ти + -еш/-єш/-иш/-їш

Present Second-person Singular

Level 1Sounds Like ti + -eš/-êš/-iš/-í̈š

In Ukrainian, when you talk to one person informally (using ти), the verb ends in -еш, -єш, -иш, or -їш. This corresponds to 'you are doing' or 'you do'.

How It Works

To conjugate a verb for ти (informal 'you'), you first identify the verb's conjugation group. The most reliable way to do this is by looking at the third-person plural (вони) form:

1. First Conjugation (Group I):
If the 'вони' form ends in -уть or -ють, the verb belongs to Group I and uses the vowels -е- or -є-.

  • Use -еш if the stem ends in a consonant. Example: пишуть → ти пишеш.
  • Use -єш if the stem ends in a vowel. Example: читають → ти читаєш.

2. Second Conjugation (Group II):
If the 'вони' form ends in -ать or -ять, the verb belongs to Group II and uses the vowels -и- or -ї-.

  • Use -иш if the stem ends in a consonant. Example: говорять → ти говориш.
  • Use -їш if the stem ends in a vowel. Example: стоять → ти стоїш.

Reflexive Verbs:
For verbs ending in -ся, simply add the suffix after the personal ending. Example: вчитися → ти вчишся.

Important Notes:

  • Ukrainian is a 'pro-drop' language. Because the verb ending is unique, you can often omit the pronoun ти entirely (e.g., 'Що робиш?').
  • Some verbs undergo consonant changes. In Group I, these changes usually stay throughout the present tense (пишу, пишеш). However, in Group II, stem changes often only happen in the 'я' form and disappear in the 'ти' form (люблю, but любиш).
  • This form is strictly informal. Use ви for formal situations or groups.

Examples (5)

  1. Ти часто пишеш листи?

    Do you often write letters?

    Word by Word: You often write letters?

    The verb 'писати' (to write) is First Conjugation. The stem ends in a consonant (after mutation), so we use '-еш'.

  2. Що ти зараз читаєш?

    What are you reading right now?

    Word by Word: What you now read?

    The verb 'читати' (to read) is First Conjugation. The stem ends in the vowel 'а', so we use '-єш'.

  3. Ти добре говориш українською.

    You speak Ukrainian well.

    Word by Word: You well speak Ukrainian-style.

    The verb 'говорити' (to speak) is Second Conjugation. The stem ends in a consonant, so we use '-иш'.

  4. Чому ти стоїш?

    Why are you standing?

    Word by Word: Why you stand?

    The verb 'стояти' (to stand) is Second Conjugation. The stem ends in a vowel, so we use '-їш'.

  5. Ти мене чуєш?

    Do you hear me?

    Word by Word: You me hear?

    The pronoun 'ти' is used here for an informal question to a friend or peer.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong conjugation ending (mixing -еш and -иш).

    Ти говорєш.
    Ти говориш.

    Learners often default to the First Conjugation '-еш' for all verbs. 'Говорити' is a Second Conjugation verb and must take '-иш'.

  • Using 'ти' in formal situations.

    Пане професоре, ти знаєш?
    Пане професоре, ви знаєте?

    The 'ти' form is for friends, family, children and peers. With a professor or stranger, use the polite 'ви' form.

  • Using the pronoun 'ти' when the verb ending already shows it.

    Different MeaningДе ти живеш?
    Де живеш?

    'Де ти живеш?' is correct and normal. In quick speech Ukrainians often drop 'ти' because the verb ending already shows the subject.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ти + -еш/-єш/-иш/-їшLevel 1Present Second-person Singular

Learn This First

To learn the second-person singular conjugation, you first need to know the informal pronoun 'ти' and understand the general mechanics of how Ukrainian verbs change in the present tense.

Words in This Pattern