Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Russian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Я стою в лифте.
Why is the verb стою used instead of something like стояю?
The first-person singular of the imperfective verb стоять is irregular: you say я стою, not стояю.
Why is лифт in the form лифте?
Because you’re talking about location inside something. You use the preposition в with the prepositional case. Masculine nouns ending in a consonant add -е, so лифт → в лифте.
Why don’t we see any articles (like “the” or “a”) in the Russian sentence?
Russian has no articles. Definite or indefinite sense is understood from context, so you simply say в лифте without “the” or “a.”
Can you drop Я and just say Стою в лифте?
Yes. Russian is a pro-drop language, so subject pronouns are optional when the verb ending makes the person clear. Including я adds emphasis (“I myself am standing…”).
What’s the difference between стоять and постоять?
Стоять is imperfective: it describes an ongoing action (“to be standing”). Постоять is perfective: it means “to stand (for a while, as a single complete action).”
Does the present tense стою mean “I am standing” or just “I stand”?
Russian doesn’t distinguish simple vs. continuous in the present. Я стою covers both “I stand” and “I am standing” (i.e. a current action).
Where do you put the stress in стою and лифте?
In стою the stress is on the second syllable: стою. In лифте it stays on the root: лифте.