Conjugating Second-Conjugation Verbs in the Present Tense

1. Two Verb Families: Introducing the Second Conjugation

In Russian, almost all verbs fall into one of two "families" or conjugation patterns. You've already learned the first. The second conjugation is just as important, and its main identifier is the infinitive (dictionary) form.

• First Conjugation: Verbs often end in -ать, -ять, -еть (e.g., читать, играть).
• Second Conjugation: Most verbs in this group end in -ить (e.g., говорить, учить).

There are some exceptions, but for now, if you see a verb ending in -ить, you can be confident it's a second-conjugation verb.

Let's watch a short video that introduces the second conjugation and its characteristic endings.

2. The Conjugation Pattern: Remove -ить, Add the Ending

The mechanical rule for conjugating these verbs is different from the first conjugation and is crucial to remember.

1. Take the infinitive form (e.g., говорить — to speak).
2. Remove the last three letters: -ить. This leaves you with the verb stem (e.g., говор-).
3. Add the appropriate personal ending to the stem.

This "remove three letters" step is the key difference from the first conjugation, where you only removed two letters (-ть).

To see this process in action, let's continue with the same video.

Here are the second-conjugation endings in a table for easy reference. Notice the vowel -и- is present in almost all of them.

This image provides a great visual summary, comparing the first conjugation (which you know) with the second conjugation (which you're learning now). Focus on the "Type II" column with the verb помнить (to remember).

3. Important Details and Nuances

While the main pattern is straightforward, there are two important details to be aware of. They aren't rare exceptions; they are built-in features of this conjugation.

A. Consonant Changes (in the 'Я' form only)

Sometimes, the last consonant of the stem changes before you add the -ю ending for я (I). This change happens only in the 'я' form.

For example, with the verb любить (to love), the stem is люб-.

• Я люблю (I love) — notice the extra л appears.
• Ты любишь (You love) — the stem is back to normal.

This is different from the first conjugation, where a consonant change, if it happens, usually affects all forms.

This next short video explains this concept clearly.

B. Spelling Rules for 'Я' and 'Они'

You might have noticed the endings for 'я' and 'они' have two options: -ю/-у and -ят/-ат. Which one do you use? This is determined by a spelling rule.

After the consonants г, к, х, ж, ч, ш, щ:

• You must write у (not ю).
• You must write а (not я).

Let's take слышать (to hear). It's an exception that follows the second conjugation. The stem is слыш-.

• Я слышу (not слышю)
• Они слышат (not слышят)

This doesn't change the pronunciation much, but it's essential for correct writing and typing.

The same video explains this rule well.

4. Practice Time

Let's apply what you've learned. Try conjugating these useful verbs. They are all regular second-conjugation verbs.

1. Учить (to learn, to study)
2. Смотреть (to watch, to look) - This is an -еть exception that follows the second conjugation.
3. Строить (to build)

Now, try to form simple sentences using the verbs you've just conjugated.

1. I speak Russian.
2. What are you watching? (informal)
3. She is learning chemistry.
4. We are building a house.

Conclusion

Отлично! You have now learned the pattern for a vast and essential group of Russian verbs.

Key Takeaways:

• Second-conjugation verbs typically end in -ить in their infinitive form.
• The core pattern is: remove -ить from the infinitive and add the personal endings: -ю/у, -ишь, -ит, -им, -ите, -ят/ат.
• The vowel -и- is the signature of this conjugation (e.g., говоришь, говорим).
• Be aware of potential consonant changes (like люб -> любл-) which happen only in the 'я' form.
• Remember the spelling rule: after г, к, х, ж, ч, ш, щ, use у/а instead of ю/я.

Preview of the next lesson:

While most verbs follow one of the two conjugation patterns, some of the most common verbs in any language are irregular. In our next lesson, we will focus on two such verbs that are crucial for talking about daily life: есть (to eat) and пить (to drink).