Every Ukrainian verb belongs to one of two conjugation classes — the first (пе́рша дієвідмі́на) and the second (дру́га дієвідмі́на) — and the class decides the verb's present-tense endings (and the endings of the one-word synthetic future built on them). Learn the two endings sets below and the diagnostic that tells them apart, and you can conjugate the present of thousands of verbs. The crucial warning up front: unlike Spanish, where the infinitive ending (-ar / -er / -ir) reliably sorts verbs into groups, the Ukrainian infinitive does not reveal the class — both -ати and -ити verbs live in each conjugation. You read the class off the present stem, not the infinitive. This page gives you both full paradigms, the fast diagnostic, and the stem changes to expect.
First conjugation (пе́рша дієвідмі́на): the -е-/-є- class
The first conjugation carries the theme vowel -е- (or -є- after a vowel) through the present, and ends the 3rd-person plural in -уть / -ють. The full ending set:
-у/-ю, -еш/-єш, -е/-є, -емо/-ємо, -ете/-єте, -уть/-ють
Model 1: чита́ти "to read" (vowel stem, fully regular)
| Person | Form | Ending |
|---|---|---|
| я | чита́ю | -ю |
| ти | чита́єш | -єш |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | чита́є | -є |
| ми | чита́ємо | -ємо |
| ви | чита́єте | -єте |
| вони́ | чита́ють | -ють |
After the vowel-final stem чита-, the endings appear in their -є-/-ю shape. This is the gentlest pattern in the language — most -ати verbs (працюва́ти → працю́ю, працю́єш; зна́ти → зна́ю, зна́єш; гра́ти → гра́ю) follow it exactly.
Я чита́ю перед сном, а вони́ чита́ють у доро́зі — кому́ як зручні́ше.
I read before bed, and they read while travelling — whatever suits each of us. (чита́ю / чита́ють — first conjugation.)
Model 2: писа́ти "to write" (consonant-stem with a stem change)
Many first-conjugation verbs have a consonant stem and take the -у/-еш shape — and several change the final stem consonant in the present. Писа́ти is the classic: the с → ш change runs through the entire present.
| Person | Form | Ending |
|---|---|---|
| я | пишу́ | -у |
| ти | пи́шеш | -еш |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | пи́ше | -е |
| ми | пи́шемо | -емо |
| ви | пи́шете | -ете |
| вони́ | пи́шуть | -уть |
Я пишу́ йому́ щодня́, а він пи́ше раз на мі́сяць — нерівноці́нне листува́ння.
I write to him every day, and he writes once a month — an unequal correspondence. (пишу́ / пи́ше: с→ш throughout.)
So even though писа́ти has the same -ати infinitive as чита́ти, it is still first conjugation (3pl пи́шуть, theme -е-) but follows the consonant-stem sub-pattern. Other first-conjugation models worth knowing: нести́ "to carry" (несу́, несе́ш, несе́, несемо́, несете́, несу́ть) and могти́ "to be able" (мо́жу, мо́жеш, мо́же, мо́жемо, мо́жете, мо́жуть, with г→ж). For the systematic list of present stem changes, see stem changes in the present.
Я не мо́жу зара́з говори́ти — передзвоню́ за п’ять хвили́н.
I can't talk right now — I'll call back in five minutes. (мо́жу: first conjugation, г→ж.)
Second conjugation (дру́га дієвідмі́на): the -и-/-ї- class
The second conjugation carries the theme vowel -и- (or -ї- after a vowel) and ends the 3rd-person plural in -ать / -ять. The full ending set:
-у/-ю, -иш/-їш, -ить/-їть, -имо/-їмо, -ите/-їте, -ать/-ять
Model 1: говори́ти "to speak" (regular)
| Person | Form | Ending |
|---|---|---|
| я | говорю́ | -ю |
| ти | гово́риш | -иш |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | гово́рить | -ить |
| ми | гово́римо | -имо |
| ви | гово́рите | -ите |
| вони́ | гово́рять | -ять |
Ми гово́римо про се́рйозні ре́чі, а ти гово́риш про пого́ду.
We're talking about serious things, and you're talking about the weather. (гово́римо / гово́риш — second conjugation.)
The tell-tale form is гово́рить "he speaks" with its -ить ending — set it beside the first-conjugation чита́є "he reads" and you have the cleanest one-glance contrast between the classes.
