Describing Results and States
When traveling or booking accommodations, you will often describe the state of things resulting from a completed action—like saying a room is "booked" or a bill is "paid." In Russian, this is done using short past passive participles.
These words act like short-form adjectives. They describe the state of a subject, and in the present tense, the verb "to be" is omitted.
Agreement in Gender and Number
Short passive participles agree with the subject in gender and number.
Masculine forms end in a consonant (-н, -ен, or -т). For feminine, neuter, and plural forms, add the standard short-adjective endings:
- Masculine: -н / -ен / -т
- Feminine: -на / -ена / -та
- Neuter: -но / -ено / -то
- Plural: -ны / -ены / -ты
Notice how the participle changes to match masculine, feminine, and plural subjects:
| Your room is already booked and paid for. | Ваш номер уже забронирован и оплачен. |
| This expensive service is not included in the price. | Эта дорогая услуга не включена в цену. |
| Your documents are processed; here is your key. | Документы оформлены, вот ваш ключ. |
Formation from Perfective Verbs
These participles are formed from perfective verbs (verbs that express a completed action). For example, the perfective verb забронировать (to book) becomes the participle забронирован (booked).
| The order is confirmed, you booked a double room. | Заказ подтверждён, вы забронировали двухместный номер. |
| The room is excellently equipped: there is a TV and an air conditioner here. | Номер отлично оборудован: здесь есть телевизор и кондиционер. |
Using the Past Tense
To say that something was in a certain state, add the past tense of быть (to be) before the participle. Both the helper verb and the participle must agree with the subject's gender and number.
| This hotel was built recently; it is much better than the old one. | Этот отель был построен недавно, он намного лучше старого. |
| Who knows when this station was built? | Кто знает, когда был построен этот вокзал? |
Combining Multiple States
When dealing with multiple subjects, ensure each participle agrees with its respective noun.
| The check-in is finished, but your air conditioner is for some reason not turned on. | Регистрация закончена, но ваш кондиционер почему-то не включён. |
