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fluentbyear

RUSSIAN VERB

водить

to drive; to lead around

  • #170 most used
  • Imperfective verb

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Настоящее время · now and habits: imperfective verbs only

  1. я I drive
  2. ты you drive
  3. он, она, оно he/she drives
  4. мы we drive
  5. вы you all drive
  6. они they drive

Past

Прошедшее время · by gender and number: он говорил, она говорила

  1. он he drove
  2. она she drove
  3. оно it drove
  4. они they drove

Future

Будущее время · “буду” and the infinitive for an imperfective verb; a perfective verb conjugates by itself

  1. я I will drive
  2. ты you will drive
  3. он, она, оно he/she will drive
  4. мы we will drive
  5. вы you all will drive
  6. они they will drive

Conditional

Условное наклонение · “would”: the past and “бы”

  1. он he would drive
  2. она she would drive
  3. оно it would drive
  4. они they would drive

Imperative

Повелительное наклонение · requests and orders: ты, вы

  1. ты drive!
  2. вы drive! (formal, or all of you)

How to use водить

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Я вожу машину уже десять лет без аварий.

    I've been driving for ten years without an accident.

  2. Past

    В Портленде я водил старый пикап.

    In Portland I drove an old pickup.

  3. Future

    Я буду водить сына в музыкальную школу по средам.

    I'll take my son to music school on Wednesdays.

  4. Conditional

    Я бы водил в Москве, но здесь страшно.

    I'd drive in Moscow, but it's scary here.

  5. Imperative

    Води аккуратно, сегодня дороги очень скользкие.

    Drive carefully, the roads are very slippery today.

Good to know

  • Водить машину is to drive, the general ability; вести is one trip at the wheel. Водить детей в школу is to take them there regularly.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: imperfective verb.