишь, лю́бит, лю́бим, лю́бите, лю́бят. Only the я-form changes, and it changes twice over — б becomes бл and the stress jumps to the ending: я люблю́.

Conjugation Exercise 5

Give the present tense form for "я".

платить — я

Show answer and explanation

плачу́

In the я-form the т of the stem becomes ч and the stress moves onto the ending: я плачу́. Every other person keeps пла́т-: ты пла́тишь, они́ пла́тят. The same shape as люби́ть → люблю́.

Conjugation Exercise 6

Give the past tense form for a female subject.

жить — past, feminine

Show answer and explanation

жила́

The past of жить is mobile in exactly the way быть is: жил, жила́, жи́ло, жи́ли. The feminine form alone pushes the stress onto the ending.

Translate To Russian Exercise 7

Translate into Russian.

He is a teacher.

Show answer and explanation

Он учи́тель.

Hint: он + the masculine noun

No verb and no article: the zero copula of Lesson 1 carries the whole sentence. A teacher who is a woman would be Она́ учи́тельница.

Translate To Russian Exercise 8

Translate into Russian.

My name is Anna.

Show answer and explanation

Меня́ зову́т А́нна.

Hint: меня зовут + name

Literally "they call me Anna": меня́ is the accusative of я and зову́т is the 3rd person plural of звать. Learn the three words as one unanalysed unit — the case behind меня́ is Lesson 6. The verb never changes, whoever is speaking.

Translate To Russian Exercise 9

Translate into Russian.

I speak Russian.

Show answer and explanation

Я говорю́ по-ру́сски.

Hint: я + говорить (я-form) + по-русски

The language is an adverb, not a noun: по-ру́сски, exactly as in Lesson 2. The я-form of говори́ть keeps the plain stem and the ending stress — говорю́.

Translate To Russian Exercise 10

Translate into Russian.

She is Russian.

Show answer and explanation

Она́ ру́сская.

Hint: она + русский (feminine)

ру́сский is an adjective, so it agrees with she: ру́сская. Contrast the nationality nouns, which are two separate words — она́ англича́нка, она́ италья́нка.

Translate To Russian Exercise 11

Translate into Russian.

He is a journalist and she is a doctor.

Show answer and explanation

Он журна́лист, а она́ врач.

Hint: он журналист + а + она врач

Two different subjects, two different facts, no contradiction — that is the job of а, not of и. A comma always goes before it. Both halves keep the zero copula of Lesson 1, so there is no verb anywhere in the sentence.

Translate To English Exercise 12

Translate into English.

Она́ журна́листка.

Show answer and explanation

She is a journalist

The -ка suffix marks the feminine of the profession. Russian needs no verb here, and English supplies "is".

Translate To English Exercise 13

Translate into English.

Меня́ зову́т Том.

Show answer and explanation

My name is Tom

Literally "they call me Tom". This is the formula Russians actually use to give their own name, and the verb never changes, whoever is speaking. Say Я есть Том instead and you will sound like a translation exercise.

Translate To English Exercise 14

Translate into English.

Он италья́нец, но он говори́т по-ру́сски.

Show answer and explanation

He is Italian, but he speaks Russian.

но introduces a genuine surprise — you would not expect an Italian to speak Russian — which is exactly what "but" does here. а would have been wrong.

Multiple Choice Exercise 15

Choose the correct sentence.

You have just been introduced to a new colleague at work. Which question do you ask?

Show answer and explanation

Choose from: Как вас зову́т? Как тебя́ зову́т? Как ты зовёшь? Как вы зовёте?

Как вас зову́т?

вы is the polite singular for any adult you do not know, including colleagues you have just met. It is never offensive; an unwelcome ты can be. The verb зову́т does not change, because it is 3rd person plural in both questions — only the pronoun does.

Multiple Choice Exercise 16

Choose the correct word.

Which connector belongs in «Я студент, … она врач.»?

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Choose from: и а но или

а is used when the second half says something different about a different subject, without contradicting the first. и would suggest the two facts belong together; но would suggest a conflict; или would turn it into a question.

Multiple Choice Exercise 17

Choose the correct form.

What is the feminine of учитель?

