Down below you find the table of conjugations for the verbs бояться / побояться. In English the translation means ‘to be afraid’.
бояться / побояться conjugation in Russian
The stress of each word is on the bolded parts. Try saying the words out loud while you read to make sure they ‘stick’ in your memory.
| Imperfective Aspect | Perfective Aspect | |
| Infinitive Form | бояться | побояться |
| Present Tense | ||
| я – 1st Person Singular | боюсь | |
| ты – 2nd Person Singular | боишься | |
| он/она/оно – 3rd Person Singular | боится | |
| мы – 1st Person Plural | боимся | |
| вы – 2nd Person Plural | боитесь | |
| они – 3rd Person Plural | боятся | |
| Past Tense | ||
| он – Masculine | боялся | побоялся |
| она – Feminine | боялась | побоялась |
| оно – Neuter | боялось | побоялось |
| они/мы/вы – Plural | боялись | побоялись |
| Future Tense | ||
| я – 1st Person Singular | буду бояться | побоюсь |
| ты – 2nd Person Singular | будешь бояться | побоишься |
| он/она/оно – 3rd Person Singular | будет бояться | побоится |
| мы – 1st Person Plural | будем бояться | побоимся |
| вы – 2nd Person Plural | будете бояться | побоитесь |
| они – 3rd Person Plural | будут бояться | побоятся |
| Imperative Form | ||
| ты – Informal | бойся | побойся |
| вы – Polite | бойтесь | побойтесь |
How to use бояться in Russian?
Everywhere you would use ‘to fear’ or ‘be afraid’ in English, you can use бояться in Russian. Take note that it’s a reflexive verb, which means that you add ‘ся’ or ‘сь’ to the endings.
Examples of бояться/ побояться conjugation
While reading the examples below, try saying them out loud. That will do wonders for your ability to speak Russian well. If you’re in a public place and it would be a little awkward to say Russian words, try to pronounce the sentences in your head.
If you make this into a habit to always pronounce Russian words while you read them, your speaking skills will improve 5 times faster than if you would not do this. It’s a small action that brings big results.
| Russian example | English translation |
|---|---|
| Люди не должны бояться своего правительства | People shouldn’t fear their government |
| Я боюсь смотреть ужастики. | I’m afraid of watching horror movies. |
| Он боится высоты. | He is afraid of heights. |
| Учитель заставил его побояться экзамена | The teacher made him afraid of the exam |
| Она боится грозы. | She is afraid of thunderstorms. |
| Мы боимся опоздать на поезд. | We’re afraid to be late for the train. |
| Я боюсь медведей | I am afraid of bears |
| Ты боишься темноты? | Are you afraid of the dark? |
| Они боятся змей. | They are afraid of snakes. |
| Вы боитесь экзамена? | Do you fear the exam? |
| Я боюсь, что я забыл забрать ключи. | I’m afraid I forgot to take the keys. |
| Он боится, что его не примут на работу. | He is afraid that he won’t be hired. |
| Они боятся тебя | They are afraid of you |
| Она боится, что ее муж где-то опоздал. | She is afraid that her husband is late somewhere. |
| Мы боимся, что наша команда проиграет матч. | We’re afraid that our team will lose the game. |
| Они боялись тебя | The were afraid of you |
| Ты боишься, что не сможешь сдать экзамен? | Are you afraid that you won’t be able to pass the exam? |
| Они боятся, что у них не хватит денег на путешествие. | They are afraid that they won’t have enough money for the trip. |
| Не бойся | Don’t be afraid |
| Я побоялся покупать этот товар. | I was afraid to buy this product. |
| Он побоялся сказать правду. | He was afraid to tell the truth. |
What should you do next?
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