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Russian grammar Part of Chapter 1

CEFR A1

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Test yourself (21 questions)

Russian Subject Pronouns: я, ты, вы and он for Things

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 11 October 2026

Russian has eight subject pronouns, the words for I, you, he and the rest. Two choices make them different from English: or for you, and , or for it, chosen by the noun's gender.

RussianLatin lettersEnglish
yaI
tyyou (one person you know)
onhe, it
onáshe, it
onóit
mywe
vyyou (polite or plural)
oníthey

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

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The eight pronouns

The Latin column spells each word letter for letter, the way you can type it in any exercise here, with the stress marked. The sound is not always the spelling: an unstressed is said as a short a, so (oná) sounds like aná.

  • . - I'm here.
  • . - We're at home.
  • . - They know.

, and follow grammatical gender, not life. A table, , is a masculine noun, so it is ; a book, , is feminine, so it is .

masculinefeminineneuterpluralты (friendly)вы (polite or plural)What do the colours mean?
QuestionAnswerEnglish
? .Where is the table? Here it is.
? .Where is the book? Here it is.
? .Where is the window? Here it is.
  • the table, so he - the table, so he
  • the book, so she - the book, so she
  • the window, so it - the window, so it

is only for neuter nouns. Noun gender shows how to read a noun's gender from its last letter.

has no gender at all. English speakers expect a Russian they to split like the singulars, and it does not:

  • ? . - Mum and Dad? They're at home.
  • ? . - Where are the books? Here they are.

Ты and вы: the choice you make before you speak

is for one person you are close to. is for more than one person, and also for any single person you should be polite to.

Ты (friendly)Вы (polite)
a frienda stranger, a shop assistant
a childa teacher, a doctor
your familyanyone older or senior
a pettwo or more people

The verb changes with it. always takes the plural form, even when you are talking to one person:

  • ? - Do you know? (to a friend)
  • ? - Do you know? (to a stranger, or to two friends)
  • ? - What's your name? (to a child)
  • ? - What's your name? (polite)
On a lawn, a woman with long hair and a bow, a speech bubble above her, gestures towards three others: a young man of her age waving (a friend); an elderly woman with a white bun, glasses and a walking stick (an older stranger); and a group of three: a man with a moustache, a woman and a little girl.
  1. ?
  2. ?
  3. ?

The woman on the left is asking. Her friend gets ты; the older stranger gets вы, and so does the group, with the same plural verb.

This is not optional politeness. Calling a stranger in Russian is rude in a way English has no equivalent for, since English lost its thou centuries ago. Default to until someone invites you to switch:

  • . - Let's say to each other.

Do you need the subject pronoun at all?

More often than in Spanish or Italian. The present-tense verb ending does say who is acting, so a bare verb is a complete answer, and in quick speech Russians drop the pronoun freely:

  • ? . - Do you know? I do.

But the past tense has no person endings, only gender (the Russian past tense explains why), so a past-tense verb without a pronoun leaves the listener guessing:

RussianEnglish
.I knew, you knew or he knew?
.I knew. (a man speaking)
.He knew.

The practical rule for a learner: keep the subject pronoun. It is never wrong, and dropping it is a stylistic choice you can make later.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
? ? takes the plural verb
? . ? . is feminine
to a stranger ?strangers get
said o-NAsaid a-NAunstressed о sounds like a

What to do next

  1. Say ...? , , for five things in the room.
  2. Decide who in your life gets and who gets .
  3. Then learn how the pronouns change in the six cases: becomes , and .

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/6

It is он, она or оно? Sort each noun by the pronoun that replaces it.

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Complete the story

0/3

Ты or вы? Choose the form Anna uses.

Anna's day

Анна говорит учителю: «Здравствуйте! знаете, где метро?» Потом Анна говорит маме: «Мама, знаешь, где папа?» Мама: «Да, дома.»

Gap 1 of 3

Spot the mistake

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Pick the right one

0/4

Tap the Russian.

  1. they (Mum and Dad)

  2. To a stranger: Do you know?

  3. To a friend: Do you know?

  4. Where is the window? Here it is.

Matching

0/5

Match each pronoun to its English.

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Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Infographics

  1. Key points infographic
  2. Table 1
  3. The eight pronouns
  4. Ты and вы: the choice you make before you speak
  5. Do you need the subject pronoun at all?
  6. Mistakes English speakers make

Other formats

  1. Listicle

More grammar on this course

Frequently asked questions

What are the personal pronouns in Russian?
(I), (you, one person you know well), (he, it), (she, it), (it), (we), (you, polite or plural) and (they). Each changes form in the six cases, becoming , and : that chart is in [Russian personal pronouns](/russian/grammar/personal-pronouns).
When do you use and in Russian?
for one person you know well: a child, a family member, a friend. for more than one person, and also for one person you should be polite to: a stranger, a shop assistant, anyone older or senior. Default to until you are invited to say : , let's say .
How do you say it in Russian?
There is no separate word. A thing is , or according to the gender of its noun: ? ., where is the table? Here it is. is masculine, so it is . is only for neuter nouns, such as , window.
Is singular or plural in Russian?
Both in meaning, plural in grammar. Polite to one person still takes the plural verb: ?, do you know?, never . In letters it is often written with a capital, , as an extra courtesy to one reader.
Can you drop the subject pronoun in Russian?
Sometimes. The present-tense ending says who is acting, so on its own is a complete answer, and Russians drop the pronoun freely in quick speech. The past tense has no person endings, so alone could be I, you or he. Keep the pronoun while you learn: it is never wrong.