Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| говори́ть | govorítʹ | imperfective |
| разгова́ривать | razgovárivatʹ | imperfective |
The verb is used to describe the ability to communicate in a specific language or the act of saying something.
Which one should you use?
While говори́ть refers to the general ability to speak a language or the act of saying something, разгова́ривать implies a more prolonged, casual conversation or chatting. Additionally, the colloquial verb болтать is used for colloquial conversations or a laid-back style of speaking among friends, implying chatting.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing the ability to speak a language, use the preposition по- with the language name in the adverbial form (e.g., по-английски instead of just английский).
How do you pronounce it?
govorítʹ
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the direct object of the language (e.g., говорить английский) instead of the required adverbial form говорить по-английски.
Did you know?
- The colloquial word for chatting, болтать, is also used to describe the act of 'loosening' a screw or something wobbling.
- To say someone is 'talking nonsense' or 'babbling', Russians often use нести чепуху, where the verb нести literally means 'to carry'.
- In Russian, the phrase говори́ть за кого-то does not mean to speak a language, but to speak on someone's behalf or act as their spokesperson.
Examples in context
- Она́ мно́го улыба́лась, но не могла́ говори́ть по-япо́нски.She smiled a lot but she could not speak Japanese.This sentence shows how to use говори́ть when expressing an inability to speak a specific language.Tatoeba #3234368 by Wayawa, translation #2979586 by jeedrek
- Вы говорите по-английски?Do you speak English?
- Я говорю по-русски.I speak Russian.
- Он говорит хорошо.He speaks well.
- Она разговаривает с врачом.She is speaking with the doctor.
- Вы разговаривали с директором?Did you speak with the director?
- Они разговаривают на работе.They speak at work.
- Давай поговорим о путешествиях.Let's talk about travels.
- Я хочу поговорить с тобой по телефону.I want to talk to you on the phone.
- Они поговорили о новом фильме.They talked about the new movie.
- Давай болтать о чем-нибудь интересном.Let's chat about something interesting.
- Они часто болтают всю ночь.They often chat all night.
- Парни на углу болтают о футболе.The guys on the corner are chatting about football.
Example conversation
Olga and Aleksandr meet at a language exchange event.
- Ольга OlgaПривет! Ты говори́шь по-испа́нски?Privet! Ty govorish po-ispanski?Hi! Do you speak Spanish?
- Александр AleksandrНет, но я учу́сь говори́ть по-францу́зски.Net, no ya uchus govorit po-frantsuzski.No, but I am learning to speak French.
- Ольга OlgaО, это кру́то! А почему́ ты и́щешь партнёра?O, eto kruto! A pochemu ty ishchesh partnera?Oh, that's cool! Why are you looking for a partner?
- Александр AleksandrЯ хочу́ быть увере́ннее, когда́ бу́ду говори́ть.Ya khochu byt uverennee, kogda budu govorit.I want to be more confident when I speak.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “speak” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
