In Russian you can use the verb “любить” to say that you love or like something or someone. You can negate it to say you dislike. To express a stronger feeling there is “ненавидеть” which means “to hate”. The English like verses love distinction (as in “Do you like him or do you love him?”) has no direct equivalent in Russian.
Subject and Verb |
Translation |
Direct Object |
Notes |
Я (не)1 люблю́ |
I love (not) |
чай |
When the direct object is a person or a concrete thing, use the accusative case. |
Мы (не)1 лю́бим |
We love (not) |
шокола́д |
|
Ты (не)1 лю́бишь |
Thou lovest (not) |
ры́бу |
|
Вы (не)1 лю́бите |
You love (not) |
ку́рицу |
|
Он/Она/Оно (не)1 лю́бит |
He/She/It loves (not) |
тебя́ |
|
Они (не)1 лю́бят |
They love (not) |
его |
|
Он (не)1 люби́л |
He loved (not) |
А́нну |
|
Она (не)1 люби́ла | She loved (not) | Ива́на |
|
Оно (не)1 люби́ло |
It loved (not) |
па́пу | |
Они (не)1 люби́ли |
They loved (not) |
ма́му |
|
Лю́бишь ли2 ты |
Doest thou love |
вопро́сы/вопро́сов1 |
Use the genitive case for abstract direct objects of negated verbs. |
Лю́бите ли2 вы |
Do you love |
э́ту войну́/э́той войны́1 |
|
Я ненави́жу |
I hate |
сомне́ния/сомне́ний1 |
|
Мы ненави́дим |
We hate |
чита́ть |
To say how someone feels about an activity use a verb in the infinitive. This verb can have direct and indirect objects. Adverbs and prepositional phrases can describe its action. The only part of a complete sentence it cannot have is a subject. |
Ты ненави́дишь |
Thou hatest |
чита́ть Би́блию |
|
Вы ненави́дите |
You hate |
изуча́ть |
|
Он/Она/Оно ненави́дит |
He/She/It hates |
изуча́ть Би́блию |
|
Они ненави́дят |
They hate |
рабо́тать |
|
Ненави́дишь ли2 ты |
Doest thou hate |
разгова́ривать с людьми́ |
|
Ненави́дите ли2 вы |
Do you hate |
страда́ть |
|
помога́ть други́м |
|||
пропове́довать |
|||
1Use the optional “не” to say “to love not” which means “to dislike”. If the direct object is an abstract noun, it is frequently put in the genitive case rather than the usual accusative.
2The particle “ли” is used mainly in written Russian to indicate a question. In spoken Russian question inflection usually suffices. Beginners can use the written form when speaking until they learn the inflection.
Word order is flexible. For example, the thing loved or hated can be placed between the subject and verb:
Я вопро́сов не люблю́. | I dislike questions. |
With proper inflexion the statements made with this generator can be turned into questions. You can choose to start with either a positive or a negative statement in order to indicate which answer you are expecting:
Вы люби́те дете́й? | You like children, don't you? |
Вы не люби́те дете́й? | You don't like children, do you? |