прибыва́ть
pribyvátʹimperfective
The English verb 'come' is translated into Russian as прибыва́ть (pribyvátʹ) (to arrive). Wiktionary also lists прибы́ть (pribýtʹ).
Meaning: to arrive, to appear (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| прибыва́ть | pribyvátʹ | imperfective |
| прибы́ть | pribýtʹ | perfective |
Both forms of this verb mean to arrive or to appear. The verb is typically used in formal contexts, such as official announcements for trains, planes or ships arriving at a station or port.
Which one should you use?
The imperfective form прибыва́ть is used for ongoing arrivals or repeated arrivals. In contrast, the perfective form прибы́ть is used for a single, completed arrival.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the perfective verb in the past tense, the form changes based on gender: use прибы́л for masculine subjects and прибы́ло for neuter subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
pribyvátʹ
Did you know?
- The verb прибыва́ть can also mean 'to increase' when describing things like water levels in a river or the amount of a substance.
- If an English speaker says 'the time has come', a Russian speaker would use a completely different verb than прибыва́ть, as that would sound like the time itself is physically arriving on a train.
- While прибыва́ть means 'to arrive', the word быть ('to be') is its root. In old Russian, it literally described the act of 'becoming' present in a location.
Examples in context
- Пожалуйста, подойдите.Please come here.
- Будьте добры, подойдите.Would you be so kind as to come here, please?
- Прошу подойти ко мне.I request you to come over to me.
- Подойди, пожалуйста.Come here, please.
- Давай ко мне.Come to me, let's hang out.
- Подойдите сюда!Come here!
- Пожалуйста, подойдите сюдаPlease come closer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “come” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
