Infinitive (imperfective): люби́ть — "to love; to like (a standing feeling or habit)" Infinitive (perfective): полюби́ть — "to come to love, to take a liking to, to fall in love (the onset of the feeling)" Type: a regular second-conjugation verb whose perfective partner is built with the inceptive (inchoative) prefix по-
люби́ть is one of the first emotional verbs you learn — "I love you," "I love coffee," "do you like dancing?" — and its perfective partner полюби́ть hides a beautiful piece of Russian logic that English has no clean tool for. With ordinary action verbs, a prefix like по- adds completion (чита́ть → прочита́ть, "read it through"). But люби́ть names a state, not an action — and you cannot "complete" a feeling. So the prefix does something else: it marks the beginning of the state. полюби́ть is "to come to love," "to grow fond of," "to fall in love" — the moment the feeling switches on. This inceptive по- is a small productive family in Russian: полюби́ть "come to love," понра́виться "take a liking to," захоте́ть "come to want," почу́вствовать "begin to feel." Once you see the pattern, a whole class of perfectives stops looking arbitrary. The mechanics live on the meaning of perfective prefixes page.
Present tense (люби́ть, imperfective) — second conjugation, л-epenthesis
A perfective verb has no present tense, so only люби́ть has one. It is second-conjugation (-ишь endings), with one classic feature: the я-form inserts an -л- (люблю́, not *любю́). This epenthetic -л- appears in the 1st-person singular of all second-conjugation verbs whose stem ends in a labial (б, п, в, ф, м): люблю́, like куплю́ from купи́ть, гото́влю from гото́вить. After the я-form, the stress shifts back to the stem: лю́бишь, лю́бит.
| Person | люби́ть — PRESENT |
|---|---|
| я | люблю́ |
| ты | лю́бишь |
| он / она́ / оно́ | лю́бит |
| мы | лю́бим |
| вы | лю́бите |
| они́ | лю́бят |
The stress pattern is the common shifting type: end-stress only in the я-form (люблю́), stem-stress everywhere else (лю́бишь, лю́бит, лю́бим, лю́бите, лю́бят). Lock the contrast lyu-BLYU but LYU-bish. This present covers both the deep "love" and the lighter English "like (doing something)": Я люблю́ чита́ть "I like reading."
Я люблю́ тебя́ бо́льше всего́ на све́те.
I love you more than anything in the world. — люблю́ (я-form, end-stress, with the inserted -л-).
Ты лю́бишь гуля́ть по ве́черам?
Do you like going for walks in the evenings? — лю́бишь + infinitive, the 'like doing' sense; stem-stress.
Они́ не лю́бят, когда́ их перебива́ют.
They don't like being interrupted. — лю́бят, когда́…; a standing dislike, imperfective.
Past tense
A regular, gender-marked past off the -и- stem, with fixed stress on -би́- throughout for both members — no shifts. The interest here is entirely in meaning, not form.
| Gender / number | люби́ть (impf) | полюби́ть (pf) |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | люби́л | полюби́л |
| feminine | люби́ла | полюби́ла |
| neuter | люби́ло | полюби́ло |
| plural | люби́ли | полюби́ли |
This is where the inceptive logic becomes concrete. люби́л describes the feeling as it held — "I loved / I was in love / I used to love" — a state with duration. полюби́л marks the onset — "I came to love / I fell in love / I grew fond of" — the instant the feeling began and (the implication) has held ever since. So Я люби́л её means "I loved her (at that time)," while Я полюби́л её means "I fell in love with her / I came to love her."
Я полюби́л э́тот го́род с пе́рвого дня.
I fell in love with this city from day one. — полюби́л: the onset of the feeling; perfective.
В шко́ле я не люби́л матема́тику, а пото́м полюби́л.
At school I didn't like maths, but later I grew to love it. — люби́л (the lasting state) vs полюби́л (the turn that began it).
Она́ полюби́ла его́ не сра́зу.
She didn't fall for him right away. — feminine полюби́ла, the moment love set in.
Future tense
The pair forms its future the two standard ways — and the choice maps neatly onto the state/onset contrast.
- люби́ть (imperfective) → compound future: бу́ду люби́ть "I will love (keep loving)" — the feeling sustained over future time.
- полюби́ть (perfective) → simple future: полюблю́ "I will come to love / I will grow fond of" — the future onset of the feeling.
| Person | люби́ть → бу́ду люби́ть | полюби́ть → simple future |
|---|---|---|
| я | бу́ду люби́ть | полюблю́ |
| ты | бу́дешь люби́ть | полю́бишь |
| он / она́ / оно́ | бу́дет люби́ть | полю́бит |
| мы | бу́дем люби́ть | полю́бим |
| вы | бу́дете люби́ть | полю́бите |
| они́ | бу́дут люби́ть | полю́бят |
Notice that полюблю́ keeps the same shifting stress and -л- epenthesis as the present of люби́ть (полюблю́, but полю́бишь, полю́бит). The romantic vow "I will always love you" is the imperfective compound — Я всегда́ бу́ду люби́ть тебя́ — because it is about love enduring, not love starting.
