Week 9, Lesson 17, Thursday
Say what you did yesterday
The Russian past tense is one of the friendliest parts of the language: one rule for almost every verb, and no list of endings for each person.
1Recap 5 minutes
Three questions from Month 2, before anything new.
2Goal 1 minute
I can say what I did yesterday and ask others what they did.
3The lesson 20 minutes
In this lesson
- The past tense: one rule
- I and you: follow the person
- When: вчера and the weekend
The past tense: one rule
Two friends compare their Saturdays. Read it twice, and notice how the end of each verb follows the person speaking.
Here is the whole rule in one picture: one stem, four endings, chosen by who did it.
| Verb | он | она | они |
|---|---|---|---|
| работать | работал | работала | работали |
| читать | читал | читала | читали |
| говорить | говорил | говорила | говорили |
| делать | делал | делала | делали |
Take off -ть and add -л. Add -а for a woman, -и for more than one person, and -о for оно. The stress usually stays where it was.
I and you: follow the person
| Russian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Я работал. | I worked. (a man) |
| Я работала. | I worked. (a woman) |
| Ты работал? | Did you work? (to a man) |
| Ты работала? | Did you work? (to a woman) |
| Вы работали? | Did you work? (polite: always -ли) |
| Мы работали. | We worked. |
When: вчера and the weekend
Put the parts of the day from Lesson 10 together with the past tense, and you can tell a whole yesterday.
| Russian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| вчера | yesterday |
| вчера утром | yesterday morning |
| вчера вечером | yesterday evening |
| в выходные | at the weekend |
| Что вы делали вчера? | What did you do yesterday? |
4Listen and say 5 minutes
Sound of the lesson: A hard л
Russian л is hard before а, о, у, ы and at the end of a word: tongue tip on the top teeth, back of the tongue raised, like the l in full.
- рабо́тал [ra-BO-tal] Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)
- был [byl] Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)
Listen to the textbook
The book's own recordings for this topic, free on the publisher's site. Listen once for the gist, then again with the book open.
5Phrases and words 5 minutes
Phrases to learn whole
Learn each one as a single unit, the way you would learn a word. They come back in your Daily 10.
- Что ты де́лал вчера́?What did you do yesterday? (to a man)
- Вчера́ я рабо́тал.Yesterday I worked.
- в выходны́еat the weekend
- Я отдыха́л.I rested.
Words to read aloud
Read each one aloud, then open it to check.
вчера́
де́лать
отдыха́ть
to rest, relax
Hear it on Forvo (opens in a new tab)слу́шать
смотре́ть
в выходны́е
at the weekend
рабо́тал, рабо́тала, рабо́тали
worked: he, she, they
6Class exercises 15 minutes
Checked instantly. Get one wrong and you can try it again.
Role-play
Take one card each. Swap roles for a second round.
You
- Say five things you did yesterday.
- Ask Что вы делали вчера?
Ника
- Ask about yesterday evening, and listen for your past endings.
7Your turn 5 minutes
Write four sentences about what you did yesterday.
See a model answer
Вчера утром я работал. Днём я говорил по-английски. Вечером я читал. Я отдыхал дома.
Saved as you type. It goes to Ника together with Homework 17.
8Mini questionnaire required, 80% to pass
9Feedback 5 minutes
10Check your goal 1 minute
I can say what I did yesterday and ask others what they did.
Can you do this now? Be honest: the answer decides your next step.
11Homework
Homework 17 on Saturday: past-tense practice, and five sentences about your yesterday.
I can say what I did yesterday and ask others what they did.