Down below you find the table of conjugations for the verbs быть / побыть. In English the translation means ‘to be’.
быть / побыть conjugation in Russian
| Imperfective Aspect | Perfective Aspect | |
| Infinitive Form | быть | побыть |
| Present Tense | ||
| я – 1st Person Singular | есть | |
| ты – 2nd Person Singular | есть | |
| он/она/оно – 3rd Person Singular | есть | |
| мы – 1st Person Plural | есть | |
| вы – 2nd Person Plural | есть | |
| они – 3rd Person Plural | есть | |
| Past Tense | ||
| он – Masculine | был | побыл |
| она – Feminine | была | побыла |
| оно – Neuter | было | побыло |
| они/мы/вы – Plural | были | побыли |
| Future Tense | ||
| я – 1st Person Singular | буду | побуду |
| ты – 2nd Person Singular | будешь | побудешь |
| он/она/оно – 3rd Person Singular | будет | побудет |
| мы– 1st Person Plural | будем | побудем |
| вы – 2nd Person Plural | будете | побудете |
| они – 3rd Person Plural | будут | побудут |
| Imperative Form | ||
| ты – Informal | будь | побудь |
| вы – Polite | будьте | побудьте |
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Example phrases with быть and побыть
Below you’ll find examples phrases how to use these verbs.
| Russian Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Я был в магазине | I was in the store |
| Она была учительницей в школе | She was a teacher in school |
| Мы были заняты весь день | We were busy all day |
| Ты был прав | You were right |
| Они были рады видеть меня | They were happy to see me |
| Я побывал в Италии | I visited Italy |
| Он побыл в горах на неделю | He stayed in the mountains for a week |
| Мы побывали на концерте вчера | We went to a concert yesterday |
| Ты хотел побыть один | You wanted to be alone |
| Она побывала в музее первый раз | She visited a museum for the first time |
| Я побыл в тюрьме несколько месяцев | I spent a few months in jail |
| Он хотел побыть здесь подольше | He wanted to stay here longer |
| Мы побывали в кафе на ужин | We went to a cafe for dinner |
| Ты можешь побыть у меня на выходных | You can stay at my place over the weekend |
| Она побывала во многих странах | She has visited many countries |
What should you do next?
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- you can memorize Grammar
- You can listen for hours
But if you don't practice building sentences in real time, you'll still struggle when someone speaks to you.
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