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RUSSIAN VERB

заговорить

to start talking, to begin to speak

  • Perfective verb

Conjugation

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

Past

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

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

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

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

Imperative

Повелительное наклонение · requests and orders: ты, вы

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

How to use заговорить

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

  1. Past

    Маша заговорила в год и два месяца.

    Masha started talking at a year and two months.

  2. Future

    Через полгода в Москве ты заговоришь по-русски.

    After six months in Moscow you'll be speaking Russian.

  3. Conditional

    Я бы заговорил с ней, но постеснялся.

    I'd have struck up a conversation with her, but I was shy.

  4. Imperative

    Заговори с соседями первым, они стесняются.

    Speak to the neighbours first, they're shy.

Good to know

  • Заговорить is to begin speaking: ребёнок заговорил в год; заговорить по-русски is to start speaking Russian. Заговорить с кем-то is to strike up a conversation.

Where you hear заговорить

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Russian · Advanced Level 3

  • Маша заговорила раньше всех. Masha started talking earlier than anyone.
  • Когда я заговорил по-русски, все обрадовались. When I started speaking Russian, everyone was glad.
  • Когда она заговорит, позвоните нам. When she starts talking, call us.

Russian · Fluency Level 2

  • Маша заговорила раньше всех. Masha started talking earlier than anyone.
  • Когда я заговорил по-русски, все обрадовались. When I started speaking Russian, everyone was glad.
  • Когда она заговорит, позвоните нам. When she starts talking, call us.
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When She Starts Talking

Advanced Level 3 · когда заговорит

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In Case Something Comes of It

Fluency Level 2 · Всего. Больше всего: как бы город не заговорил.

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The First Pancake

Fluency Level 2 · Третий круглый. К воскресенью заговорю как вы.

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: perfective verb.