Ty and vy: the polite you that takes a plural verb
Vy does two jobs: it speaks to several people at once, and it speaks politely to one. The verb after polite vy is plural all the same: vy govorite — you speak — even to a single person. For example: “Вы говорите по-русски?” — Do you speak Russian? A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Vy does two jobs: it speaks to several people at once, and it speaks politely to one. The verb after polite vy is plural all the same: vy govorite — you speak — even to a single person.
Ty is for family, friends, children and people your age. Moving from vy to ty is a small ceremony, and the elder or the woman offers it first: davayte na ty. Until the offer comes, stay on vy.
In letters the polite vy is sometimes written with a capital, a leftover of old formal style; ordinary text does not demand it.
Table
| To whom | Pronoun | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| a friend, a child | ty | ty govorish |
| a stranger, an elder | vy | vy govorite |
| two or more people | vy | vy govorite |
By example
- Вы говорите по-русски?Vy govorite po-russki?Do you speak Russian?
- А ты откуда?A ty otkuda?And where are you from?
- Давайте на ты!Davayte na ty!Let's switch to ty!
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Vy or ty: which one to use?
Ty is for family, friends, children and people your age. Moving from vy to ty is a small ceremony, and the elder or the woman offers it first: davayte na ty. Until the offer comes, stay on vy.
How to switch from vy to ty in Russian?
Ty is for family, friends, children and people your age. Moving from vy to ty is a small ceremony, and the elder or the woman offers it first: davayte na ty. Until the offer comes, stay on vy.
Why the polite vy takes a plural verb?
Vy does two jobs: it speaks to several people at once, and it speaks politely to one. The verb after polite vy is plural all the same: vy govorite — you speak — even to a single person.
Ty vs vy with strangers?
Ty is for family, friends, children and people your age. Moving from vy to ty is a small ceremony, and the elder or the woman offers it first: davayte na ty. Until the offer comes, stay on vy.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“Вы говорите по-русски?” (Vy govorite po-russki?) — Do you speak Russian? A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.