Я бу́ду люби́ть тебя́ всегда́, что бы ни случи́лось.
I will love you always, no matter what happens. — бу́ду люби́ть: love sustained into the future; imperfective.
Дай ему́ вре́мя, и ты его́ полю́бишь.
Give him time, and you'll come to love him. — полю́бишь: the future onset of the feeling; perfective.
Imperative
The imperative splits by stem, and the aspect contrast carries an unusual nuance for a feeling verb.
| Addressee | люби́ть (impf) | полюби́ть (pf) |
|---|---|---|
| ты (informal) | люби́ | полюби́ |
| вы (formal / plural) | люби́те | полюби́те |
The imperfective Люби́! is the heart of a famous Russian proverb-style appeal: Люби́ и будь люби́м "Love and be loved." The perfective полюби́ has a memorable idiomatic life in the saying Полюби́ нас чёрненькими, а бе́ленькими нас вся́кий полю́бит — roughly "love us at our worst, anyone can love us at our best" — where полюби́ asks someone to take to you, flaws and all.
Люби́ свою́ рабо́ту, и она́ полю́бит тебя́.
Love your work, and it will love you back. — imperfective люби́ (sustained) vs perfective полю́бит (the response setting in).
Полюби́ э́ту страну́, и ты её не забу́дешь.
Grow to love this country, and you'll never forget it. — полюби́: let the feeling begin.
Participles and verbal adverbs
| Form | люби́ть (impf) | полюби́ть (pf) |
|---|---|---|
| present active participle | лю́бящий "loving" | — (perfectives have none) |
| past active participle | люби́вший | полюби́вший |
| past passive participle | люби́мый "beloved, favourite" | полю́бленный (rare) |
| verbal adverb | любя́ "lovingly / while loving" | полюби́в "having come to love" |
The standout is the present passive participle люби́мый, which has hardened into an everyday adjective meaning "favourite, beloved": люби́мый фильм "favourite film," люби́мый челове́к "the person one loves," люби́мая "darling, sweetheart." The active лю́бящий "loving" is the warm sign-off in letters: Лю́бящий тебя́… "Yours lovingly…".
Э́то моя́ люби́мая пе́сня, сде́лай погро́мче.
This is my favourite song, turn it up. — люби́мая, the participle frozen into 'favourite'.
Key uses & collocations
1. люби́ть / полюби́ть + accusative — the person or thing loved
The object loved is a direct object in the accusative: люби́ть му́зыку, ко́фе, Москву́, полюби́ть рабо́ту. With animate masculine nouns and pronouns the accusative is visible (люблю́ его́, полюби́ла бра́та). See the accusative direct object page.
Она́ лю́бит сы́на бо́льше жи́зни.
She loves her son more than life. — accusative сы́на (animate).
2. люби́ть + infinitive — "to like doing"
To say you like an activity, use люби́ть + an imperfective infinitive: люблю́ чита́ть "I like reading," лю́бит гото́вить "she likes cooking." English "like" and "love" both map here; this is one of the most common uses and is only ever imperfective.
Мы лю́бим ходи́ть в го́ры ле́том.
We love going hiking in the summer. — люби́ть + infinitive (ходи́ть).
3. полюби́ть = "fall in love / take a liking to"
Reserve полюби́ть for the turn — the moment a person warms to someone or something. It is the natural verb for "fall in love," "grow fond of," "take to." Pairing it with с пе́рвого взгля́да ("at first sight") or не сра́зу ("not right away") foregrounds the onset.
Они́ полюби́ли друг дру́га с пе́рвого взгля́да.
They fell in love at first sight. — полюби́ли + друг дру́га (each other); the onset.
4. The relatives: понра́виться and the inceptive family
For a milder "take a liking to," Russian more often uses понра́виться (also inceptive по-): Мне понра́вился фильм "I liked the film (it pleased me)." Compare полюби́ть, which is stronger and lasting. Both share the логика of по- = the feeling beginning.
Снача́ла кни́га мне не понра́вилась, но пото́м я её полюби́л.
At first I didn't like the book, but then I grew to love it. — понра́виться (mild liking) vs полюби́ть (deep, lasting); both inceptive по-.
Common Mistakes
❌ Я любю́ тебя́.
Form error — the я-form of люби́ть inserts an epenthetic -л-: люблю́, not *любю́. Every second-conjugation verb with a labial stem (б/п/в/ф/м) does this.
✅ Я люблю́ тебя́.
I love you.
❌ Я бу́ду полюби́ть э́тот го́род.
