Personal Pronouns (Местоимения)
Pronouns are the most common words in spoken Russian: я (I) is the most frequent word of all, and ты, он, мы, вы are all in the top 15. Each pronoun changes form with its case, so "me" is меня or мне depending on its job. And you choose ты or вы every time you speak to someone.
Measured in spoken Russian
About 18 of every 100 words people say are pronouns (я, ты, это, он).
The eight subject pronouns
Unlike Spanish or Romanian, Russian usually keeps the subject pronoun: Я знаю (I know) is far more common than a bare Знаю. In the past tense the pronoun is needed, because the verb ending does not show the person.
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| я | I |
| ты | you (one friend, family) |
| он / она / оно | he / she / it |
| мы | we |
| вы | you (polite, or more than one) |
| они | they |
ты or вы
Use ты with friends, family, children and people your age in a relaxed setting. Use вы with strangers, older people, at work and in shops. вы is also the plural "you" for any group. If you are not sure, start with вы and wait for "давай на ты" (let's say ты).
Ты где?
Where are you?
to a friend
Вы не подскажете, где метро?
Could you tell me where the metro is?
to a stranger
Pronouns change with case
The same person has several forms. The ones you hear most: меня / мне (me / to me), тебя / тебе (you / to you), его / ему (him / to him), её / ей (her / to her), нас / нам, вас / вам, их / им.
Ты меня слышишь?
Can you hear me?
меня: the person you hear (accusative)
Мне нравится.
I like it.
мне: literally "to me it is pleasing" (dative)
Я тебя люблю.
I love you.
это: the word for "this is" and "it is"
это is the fourth most common word in Russian. It points at a thing or a situation and never changes: Это мой брат (This is my brother), Это правда (It's true).
Что это?
What is this?
Это не важно.
It doesn't matter.
Examples
Я не знаю.
I don't know.
Он мне сказал.
He told me.
Мы вас ждем.
We are waiting for you.
Их нет дома.
They are not home.
их: genitive after нет
| Subject | Object (whom) | To whom | After a preposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| я | меня | мне | у меня, со мной |
| ты | тебя | тебе | у тебя, с тобой |
| он | его | ему | у него, с ним |
| она | её | ей | у неё, с ней |
| мы | нас | нам | у нас, с нами |
| вы | вас | вам | у вас, с вами |
| они | их | им | у них, с ними |
Common mistakes
- ✗ Я нравится. → ✓ Мне нравится. (the person who likes is in the dative)
- ✗ у его → ✓ у него (он, она, они take an н- after a preposition)
- Saying ты to a stranger or a shop assistant sounds rude. Start with вы.
Lookup tips
- If a pronoun starts with н- (него, ней, них), a preposition stands just before it.
- его can mean "him" or "his": "Я его знаю" (I know him), "его машина" (his car).
Frequently asked questions
When do I use ты and when вы?
ты for one person you know well (friends, family, children). вы for strangers, older people, at work, and for any group of two or more.
Can I drop the pronoun like in Spanish?
Sometimes, in short answers (Знаю. Понял.), but most of the time Russian keeps it. In the past tense you need it, because был can be я, ты or он.
Why is "I like" мне нравится and not я нравится?
Russian turns the sentence around: the thing you like is the subject, and you are "to whom" it is pleasing, so you are in the dative: мне.