ви + -ете/-єте/-ите/-їте

Present Second-person Plural

Level 1Sounds Like vi + -ete/-ête/-ite/-í̈te

Use these endings to say 'you are doing' when speaking to multiple people or to one person in a formal setting. The endings change based on the verb's conjugation group: -ете/-єте (Group I) or -ите/-їте (Group II).

How It Works

To conjugate a verb for the second-person plural, you must first identify the verb's conjugation group and its present-tense stem.

1. First Conjugation (Group I):
These verbs typically have the vowel -е- or -є- in their endings. The ending -ете follows a consonant, while -єте follows a vowel.

  • писати (to write) → ви пиш-ете
  • читати (to read) → ви чита-єте

2. Second Conjugation (Group II):
These verbs use the vowel -и- or -ї-. The ending -ите follows a consonant, and -їте follows a vowel.

  • говорити (to speak) → ви говор-ите
  • стояти (to stand) → ви сто-їте

Formal vs. Plural:
Grammatically, there is no difference between 'you all' and 'formal you.' However, in writing, the pronoun is often capitalized (Ви) when addressing one person formally to show respect.

Examples (4)

  1. Ви добре розумієте українську мову.

    You (plural/formal) understand the Ukrainian language well.

    Word by Word: You well understand Ukrainian language.

    The verb 'розуміти' is a Group I verb ending in a vowel, so it takes the -єте ending.

  2. Чому ви стоїте біля вікна?

    Why are you (plural/formal) standing by the window?

    Word by Word: Why you stand near window?

    The verb 'стояти' is a Group II verb ending in a vowel, so it takes the -їте ending.

  3. Ви часто пишете листи?

    Do you (plural/formal) often write letters?

    Word by Word: You often write letters?

    The verb 'писати' is a Group I verb ending in a consonant stem (пиш-), so it takes the -ете ending.

  4. Ви бачите цей будинок?

    Do you see this building?

    Word by Word: You see this building?

    Even though 'бачити' ends in -ити, it is a Group II verb and takes the -ите ending.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a singular verb for the polite 'you'.

    Ви читаєш книгу.
    Ви читаєте книгу.

    Even if you are talking to only one person, if you use the formal 'ви', the verb must always be in the plural form.

  • Forgetting to drop the infinitive suffix -ти.

    Ви читатите.
    Ви читаєте.

    You must remove the -ти from the infinitive before adding the present tense endings.

How It Connects

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ви + -ете/-єте/-ите/-їтеLevel 1Present Second-person Plural

Learn This First

To understand how to conjugate verbs in the second-person plural, you first need to be familiar with the pronoun 'ви' (you), which serves as the subject for these specific verb endings.

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