Learn Hardcore Russian: Я устаю после долгой прогулки.

In Russian, subject pronouns are optional because the verb ending already indicates person and number. You can drop я and say Устаю после долгой прогулки, and it will still mean “I get tired after a long walk.” Including я adds emphasis or clarity.

Why is устаю in the present tense when in English we might say “I got tired”?

Here устаю (imperfective present) expresses a general or habitual action: “I get tired after a long walk.” If you want to describe a single past event, use the perfective past: Я устал после долгой прогулки (“I got tired after a long walk”).

What’s the difference between the verbs уставать and устать?

Уставать is imperfective (“to get tired” as an ongoing or habitual process). Устать is its perfective counterpart (“to become tired” showing a completed action). For habitual you say устаю, for a one-time result you say устал or устану (future perfective).

Why is после followed by the genitive case, and why is прогулка in genitive as прогулки?

The preposition после always requires the genitive. Therefore прогулка (nominative) becomes прогулки in the genitive singular to agree with после.