russian word
to wish in Russian: желать
verbimperfectivelevel A1#972 by frequency
every form stress-marked · levels from the official TORFL lexical minimum
Я желаю тебе счастья и здоровья. I wish you happiness and health.
Все желали ему успеха на экзамене. Everyone wished him success on the exam.
Он давно желает увидеть этот город. He has long wanted to see this city.
Я не желаю об этом разговаривать. I don't wish to talk about it.
What does желать mean in Russian?
01
to wish (someone something)
Aspect pair
This verb is imperfective: ongoing or repeated action. Its perfective partner, for a completed one-time result, is
возжелатьto desire, covet, come to want (something) strongly; often elevated or ironicperfective
Conjugation of желать
Stress marks show the stressed vowel; it moves between forms more often than learners expect.
| present | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| я / мы | желаю | желаем |
| ты / вы | желаешь | желаете |
| он / они | желает | желают |
| past | |
|---|---|
| masc | желал |
| fem | желала |
| neut | желало |
| plural | желали |
| imperative | |
|---|---|
| ты | желай |
| вы | желайте |
Participles and gerunds
present activeжелающий
past activeжелавший
present passiveжелаемый
gerund (imperfective)желая
gerund (perfective)желав
gerund (perfective)желавши
Used in expressions
желаю удачиgood luck (said to wish someone success before an exam, a trip, or a new undertaking; several speakers together say желаем удачи)