Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| сказа́ть | skazátʹ | perfective |
| говори́ть | govorítʹ | imperfective |
| сообща́ть | soobščátʹ | imperfective |
| сообщи́ть | soobščítʹ | perfective |
In Russian, the word for 'say' depends on whether you are focusing on the act of speaking, the completion of a specific statement or the act of conveying information. The verb сказа́ть is used when a specific thing is said once or a result is achieved. If you are reporting news or providing an official update, you should use the verbs сообща́ть or сообщи́ть.
Which one should you use?
Russian distinguishes between imperfective and perfective aspects. Use the imperfective говори́ть to describe the ongoing process of speaking or a general ability, such as being able to speak a language. Use the perfective сказа́ть to describe a completed action, like saying a specific thing once. While сказа́ть is the standard for 'to say', use the verbs сообща́ть (imperfective) or сообщи́ть (perfective) when the intent is to inform, report or convey specific news.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb сказать to mean 'to say something to someone', the person being spoken to must be in the dative case and the thing being said must be in the accusative case.
How do you pronounce it?
skazátʹ
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using говори́ть when you actually mean to convey a specific piece of information. говори́ть focuses on the act of vocalizing or the language being used, whereas сказа́ть is used for the specific message itself.
Did you know?
- While сказа́ть means 'to say', the root сказ is the basis for the word ска́зка, which means 'fairy tale' or 'folk tale'.
- In Russian, the phrase говори́ть can mean 'to talk' or 'to speak', but it can also be used in the context of 'talking' someone into something, similar to 'persuading'.
- The verb сообщи́ть is often the preferred choice in digital contexts, such as when a computer 'says' or 'notifies' you of an error, rather than using the more human-centric сказа́ть.
Examples in context
- Я говорю, что вы очень талантливы.I say that you are very talented.
- Я хочу сказать, что это правда.I want to say that it's true.
- Ты знаешь, он сказал, что это было смешно.You know, he said it was funny.
- Скажи ему, чтобы он пришёл встретить нас.Tell him to come and meet us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “say” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