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Choose from: учи́тельница учи́телька учителка учи́тельша

учи́тельница

The standard feminine suffix for professions is -ница, added to the stem учител-. It keeps the stress where the masculine had it. учительша exists but is colloquial and can also mean "the teacher's wife".

Fill Gap Exercise 18

Fill the gap with the right form of говорить: "She speaks Russian."

Она ___ по-русски.

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говори́т

Hint: говорить, она

Conjugation II, 3rd person singular: -ит. Compare class I — она́ чита́ет, она́ зна́ет — where the ending is -ет.

Fill Gap Exercise 19

Fill the gap with the right form of жить: "I live here."

Я ___ здесь.

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живу́

Hint: жить, я

жить takes the class I endings despite the -ить: живу́, живёшь, живёт. Note that the whole of живёт carries no stress mark, because ё is always stressed.

Fill Gap Exercise 20

Fill the gap with the right form of любить: "We love coffee."

Мы ___ кофе.

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лю́бим

Hint: любить, мы

The б→бл change happens only in the я-form. Мы лю́бим keeps the plain stem and the stem stress.

Fill Gap Exercise 21

Fill the gap so that the question is informal, asked of one friend.

Как ___ зовут?

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тебя́

Hint: the informal "you" inside a fixed formula

тебя́ is the informal singular; вас is the polite or plural one. The rest of the sentence is fixed. You do not need to know why тебя́ has that ending yet — treat the whole question as a chunk until Lesson 6.

Ending Choice Exercise 22

Choose the form of новый that agrees with дом.

Это ___ дом.

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Choose from: но́вый но́вая но́вое но́вые

но́вый

дом ends in a hard consonant, so it is masculine, and the masculine nominative of но́вый ends in -ый. The noun decides and the adjective simply follows it.

Ending Choice Exercise 23

Choose the form of большой that agrees with город.

Москва — ___ город.

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Choose from: большо́й больша́я большо́е больши́е

большо́й

го́род is masculine, so большо́й. Notice the dash: when both halves of a zero-copula sentence are nouns, Russian writes one where "is" would be.

Ending Choice Exercise 24

Choose the form of русский that fits.

Анна ___.

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Choose from: ру́сский ру́сская ру́сское ру́сские

ру́сская

А́нна is feminine, so the adjective takes -ая. Because ру́сский is an adjective and not a noun, there is no separate word for "a Russian woman" to reach for — the same adjective simply changes its ending.

Stress Choice Exercise 25

Choose the correctly stressed form.

Where does the stress fall in «учитель»?

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Choose from: у́читель учи́тель учите́ль

учи́тель

On the first syllable: учи́тель. The stress never moves in this word, in the singular or in the plural — учи́теля, учи́тели, учи́телей.

Stress Choice Exercise 26

Choose the correctly stressed form.

Where does the stress fall in «продавец»?

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Choose from: про́давец прода́вец продаве́ц

продаве́ц

On the suffix in the nominative — продаве́ц — and on the ending in every other form: продавца́, продавцу́, продавцо́м, продавцы́. The е of the suffix disappears as soon as an ending appears.

True False Exercise 27

Answer true or false.

The verb жить is conjugated with the endings of class I: живу, живёшь, живёт.

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true

True, even though the infinitive ends in -ить. The same is true of пить, бить, шить and лить. The infinitive alone never tells you the conjugation for certain — learn the я-form with it.

True False Exercise 28

Answer true or false.

The adjective большой has a different plural form for masculine, feminine and neuter nouns.

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false

False. Russian has a single plural adjective form: больши́е дома́, больши́е кни́ги, больши́е города́. The three genders collapse into one, which makes the plural easier than the singular.

Match Pairs Exercise 29

Pair the words.

Match each masculine form with its feminine partner.

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учитель учительница, журналист журналистка, актёр актриса, англичанин англичанка, итальянец итальянка

Three suffixes do nearly all the work: -ница after a soft stem, -ка after a hard one, and the borrowed -иса in актриса. Nationalities behave differently again — ру́сский is an adjective whose feminine is simply ру́сская, while англича́нин and италья́нец are nouns with their own separate feminine partners.

Word Order Exercise 30

Put the words in order.

Build the question: "What is your name?" (informal)

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Как тебя́ зову́т?

