Questions & Answers about Не уходи, пожалуйста, мы ещё не договорились о плане.
Why is it Не уходи and not Не уходишь?
Because Не уходи is the imperative (a command/request): (you) don’t leave / don’t go.
Не уходишь is present tense indicative: you aren’t leaving (a statement), not a request.
What does the не + imperative mean here? Is it the same as English don’t?
Yes. Не + imperative is the standard way to say don’t (do something) in Russian:
- Уходи! = Leave!
- Не уходи! = Don’t leave!
Why is it уходи (imperfective) and not уйди (perfective)?
Both are possible, but they differ in nuance:
- Не уходи (imperfective) often sounds like Don’t leave / Don’t go away (stay here)—focused on the process/continuation of leaving or the idea of not departing now / not going away.
- Не уйди (perfective) is less common and can sound more like Don’t leave (at some point) / Don’t end up leaving—more focused on the single completed act of leaving.
In everyday polite requests, Не уходи is very natural.