Russian, tense&aspect | Usage | Example, Russian | English, tense&aspect | Usage | Example, English |
Past Imperfective | Usage of the particle "бы" | Conditional II Progressive | puts emphasis on the duration of an action that could have taken place in the past. | He would have been talking. | |
Used for an action that occurred over period of time but was completed in the past; the action, not duration, is emphasized | Он плавал в бассейне весь день. | Past Progressive | action going on at a certain time in the past | He was playing football. | |
Used to designate an action that began and ended at a particular time in the past; the result is not important for the speaker | Вчера вечером он читал книгу. | ||||
Used for actions occurred over period of time simultaneously but were completed in the past | Когда я читал книгу, брат смотрел телевизор. | actions taking place at the same time | While she was preparing dinner, he was washing the dishes. | [This level of detail is not recognized; Generic Past Imperfective] | action in the past that is interrupted by another action | When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang |
Used when the result of an action is nullified, i.e. an opposite action occurred | В комнате холодно, потому что я открывал окно. (i.e. I had opened the window[, then closed it]) | ? | |||
Used for an action that occurred over period of time but was completed in the past. The duration is emphasized | Он строил дом целый месяц. | Past Perfect Progressive | action taking place before a certain time in the past -- putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action | He had been talking. | |
Used for an activity that took place regularly in the past | Во время каникул мы ходили в кино каждое утро. | Simple Past | action in the past taking place once, never or several times | He visited his parents every weekend. | |
Past Perfective | Used to designate an action that began and ended at a particular time in the past; the time during which the result was achieved is emphasized | Он построил дом за месяц. | ? | ||
Used to emphasize the result of an action that began and ended at a particular time in the past | Вчера вечером я прочитал книгу от начала до конца. | Past Perfect Simple | action taking place before a certain time in the past (putting emphasis only on the fact, not the duration) | Before I came here, I had spoken to Jack. | |
Used for a past action that had a result before another past action that also had a result | Когда мы пришли в
класс, учитель уже ушёл домой.
Мы успели сыграть партию в шахматы до того, как пришёл Андрей. |
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Used when the result of an action remains | Он надел новую рубашку. (i.e. он надел и сейчас она надета) | Present Perfect | finished action that has an influence on the present | I have lost my key. | |
[This level of detail is not recognized; Generic Past Perfective] | action that stopped recently | She has cooked dinner. | |||
puts emphasis on the result | She has written five letters. | ||||
action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking | I have never been to Australia. | ||||
action that is still going on | School has not started yet | ||||
Present Imperfective | Used for a general fact | Волга впадает в
Каспийское море.
Солнце встаёт на востоке. |
Simple Present | facts | He speaks |
Used for habitual actions | Каждое утро он читает газеты. | action in the present taking place once, never or several times | ? Souun reads newspaper every morning | ||
actions taking place one after another | ? He eats, then shits | ||||
Used for future timetables and arrangements | Поезд отходит в
12:00.
Решено. Мы идём в кино. |
action set by a timetable or schedule | ? Train arrives at noon | ||
Present Progressive | action arranged for the future | I’m coming home tomorrow | |||
Used for a specific action that is occurring | На улице идёт сильный дождь. | action taking place in the moment of speaking | I am playing. | ||
Used for an activity that takes place over period of time specified | Они играют в теннис уже 2 часа. | action taking place only for a limited period of time | ? They are fighting for 2 hours | ||
Used for a present state of affairs | Андрей живёт в Москве. | ? | ? Ranma is living in Nerima | ||
Future Imperfective | Used for an action that will be ongoing or repeating at a particular time in the future, but it is not known whether will be finished of not | going to = собираться Я собираюсь жрать |
Future I Simple (going to) | an action in the near future that has already been planned or prepared | I am going to study harder next year |
a conclusion regarding the immediate future | It is going to rain. | ||||
will be = будет Я буду жрать |
Future I Progressive | emphasises the progression of an action in the future | In an hour she will be sitting at her table with her friends. | ||
action that one assumes will certainly happen | And she will surely be seeing Charles, | ||||
Future Perfective | Used for an action that will be finished at a particular time in the future | Скоро он узнает хорошие новости. Вечером она приготовит ужин. |
Future I Simple (will) | a spontaneous decision | Wait, I will help you. |
an opinion, hope, uncertainty or assumption regarding the future | He will probably come back tomorrow. | ||||
a promise | I will not watch TV tonight. | ||||
an action in the future that cannot be influenced | It will rain tomorrow. | ||||
conditional clauses type I | If I arrive late, I will call you. | ||||
Future II Simple | action that will have been finished by a future time | Don’t worry, he will have repaired the bike by then. | |||
Belongs to Past Perfective | supposition about what happened | He will probably have fallen or he will have had a breakdown. | |||
I'm not sure if this convolued construct could be called a tense, nor how would you call it properly. Anyways, translation of the English example would be Через десять минут будет шесть часов как ты едешь без остановки. |
Future II Progressive | emphasises the length of an action that lasts from the past until a certain point in the future. | In ten minutes you will have been driving non-stop for six hours. | ||
Not tenses. Expressed using various constructs with "might", "could" and so on. | Conditional II Simple | expresses an action that could have taken place in the past. | He would have talked. | ||
Conditional I Simple | expresses an action that might take place | He would talk. | |||
Conditional I Progressive | puts emphasis on the course of an action that might take place | He would be talking. |