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To make a polite request or express a wish in Russian, you can use the phrase **я хотел бы** or **я хотела бы** (I would like). It is much softer and more polite than saying "I want."

This phrase uses the past tense of the verb "to want" (**хотеть**) paired with the conditional particle **бы** (would).

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Because it uses the past tense form, the verb must match the gender and number of the person speaking.

| Subject | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| I (masculine) | **я хотел бы** | I would like |
| I (feminine) | **я хотела бы** | I would like |
| We (plural) | **мы хотели бы** | We would like |

### With an infinitive verb

You can follow **хотел(а) бы** with an infinitive verb to politely state what you want to do, such as trying food, paying, or returning an item.

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If you are speaking about someone else, the same rules apply. Match the verb to their gender or number.

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### With a noun

You can also use **хотел(а) бы** directly with a noun to ask for something. The thing you are asking for is the direct object, so it takes the accusative case.

Notice that for inanimate masculine nouns like **столик** (table) or **счёт** (bill), the accusative form is exactly the same as the dictionary form.

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Polite requests (я хотел бы)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

predicative

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Presentative (это)

Noun gender

Soft-sign nouns (-ь)

Subject pronouns (я, ты, он...)

Yes/no questions (да / нет)

Basic interrogatives (кто / что)

Basic negation (не)

Coordinating conjunctions (и / а)

Possessive pronouns (мой, твой, наш, ваш)

Demonstrative pronouns (этот, эта, это)

Adjective agreement

Which and whose (какой, чей)

First conjugation verbs, singular (-ать)

First conjugation verbs, plural (-ать)

Second conjugation verbs (-ить)

Irregular present tense verbs

Adverbs of manner (как, очень)

Locations in prepositional case (в / на)

Prepositional case modifiers (-ом, -ой)

Topics of speech (о, об)

Direct objects (-у, -ю)

Direct object pronouns (меня, тебя)

Verbs of motion (идти, ехать)

Destination (куда, в, на)

Plural nouns (-ы, -и, -а, -я)

Irregular plural nouns (друзья, дети)

Plural adjectives and pronouns (-ые, -ие)

Numbers 1 to 10 (один, два, три)

Possession with pronouns (у меня есть)

Possession with nouns (-а, -я, -ы, -и)

Genitive of negation (нет)

Numbers 2, 3, and 4

Quantities with mass nouns (сколько, много, мало)

Animate direct objects

The past tense of to be (был, была, было, были)

Regular past tense verbs

Time sequence expressions (вчера, завтра, раньше, потом)

Verb aspect in the past tense

Dative personal pronouns (мне, тебе, ему)

Expressing likes (нравится, нравятся)

Absence (нет)

Expressing age (год, года, лет)

Indirect objects (-у, -ю, -е)

Modal verbs (хотеть, мочь)

Reason and contrast (поэтому, но)

Double negation (ничего, никогда)

Reflexive verbs (-ся, -сь)

Polite requests and instructions (-ите, -йте)

Days of the week (в + Accusative)

Compound future tense (буду...)

Simple future tense

Accompaniment (с)

Multidirectional verbs of motion (ходить, ездить)

Greetings and goodbyes (здравствуйте, привет)

Thank you and sorry (спасибо, извините)

Countries and languages (русский, английский)

Meeting people (меня зовут, как дела)

Public transport (трамвай, остановка)

Left, right and the compass (слева, справа)

Places in the city (цирк, зоопарк)

Fruit and vegetables (помидор, огурец)

Post and travel (открытка, чемодан)

Family and relatives (внук, родственник)

Jobs and professions (инженер, продавец)

Sport and games (футбол, теннис)

Describing people (умный, сильный)

Health and the body (болен, здоровье)

The months of the year (январь, февраль)

Accusative feminine and inanimate adjectives (-ую, -юю)

Accusative animate masculine adjectives (-ого, -его)

Short-form adjectives (готов, занят)

Personal obligation (должен, должна)

Professions in the instrumental case

Genitive singular adjectives and possessives

Prepositions of absence and purpose (без, для)

Dative singular adjectives and possessives

Impersonal states (мне холодно)

Impersonal obligation (надо, нужно)

Impersonal permission (можно / нельзя)

Instrumental adjectives and pronouns

Reciprocal verbs (с + Instrumental)

Reflexive possessive pronouns (свой)

Reflexive pronouns (себя)

Specific indefinite pronouns (-то)

Non-specific indefinite pronouns (-нибудь)

Negative pronouns (никто / ничто)

Numbers 11 to 20

Question	Answer
would (conditional particle) / concessive particle	бы
small table	столик
I would like to order a table for today.	Я хотел бы заказать столик на сегодня.
separate	отдельный
We would like a separate table, please.	Мы хотели бы отдельный столик, пожалуйста.
to try	попробовать
dessert	десерт
I would like to try this dessert.	Я хотела бы попробовать этот десерт.
He would like to try your coffee.	Он хотел бы попробовать ваш кофе.
They would like to order dessert, because it is delicious.	Они хотели бы заказать десерт, потому что он вкусный.
I would like to buy this souvenir.	Я хотела бы купить этот сувенир.
The boy would like to take this juice.	Мальчик хотел бы взять этот сок.
cash	наличные
I would like to pay with cash.	Я хотела бы заплатить наличными.
We would like to get cash.	Мы хотели бы получить наличные.
to return	вернуть
I would like to return this item.	Я хотел бы вернуть эту вещь.
She would like to return the ticket, but it is already late.	Она хотела бы вернуть билет, но уже поздно.
view	вид
I would like this room, because the view there is beautiful.	Я хотел бы этот номер, потому что там красивый вид.
The tourist would like to see this museum.	Турист хотел бы посмотреть этот музей.
double	двухместный
I would like a double room for tomorrow.	Я хотел бы двухместный номер на завтра.
We would like a double room, please.	Мы хотели бы двухместный номер, пожалуйста.
I would like a separate bill, please.	Я хотела бы отдельный счёт, пожалуйста.
glass	стакан
I would like a table with a view and a glass of water.	Я хотел бы столик с видом и стакан воды.
We would like one more glass of juice, please.	Мы хотели бы ещё один стакан сока, пожалуйста.
to order (imperfective)	заказывать
I would like to order soup.	Я хотел бы заказать суп.
We order tickets in advance.	Мы заказываем билеты заранее.
to pass, to hand over	передавать
We hand over the documents.	Мы передаём документы.
I am passing him the letter.	Я передаю ему письмо.

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