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.
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| 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 |
| Учитель заставил его побояться экзамена | The teacher made him afraid of the exam |
| Я боюсь медведей | I am afraid of bears |
| Вы боитесь экзамена? | Do you fear the exam? |
| Они боятся тебя | They are afraid of you |
| Они боялись тебя | The were afraid of you |
| Не бойся | Don’t be afraid |
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