Russian participles

Russian participles can be active, present or past.

Active present participles[edit]

The active present participle can only be formed using an imperfective verb, since only these verbs can express a process. A participlecan easily be replaced with the construction который + verb: Человек, читающий книгу. = Человек, который читает книгу. Спортсмен, занимающийся плаванием. = Спортсмен, который занимается плаванием. Девушка, идущая по улице. = Девушка, которая идёт по улице. Друзья, разговаривающие в кафе. = Друзья, которые разговаривают в кафе.

Active participles can have gender and number forms which depend on the main noun (the doer). As the participle is a mixed form of the verb and the adjective, it can be active or passive, present or past as well as the verb. Also it changes in persons, numbers, genders and cases as the adjective does. The participle agrees in all these variables with a related noun.

Active past participles[edit]

An active past participle can be formed using either an imperfective or perfective verb. The choice depends on what you intend to say. An easy way to check whetherthe choice is correct is to replace the participle with the construction “который + verb in the past tense”. There is no difference between forming participles derived from imperfective or perfective verbs.

Passive present participles[edit]

Passive present participles can only be formed using imperfective verbs. The choice of the correct ending for the participle depends on the group the verb belongs to. Passive participles can be replaced with the following constructions with который. Just like in all constructions with passive, the subject is in instrumental case.

Журнал, читаемый студентом. = Журнал, читаемый студентом. Задача, решаемая учеником. = Задача, решаемая учеником. История, рассказываемая мамой. = История, рассказываемая мамой. Задание, проверяемое преподавателем. = Задание, проверяемое преподавателем.

Passive past participles[edit]

Passive past participles can only be formed using perfective verbs, as they imply result and completion. The choice of the correct ending for the participle dependson the group the verb belongs to. Passive participles can be replaced with constructions using который. Just like in all constructions with passive, the subject is in instrumental case.