Hint: как + тебя + зовут

The fixed order is question word, pronoun, verb. The two distractors belong to other sentences: она́ is a subject pronoun and чита́ешь is a verb of class I.

Word Order Exercise 31

Put the words in order.

Build the sentence: "I speak Russian."

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Я говорю́ по-ру́сски.

Hint: я + говорю + по-русски

Subject, verb, then the adverb of language. по-ру́сски is an adverb and needs no noun and no case after it.

Sentence Transform Exercise 32

Rewrite it so that the subject is a woman.

Rewrite this sentence for a female subject: «Он учитель.»

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Она́ учи́тельница.

Hint: она + the -ница form

Two things change together: the pronoun becomes она́ and the profession takes its feminine suffix, учи́тельница. Russian marks the sex of the person in the noun itself, not only in the pronoun.

Listen And Type Exercise 33

Play the audio and type what you hear.

Listen and type the sentence.

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Меня́ зову́т А́нна.

Three stresses in one short sentence: меня́, зову́т and А́нна. The о of зову́т is stressed and keeps its full [o]; the first е of меня́ is not, and reduces to a thin [ɪ].

Flashcard Self Rating Exercise 34

Recall the English meaning, then rate how well you knew it.

О́чень прия́тно!

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Pleased to meet you!

A fixed polite formula said once, right after the names. прия́тно on its own means "pleasant"; о́чень is the "very" of Lesson 2.

Speak now

Say each line aloud three times: slowly, at normal speed, then from memory. Then swap in your own name, your own profession and your own nationality — the point of this lesson is that the frame never changes and only the words do.

Меня́ зову́т А́нна. Я ру́сская. My name is Anna. I am Russian. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Меня́ зову́т А́нна. Я ру́сская.
Как вас зову́т? О́чень прия́тно! What is your name? Pleased to meet you! Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Как вас зову́т? О́чень прия́тно!
Он журна́лист, а она́ учи́тельница. He is a journalist and she is a teacher. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Он журна́лист, а она́ учи́тельница.
Я говорю́ по-ру́сски, но я не понима́ю. I speak Russian, but I do not understand. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я говорю́ по-ру́сски, но я не понима́ю.
Москва́ — большо́й го́род. Moscow is a big city. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Москва́ — большо́й го́род.
Ты студе́нт и́ли учи́тель? Are you a student or a teacher? Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Ты студе́нт и́ли учи́тель?

Lesson checkpoint

Before you move on, make sure you can do all of this without looking:

Say your own introduction out loud: Меня зовут…, then ask it back both ways — Как тебя зовут? and Как вас зовут?
Run говорить through all six present-tense forms from memory, then do the same for жить and notice how different the endings are
Give the я-form of любить, платить and смотреть — the consonant change and the stress move both happen there and nowhere else
Say your profession and your nationality in Russian, in the form that matches your own gender, then say your partner's
Put большой, новый and русский against a masculine, a feminine, a neuter and a plural noun from Lesson 1
Join two of your own sentences with а, two with но, and say out loud why you chose each one

Remember this

Conjugation II is -ю, -ишь, -ит, -им, -ите, -ят: я говорю, ты говоришь, они говорят. The vowel in the ending is what separates it from class I, and the я-form is where the surprises live — люблю (б becomes бл), плачу (т becomes ч), смотрю (the stress moves onto the ending).
жить and пить end in -ить but conjugate as class I — живу, живёшь, живут. смотреть ends in -еть but conjugates as class II — смотрю, смотришь. The infinitive alone never decides.
Professions and nationalities need no verb and no article: Он инженер. Она русская. Я англичанин. Russian is an adjective, so it agrees; the others are nouns, so there are two words.
A nominative adjective has exactly four forms — большой, большая, большое, большие — and the plural form is the same for all three genders.
и joins like with like; а switches to something different about a different subject; но contradicts; или offers a choice. A comma always goes before а and но.
вы is the safe default with any adult you do not know. It is simply the second-person plural, so the verb takes the plural ending and nothing else changes.

Go deeper: Conjugation II: the -ить verbs · Register: ты and вы · Adjective agreement · Conjunctions and connectors · Noun gender · The zero copula

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