Aspect error — the бу́ду future needs an imperfective infinitive. The perfective полюби́ть makes its own simple future: полюблю́ (no бу́ду).
✅ Я полюблю́ э́тот го́род. / Я бу́ду люби́ть э́тот го́род.
I'll come to love this city. / I will love this city.
❌ Когда́ я был ребёнком, я полюби́л мо́ре. (meaning: I loved the sea then)
Aspect mismatch — for the lasting childhood state use the imperfective люби́л. The perfective полюби́л means the moment the love began, not the years it held.
✅ Когда́ я был ребёнком, я люби́л мо́ре.
When I was a child, I loved the sea.
❌ Я люблю́ чита́ю по вечера́м.
Construction error — 'like doing' takes люби́ть + INFINITIVE, not a conjugated verb: люблю́ чита́ть, not 'люблю́ чита́ю'.
✅ Я люблю́ чита́ть по вечера́м.
I like reading in the evenings.
❌ Я люблю́ о тебе́. / Я полюби́л в неё.
Government error — to love someone takes the accusative directly, no preposition: люблю́ тебя́, полюби́л её. No о/в is needed.
✅ Я люблю́ тебя́. Я полюби́л её.
I love you. I fell in love with her.
Key Takeaways
- по- on a state verb marks inception, not completion: полюби́ть = "to come to love / fall in love," the moment the feeling begins; люби́ть = the feeling while it lasts. The same inceptive по- runs through понра́виться, захоте́ть, почу́вствовать.
- Present (люби́ть only): люблю́ / лю́бишь / лю́бит / лю́бим / лю́бите / лю́бят — second conjugation, with the inserted -л- in люблю́ and shifting stress (end-stress only in the я-form).
- Past: люби́л (the state held) vs полюби́л (the onset) — fixed stress on -би́- for both.
- Future: imperfective compound бу́ду люби́ть (love enduring); perfective simple полюблю́ (love beginning).
- Imperative: люби́ (the sustained appeal) / полюби́ (let the feeling begin).
- Government:
- accusative (люби́ть му́зыку); люби́ть + infinitive for "like doing" (люблю́ чита́ть).
- The participle люби́мый has frozen into the adjective "favourite, beloved."
Now practice Russian
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Russian→Related Topics
- Verbal Aspect: The Big PictureA2 — Aspect is the spine of the Russian verb: nearly every verb belongs to a pair — imperfective (process, repetition, general fact) and perfective (a single completed whole with a result). This page explains the pair, the consequences for the tense system (perfectives have no present), and why you must decide 'process or result?' before you even pick a tense.
- Why This Prefix? Choosing the Perfective PartnerB2 — Which prefix perfectivizes a given imperfective is a lexical property you must learn WITH the verb, like gender (писа́ть→на-, чита́ть→про-, де́лать→с-). But many prefixes do more than perfectivize — they add a 'way of action' (спо́соб де́йствия): ЗА- begins, ПО- does a bit, ПРО- does throughout (or misses), ДО- finishes, ПЕРЕ- redoes, НА-...-СЯ does to satiety, РАЗ-...-СЯ gets going, ВЗ- does suddenly. Picking the wrong prefix often makes a DIFFERENT verb (переписа́ть 'rewrite' ≠ написа́ть 'write').
- Forming Aspect Pairs: PrefixationA2 — The commonest way the perfective is built: adding a prefix to an imperfective base. With a 'pure' perfectivizing prefix (про-, на-, с-, по-…) the meaning stays the same and only completion is added — but the prefix is lexically fixed and must be memorized per verb. Most other prefixes change the meaning and build a brand-new verb.
- Present Tense: Second ConjugationA1 — The second-conjugation present paradigm: говори́ть → говорю́, говори́шь, говори́т, говори́м, говори́те, говоря́т, with theme vowel -и-. Covers the Л-insertion model люби́ть → люблю́, the 1sg consonant mutation, and the spelling rule that gives слы́шу/слы́шат and учу́/у́чат after hushing consonants.
- Accusative: The Direct ObjectA1 — The accusative marks the direct object — the thing a transitive verb acts on directly. Verbs like чита́ть, смотре́ть, люби́ть, ви́деть, знать all take an accusative object (чита́ть кни́гу, люби́ть му́зыку). Because Russian word order is free, the case ending — not position — tells you which noun is being acted upon, so every direct object must be marked. Object pronouns (меня́, тебя́, его́, её, нас, вас, их) are accusative too.
- Хотеть (to want)A1 — Complete conjugation-and-usage reference for хоте́ть 'to want' — the famous mixed conjugation that is 1st-conjugation in the singular (хочу́, хо́чешь, хо́чет) and 2nd-conjugation in the plural (хоти́м, хоти́те, хотя́т), the past хоте́л, the perfective захоте́ть, the хочу́, что́бы… 'want someone to' construction, and impersonal хо́чется.