Model 2: бачити "to see," любити "to love," носити "to carry"
These show the second conjugation's typical behaviour, including the consonant change that affects only the 1st-person singular (unlike писа́ти, where the change runs through the whole present).
| Person | ба́чити | люби́ти | носи́ти |
|---|---|---|---|
| я | ба́чу | люблю́ | ношу́ |
| ти | ба́чиш | лю́биш | но́сиш |
| він/вона́/воно́ | ба́чить | лю́бить | но́сить |
| ми | ба́чимо | лю́бимо | но́симо |
| ви | ба́чите | лю́бите | но́сите |
| вони́ | ба́чать | лю́блять | но́сять |
Note люблю́ and ношу́: люби́ти inserts an -л- in the 1sg (б→бл: люблю́), and носи́ти changes с→ш in the 1sg only (ношу́), then both go quietly regular from the "ти" form on (лю́биш, но́сиш). The 3rd-plural лю́блять, но́сять, ба́чать confirm the second conjugation.
Я люблю́ зи́му, а мої́ ді́ти лю́блять лі́то — ні́як не дійдемо́ зго́ди.
I love winter, and my kids love summer — we can never agree. (люблю́ with -л- insert; лю́блять in 3pl.)
Model 3: сто́яти "to stand" (after a vowel, -ї- shape)
After a vowel the second-conjugation endings take their -ї- form:
Чому́ ти сто́їш надво́рі? Захо́дь, тут те́пло.
Why are you standing outside? Come in, it's warm here. (сто́їш — second conjugation, -ї- after a vowel; 3pl стоя́ть.)
The diagnostic, side by side
Put the two "he/she" forms and the two 3rd-plurals next to each other and the split is unmissable:
| First (пе́рша) | Second (дру́га) | |
|---|---|---|
| theme vowel | -е- / -є- | -и- / -ї- |
| "he/she" (3sg) | чита́є, пи́ше | гово́рить, ба́чить |
| "they" (3pl) | чита́ють, пи́шуть | гово́рять, ба́чать |
| ending in -уть/-ють? | yes → first | no |
| ending in -ать/-ять? | no | yes → second |
The single fastest check, again: чита́є vs гово́рить. If "he does it" ends in -є/-е, it's first conjugation; if it ends in -ить/-їть, it's second.
Why the infinitive can't be trusted
It is tempting to assume that all -ити verbs are second conjugation and all -ати verbs are first. They are not. The infinitive is the wrong place to look:
| Infinitive | 3sg | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| чита́ти (-ати) | чита́є | first |
| писа́ти (-ати) | пи́ше | first |
| лежа́ти (-ати) | лежи́ть | second (note the -ить!) |
| говори́ти (-ити) | гово́рить | second |
| роби́ти (-ити) | ро́бить | second |
Лежа́ти is the trap: a -ати infinitive that is firmly second conjugation (лежу́, лежи́ш, лежи́ть, лежа́ть). This is exactly why you must memorise each verb's present stem, not just its infinitive — the present is where the class lives.
Кни́жка лежи́ть на столі́, а окуля́ри лежа́ть під нею.
The book is lying on the table, and the glasses are lying under it. (лежи́ть / лежа́ть — second conjugation despite the -ати infinitive.)
Source-language comparison
For an English speaker coming through Spanish or another textbook tradition, the instinct is to sort verbs by their infinitive ending, the way Spanish -ar / -er / -ir works. Drop that instinct. In Ukrainian the infinitive is a poor predictor; the present theme vowel and the 3rd-plural ending are what define the class. The practical habit: when you learn a new verb, learn it as a small set — infinitive plus the "я," "ти," and "вони́" present forms (чита́ти: чита́ю, чита́єш, чита́ють) — so the conjugation is baked in from the start.
For a Russian speaker, the two-conjugation system maps almost one-to-one onto Russian's (first conjugation = -е-/-ут, second = -и-/-ат), so the framework transfers cleanly. The differences are in the forms: Ukrainian keeps the full -ть in the 3rd singular (чита́є but гово́рить, ба́чить — Russian drops the т-sound differently), uses the -ї- shapes after vowels (сто́їш, стоя́ть), and has its own stem-change details. Trust the structure; relearn the endings.
Common Mistakes
❌ Він говоря́є. (first-conjugation ending on a second-conjugation verb)
Incorrect — говори́ти is second conjugation: 3sg is гово́рить, not *говоря́є.
✅ Він гово́рить.
He speaks — second conjugation, -ить.
❌ Вони́ чита́ять. (second-conjugation 3pl on a first-conjugation verb)
Incorrect — чита́ти is first conjugation: 3pl is чита́ють, not *чита́ять.
✅ Вони́ чита́ють.
They read — first conjugation, -ють.
❌ Я писа́ю листа́. (treating писа́ти as a vowel-stem -аю verb)
Incorrect — писа́ти has a consonant stem with с→ш: 1sg is пишу́, not *писа́ю.
✅ Я пишу́ листа́.
I'm writing a letter — пишу́, с→ш.
❌ Кни́жка лежа́є на столі́. (assuming -ати → first conjugation)
Incorrect — лежа́ти is SECOND conjugation despite its -ати infinitive: 3sg is лежи́ть.
