Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

This Rusian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

Meaning: to be able to, can, may

Pronunciation: [mohch']

Part of speech: verb (imperfective aspect)

Rank: #32 (see frequency list)

• Вы мо́жете мне помо́чь?
• Can you help me? (formal)
• Я сде́лаю всё, что могу́.
• I'll do everything I can.
• Ты мо́жешь позвони́ть мне ве́чером?
• Can you call me in the evening? (informal)
• Поэ́том мо́жешь ты не бы́ть, но граждани́ном бы́ть обя́зан.
• You may not be a poet, but you must be a citizen. (by N.A.Nekrasov)
• Он не смог прийти́ вчера́.
• He couldn't come yesterday.
• Я не могу́.
• I can't.

• может быть = maybe, perhaps, it is possible
• не может быть = it is impossible
• двух слов связать не может = he can't put two words together

• уметь = can, to know how, be able to
• быть в состоянии = to be able to, to have an ability to

• Деньги могут всё.
• Money will do much.
•  literal  Money can do everything.
• Хочу -- половина могу.
• He who wills success is half-way to it.
•  literal  "I want" is half of "I can".

Present Tense

Past Tense

Future Simple Tense

The imperfective verb мочь is not used in the Future Simple Tense. Use the perfective verb смочь instead.

Future Compound Tense

Imperative Mood (Command Form)

View full conjugation table for the verb pair мочь/смочь