Third-Person Imperatives: Пусть and Пускай
When you want to give a command to a third party ("let him...", "let them...") or express a strong wish ("may it..."), Russian uses the particles пусть and пускай.
Пускай means exactly the same thing as пусть, but it is slightly more colloquial.
To form these third-person imperatives, simply place the particle at the beginning of the clause, followed by the subject and the verb in either the present or future tense. Use the present tense for ongoing or habitual actions.
| The king is free; let him rest every day. | Король свободен, пусть он отдыхает каждый день. |
| Let her receive flowers every week! | Пускай она получает цветы каждую неделю! |
Decrees and Commands
When issuing formal orders or decrees for a specific action to be completed, use пусть or пускай with a perfective verb in the future tense.
| This is the first decree. Let the minister sign the document. | Это первый указ. Пусть министр подпишет документ. |
| Let the new king sign this decree. | Пускай новый король подпишет этот указ. |
| The third decree is ready; let them read the text. | Третий указ готов, пускай они прочитают текст. |
Making Wishes and Toasts
Beyond direct commands, this structure is the standard way to make wishes or propose a toast (тост). In these contexts, пусть translates well to the English "may...".
You will frequently hear this when people raise a glass (бокал) to wish for luck (удача), happiness (счастье), or for a dream (мечта) to come true (сбываться).
| I want to raise the first glass. May luck always be with us! | Я хочу поднять первый бокал. Пусть удача всегда будет с нами! |
| May every dream come true faster! | Пусть каждая мечта сбывается быстрее! |
| May happiness and luck always be in this house. | Пускай счастье и удача всегда будут в этом доме. |
| This is my toast: let your dreams come true! | Это мой тост: пусть твои мечты сбываются! |