✅ Кни́жка лежи́ть на столі́.
The book is lying on the table — лежи́ть, second conjugation.
❌ Я любю́ зи́му. (missing the -л- insert)
Incorrect — люби́ти inserts -л- in the 1sg: я люблю́.
✅ Я люблю́ зи́му.
I love winter — люблю́, б→бл in the 1sg.
Key Takeaways
- Every verb is first (пе́рша) or second (дру́га) conjugation, and the class sets the present (and synthetic-future) endings.
- First = theme vowel -е-/-є-, 3pl -уть/-ють (чита́ю, чита́єш, чита́є... чита́ють; пишу́, пи́шеш... пи́шуть).
- Second = theme vowel -и-/-ї-, 3pl -ать/-ять (говорю́, гово́риш, гово́рить... гово́рять; ба́чу, ба́чиш... ба́чать).
- Fast diagnostic: 3pl -уть/-ють → first, -ать/-ять → second; or чита́є (first) vs гово́рить (second) in the 3rd singular.
- The infinitive is unreliable (лежа́ти is second despite -ати) — memorise each verb's present stem, and watch the stem changes (писа́ти → пишу́; люби́ти → люблю́; носи́ти → ношу́).
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Start learning Ukrainian→Related Topics
- The Ukrainian Verb System: OverviewA1 — A map of the whole verb system: every verb belongs to an ASPECT pair (imperfective читати / perfective прочитати), splits into one of two CONJUGATIONS (читаю vs говорю), and runs through a present (imperfective only), a gendered past (читав / читала), and TWO futures — the analytic буду читати and the one-word synthetic читатиму that Russian lacks — plus the conditional, the imperative, and reflexive -ся verbs.
- Present Tense: First ConjugationA1 — The first conjugation (пе́рша дієвідмі́на) takes the present endings -у/-ю, -еш/-єш, -е/-є, -емо/-ємо, -ете/-єте, -уть/-ють, built on the theme vowel -е-/-є- with a 3pl in -уть/-ють. Drill three models: vowel-stem чита́ти (чита́ю, чита́єш…), consonant-stem нести́ (несу́, несе́ш…), mutating писа́ти (пишу́, пи́шеш…), могти́ (можу́…), and the huge -увати/-ювати class (працюва́ти → працю́ю).
- Present Tense: Second ConjugationA1 — The second conjugation (друга дієвідміна) takes the present endings -у/-ю, -иш/-їш, -ить/-їть, -имо/-їмо, -ите/-їте, -ать/-ять, built on the theme vowel -и-/-ї- with a 3pl in -ать/-ять. Drill three models: regular говори́ти (говорю́, гово́риш, гово́рить… гово́рять), labial+л in the 1sg люби́ти (люблю́, лю́биш… лю́блять), and dental mutation in the 1sg ходи́ти (ходжу́, хо́диш… хо́дять) and ба́чити (ба́чу, ба́чиш… ба́чать — -ать, not -ять, after the hushing ч). The key insight: the mutation is confined to the я-form.
- Present-Stem Consonant ChangesA2 — When you form the present stem, a stem-final consonant often mutates: д→дж, т→ч, з→ж, с→ш, ст→щ, and any labial (б п в м ф) inserts an epenthetic -л-. In the second conjugation this happens only in the 1sg (ходи́ти→ходжу́, but хо́диш); in the first conjugation it runs through the whole present (писа́ти→пишу́, пи́шеш…). The mutations are regular, so you can derive the tricky я-form instead of memorising it.
- The Present Tense: OverviewA1 — The present tense (тепе́рішній час) is formed only from imperfective verbs — perfectives have no present, their 'present' form is actually future. One Ukrainian form covers English 'I read', 'I am reading' and 'I do read' (no progressive/simple split), the subject pronoun is usually dropped, and the verb 'to be' has no present form in neutral statements (Він студе́нт, not *Він є студе́нт).
- The Synthetic Future (читатиму)A2 — Ukrainian's distinctive one-word imperfective future (про́ста фо́рма майбу́тнього ча́су): take the imperfective infinitive whole — keeping its -ти — and fuse on the enclitic endings -му, -меш, -ме, -мемо, -мете, -муть. чита́ти → чита́тиму, чита́тимеш, чита́тиме, чита́тимемо, чита́тимете, чита́тимуть; говори́ти → говори́тиму; роби́ти → роби́тиму; ходи́ти → ходи́тиму. The endings descend from a fused old 'have' (я́ти); the stress stays where the infinitive carries it. It works ONLY with imperfectives (no *прочита́тиму), so it always carries ongoing/repeated meaning, and it is fully equivalent to бу́ду + infinitive — but more compact, very common, and with NO Russian counterpart.