PolyLingo
🇷🇺 Russian
РусскийCyrillic

Pronouns you actually use (I / you / we)

Choose the right ‘you’, and get comfortable with the most common pronoun patterns.

What to know

These are the patterns that matter most at beginner level.

  • Ты = informal ‘you’. Вы = formal or plural ‘you’.
  • Russian often drops ‘to be’ in the present: Я студент. (I am a student.)
  • Past tense often shows gender: я был (m), я была (f).
Ты здесь?
ty zdes'
Are you here? (informal)
Вы здесь?
vy zdes'
Are you here? (formal/plural)
Я студент.
ya student
I am a student.
Я здесь.
ya zdes'
I am here.
Я хочу воду.
ya khochu vodu
I want water.
Я не понимаю.
ya ne ponimayu
I don't understand.
Вы говорите по-английски?
vy govorite po-angliyski
Do you speak English? (formal/plural)
Где туалет?
gde tualet
Where is the toilet?

Practice tip

Take one sentence and swap the subject: I → you → we.

  • Say it slowly first, then at normal speed.
  • If the verb changes, learn the ‘you’ form as a pair.

Mini‑quiz

Mini-quiz
1/8 • Score: 0
Which sentence matches “Are you here? (informal)”?