The subjunctive mood in Russian is a set of grammar structures used to express different states of unreality: desirable or imagined actions, wishes, goals, polite requests, and advice. The main indicator of the Russian subjunctive mood is the presence of the particle бы transcribed by / б transcribed p:
- Мы б(ы) встречались чаще, если б(ы) жили ближе друг к другу.Transcription: my by fstriCHAlis CHAshchye YESli b ZHYli BLEEzhe droog g DROOgoo.Translation: We would meet more often if we were living closer to each other.
- Я хочу, чтоб(ы) ты перестал брать мои вещи.Transcription: ya khaCHOO SHTOby ty piriSTAL brat maEE VYEshchi.Translation: I want you to stop taking my stuff.
- Мне б(ы) такую машину!Transcription: mnye by taKOOyu maSHYnoo!Translation: I (wish I had) such a car!
- Ты б(ы) не читал в такой темноте!Transcription: ty by ni chiTAL f taKOY timnaTYE!Translation: (I wish) you wouldn’t read in such darkness!
- Вы не могли бы дать мне вашу ручку?Transcription: vy ni magLEE by dat mnye VAshoo ROOCHkoo?Translation: Could you give me your pen?
This post will walk you through the grammar of the Russian subjunctive mood and its various uses. Let’s dive right in!
Hot to form the subjunctive mood in Russian?
The subjunctive mood in Russian is always formed using the particle бы transcribed by / б transcribed p, which makes it easy to recognize. Apart from бы/б, the subjunctive clauses must belong to one of the following types of clauses:
A clause with a verb in past tense
This is the most frequent way to form a subjunctive clause, so much so that the Russian subjunctive mood is often described as “past tense + бы.” We form the subjunctive mood with a past tense verb in all uses of the subjunctive mood, e.g. when we're creating conditional sentences, talking about imaginary situations, wishes, and purposes, or giving advice.
The past tense of the Russian verbs is quite easy to form:
Infinitive without -ть
+
-л играл transcribed igRALmeaning (he) played → masculine
-ла играла transcribed igRAlameaning (she) played → feminine
-ло играло transcribed igRAlameaning (it) played → neuter
-ли играли transcribed igRAlimeaning (they) played → plural
You may find a detailed explanation of how to form the past tense in Russian, including exceptions, in our post on the Russian past tense.
Here are some examples of the past tense as part of the subjunctive mood:
past tenseНа твоём месте я бы не выбрасывала этот старинный сундук.Transcription: na tvaYOM MYEStye ya by ni vyBRAsyvala Etat staREEnyi soonDOOK.Translation: In your place, I would not throw this antique trunk away.Я бы сейчас съела мороженое!Transcription: ya by siCHAS SYEla maROzhynaye!Translation: I’d (love to) eat some ice cream now!A clause with an infinitive
The Russian infinitive is a basic verb form usually ending in -ть/-ти, we can use it with бы/б to form the subjunctive mood. The combination of an infinitive and бы/б serves several uses of the subjunctive mood, such as talking about wishes and purposes, for example:
infinitiveИскупаться бы сейчас!Transcription: iskooPAtsa by siCHAS!Translation: (It would be great) to go for a swim now!Я купил лимоны, чтобы сделать лимонад.Transcription: ya kooPEEL liMOny SHTOby ZDYElat limaNAT.Translation: I bought some lemons to make lemonade.A clause without a clear subject or a verb
In both English and Russian, a sentence usually has two key elements: a subject (usually a noun) and a predicate (usually a verb and its objects). However, some Russian words, such as ones expressing necessity, obligation, or desire, can function as key elements of a sentence. The most frequent combination is a noun or a pronoun (most often in the dative case, but it may be in any other case except the nominative), and/or words like…
надо transcribed NAdameaning it is necessary
нужно transcribed NOOZHnameaning it is necessary
важно transcribed VAZHnameaning it is important
лучше transcribed LOOCHshemeaning it is better
хорошо transcribed kharaSHOmeaning it is good, and others.
