писа́ть
pisátʹimperfective
To write in Russian is писа́ть (pisátʹ). Wiktionary also lists написа́ть (napisátʹ).
Meaning: to form letters, etc. (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| писа́ть | pisátʹ | imperfective |
| написа́ть | napisátʹ | perfective |
The verb is used to describe the act of forming letters or composing text.
Which one should you use?
The imperfective form писа́ть is used when discussing the process of writing or describing a habitual action. The perfective form написа́ть is used to emphasize a single finished act of writing or the completion of a piece of writing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperfective verb писа́ть uses the present tense form пи́шет for a third-person singular subject. For the perfective verb написа́ть, the past tense for a masculine subject is написа́л and for a feminine subject is написа́ла. The third-person singular future tense of написа́ть is напи́шет.
How do you pronounce it?
pisátʹ
Did you know?
- The verb писа́ть is used not only for writing with a pen but also for painting a picture. A Russian artist does not just 'paint' a portrait, they пи́шут it.
- When using a computer, a Russian speaker might say they are 'typing' using the verb печа́тать, which is the same verb used for 'printing' a document on paper.
- While English uses 'write' for digital texts, Russian speakers sometimes use писа́ть for texting, but they also use the slang verb строчи́ть to describe writing something very quickly.
Examples in context
- Я люблю писа́ть стихи.Ya lyublyu pisat' stikhi.I love to write poems.
Example conversation
Ekaterina and Sergey are talking about a new hobby.
- Екатерина EkaterinaСергей, ты любишь писа́ть?Sergey, ty lyubish' pisat'?Sergey, do you like to write?
- Сергей SergeyДа, я пишу короткие рассказы.Da, ya pishu korotkiye rasskazy.Yes, I write short stories.
- Екатерина EkaterinaЭто очень интересное хобби.Eto ochen' interesnoye khobbi.That is a very interesting hobby.
- Сергей SergeyСпасибо, Екатерина.Spasibo, Ekaterina.Thank you, Ekaterina.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “write” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
