моли́ться
molítʹsjaimperfective
To pray in Russian is to say моли́ться (molítʹsja). Wiktionary also lists помоли́ться (pomolítʹsja).
Meaning: to talk to God (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| моли́ться | molítʹsja | imperfective |
| помоли́ться | pomolítʹsja | perfective |
The verb is used specifically to describe the act of talking to God or engaging in worship.
Which one should you use?
моли́ться is used for the ongoing process or the habit of praying. In contrast, помоли́ться describes a completed act of prayer or the act of praying for a specific, finite period of time. Additionally, while моли́ться refers to the act of worship, if you are specifically praying for a certain thing as a request, you might instead use проси́ть (to ask/beg) or моли́ть (to implore) depending on the intensity of the request.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default imperfective form моли́ться is used for ongoing or habitual actions. The perfective form помоли́ться is used to denote a completed or finite act of prayer.
How do you pronounce it?
molítʹsja
Did you know?
- The word моли́ться is a reflexive verb, meaning its literal structure is 'to pray oneself'.
- The word мо́литва for 'prayer' shares a root with the word мо́лчать, meaning 'to be silent', reflecting the contemplative nature of the act.
- In Russian Orthodox traditions, the act of 'praying' often involves the physical gesture of bowing or prostrating oneself, which is conceptually linked to the intensity of the verb used.
Examples in context
- Я хочу молиться перед сном.I want to pray before sleep.
- Мы всегда молимся перед едой.We always pray before eating.
- Я молюсь каждый день.I pray every day.
- Дай Бог! Будем молиться за твоё здоровье.God willing! We will pray for your health.
- Пусть твоя молитва будет услышана.May your prayer be heard.
- Мы будем моли́ться за ваше здоровье.My budem molitsya za vashe zdorovye.We will pray for your health.
- Он начал моли́ться перед сном.On nachal molitsya pered snom.He started to pray before sleep.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pray” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