They can be combined with бы/б to form sentences in the subjunctive mood to express wishes or to give recommendations, for instance:
- Нам надо бы сделать ремонт.Transcription: nam NAda by ZDYElat riMONT.Translation: We need to make a renovation.
- Опять сидишь в телефоне! Лучше б пошла погуляла!Transcription: aPYAT siDEESH f tiliFOnye) (LOOCHshe p paSHLA pagooLYAla!Translation: (You are) glued to your phone (lit: sitting in your phone) again! It would be better if (you) went for a walk!
- Мне бы такую работу!Transcription: mnye by taKOOyu raBOtoo!Translation: (I wish) I (had) such a job!
Where to put the particle бы/б in a sentence?
The position of бы/б in a sentence is often quite flexible. However, you must put it…
as a part of the conjunction чтобы transcribed SHTObymeaning to/in order to
right after the word если transcribed YESlimeaning if
With other words, there is a great degree of flexibility. Some of the most common places to put it are:
after the subject
after the verb in the past tense
after the infinitive
after words functioning as predicates
after nouns/pronouns when a verb is implied
after any other word
Here are the examples of flexibility of the position of бы/б in a sentence:
- Ты (бы/б) могла (бы/б) дать мне рецепт этого печенья?Transcription: ty (by/p) magLA (by/p) dat mnye riTSEPT Etava piCHENya?Translation: Could you give me the recipe for these cookies?
- Если (бы/б) мы опоздали на автобус, нам (бы) надо (бы/б) было (бы/б) брать такси.Transcription: YESli (by/p) my apazDAli na afTOboos nam (by) NAda (by/p) BYla (by/p) brat takSEE.Translation: If we had been late for the bus, we would have had to take a taxi.
- Сейчас (бы) горячего (бы/б) чая (бы/б)!Transcription: siCHAS (by) gaRYAchiva (by/p) CHAya (by/p)!Translation: Now hot tea (would be nice)!
This particle бы/б is always unstressed. The short form, б, may only be used after words ending in a vowel and in informal contexts, while the full form, бы, has no limitations in its use. Usually it is a separate word in a sentence, except when it’s a part of the conjunction of purpose чтоб(ы) transcribed SHTObymeaning to/in order to.
How is the subjunctive mood used in Russian?
In Russian, we use the subjunctive mood to cover a range of meanings, all having one thing in common — they describe situations that do not exist in the real world, such as wishes, goals, requests, unlikely scenarios, advice, etc. Let’s take a closer look at each of these meanings and the specific grammar structures associated with them.
To talk about imaginary situations
Subjunctive mood comes into action when we need to talk about imaginary and unlikely situations at the present, in the past, or in the future. One way to do it is to use conditional sentences, where both the condition and the result are hypothetical and not going to actually happen. Both the if-part and the then-part of an ‘unreal’ conditional sentence must have a verb in the past tense, and the particle бы/б. For example:
We may also describe imaginary situations by themselves, though a condition or an obstacle is usually either given in a larger context or implied, for example:
To talk about purpose
One way to talk about purpose in Russian is to use dependent clauses starting with the conjunction чтоб(ы) transcribed SHTObymeaning to/in order to/so that. The grammar of the purpose clause depends on its subject:
If the subjects of the two clauses are the same, use the structure:
main clause
чтобыinfinitive
Я звоню, чтобы рассказать тебе потрясающую новость.Transcription: ya zvaNYU SHTOby raskaZAT tiBYE patriSAyushchooyu NOvast.Translation: I am calling to tell you some fantastic news.The subjects are the same: I am calling & I will tell.If the subjects of the two clauses are the same, use the structure:
main clause
чтобыsubject
past tense
Я звоню, чтобы ты услышал потрясающую новость.Transcription: ya zvaNYU SHTOby ty oosLYshal patriSAyushchooyu NOvast.Translation: I am calling so that you hear some fantastic news.
To express wishes and desires
The subjunctive mood can express the speaker’s desires and wishes, usually with the help of particles and adverbs, such as вот transcribed vot, еще transcribed yiSHCHO, лишь transcribed leesh, если transcribed YESli, только transcribed TOLka, лучше transcribed LOOCHshe, or хорошо transcribed kharaSHO. For instance:
- Сейчас бы в душ!Transcription: siCHAS by v doosh!Translation: A shower (would be great) now!
- Вот бы получить этот приз!Transcription: vod by palooCHEET Etat prees!Translation: (I wish I would) get that prize!
- Хорошо бы нам было съездить отдохнуть.Transcription: kharaSHO by nam BYla SYEZdit adakhNOOT.Translation: (It would be) good for us to go on vacation.
- Только бы папа смог прийти на наше выступление!Transcription: TOLka by PApa smok priyTEE na NAshe vystooPLYEniye!Translation: If only dad could come to our performance!
To sound less direct, more polite
The subjunctive mood is a powerful tool to mitigate, to take the edge off what you are saying. In such situations, the indicative (non-subjunctive) mood can be used instead, but it may sound more direct, pushy, or even rude. For example:
- Я бы рекомендовала операцию.Transcription: ya by rikamindaVAL apiRAtsiyu.Translation: I would recommend an operation.
- Что бы вы назвали вашим главным изобретением?Transcription: shto by vy naZVAli VAshym GLAVnym izabriTYEniyem?Translation: What would you call your most important invention?
The most typical situations where you may want to sound less direct are the following:
When you say what you want
Adding бы/б to the sentences containing the verbs хотеть transcribed khaTYETmeaning to want and хотеться transcribed khaTYEtsameaning to want makes it sound softer, less direct. For example:
- Мы бы хотели / Нам бы хотелось побольше узнать об этом туре.Transcription: my by khaTYEli / nam by khaTYElas paBOLshe ooZNAT ab Etam TOOrye.Translation: We would like to learn more about this tour.
- Я хотела бы / Мне бы хотелось познакомить тебя с моими родителями.Transcription: ya khaTYEla by / mnye by khaTYElas paznaKOmit tiBYA s maEEmi raDEEtilyami.Translation: I would like to introduce you to my parents.
When you are making a request
Often, when we are asking someone to do something, we want to sound as nice and polite as possible. Here the subjunctive mood is irreplaceable, as using the indicative mood instead may sound more like a demand or order. Here are some examples of polite requests:
- Я бы попросил отключить мобильные телефоны.Transcription: ya by papraSEEL atklyuCHEET maBEELnyie tiliFOny.Translation: I would (like to) ask (you) to turn off (your) mobile phones.
- Вы не могли бы немного подвинуться?Transcription: vy ni magLEE by niMNOga paDVEEnootsa?Translation: Could you move a little bit?
To give advice
The subjunctive mood is widely used to give recommendations or advice in a fairly polite and tactful way. It is often combined with adverbs лучше transcribed LOOCHshemeaning better, хорошо transcribed kharaSHOmeaning good, or the phrase на твоём месте transcribed na tvaYOM MYEStyemeaning if I were you, for example:
- Тебе бы поехать отдохнуть.Transcription: tiBYE by paYEkhat adakhNOOT.Translation: You (should) go on vacation.
- Лучше бы вы ехали на поезде.Transcription: LOOCHshe by vy YEkhali na POizdye.Translation: You’d better go by train / It would be better (if) you went by train.
- На твоём месте я бы больше занимался спортом.Transcription: na tvaYOM MYEStye ya by BOLshe zaniMALsya SPORtam.Translation: If I were you, I would do more sports.
Conclusion
The subjunctive mood in Russian is formed with the help of the particle бы/б and has various meanings and uses:
it can describe hypothetical situations, including conditional sentences
it can describe a purpose
it can express wishes and desires
it can help sound more polite
it can be used for giving advice
Try out your skills of forming and using the subjunctive mood in Russian by downloading the activities below!
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