Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "to say" in Russian

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

сказать

Meaning: to say, to tell

Pronunciation: [skah-ZAHT']

Part of speech: verb (perfective aspect)

Rank: #29 (see frequency list)

A woman is about to say something.
Photo by Yodel Anecdotal CC-BY-GA-2.0

Example sentences:

Что ты мо́жешь сказа́ть о свое́й семье́?
What can you say about your family? (informal)
Он сказа́л, что живёт в го́роде.
He said that he lived in the city.
Скажи́те, пожа́луйста, ско́лько вре́мени?
Could you tell me the time, please? (polite)
Легко́ сказа́ть!
It's easy to say! (Easier said than done.)
Не мо́жешь сказа́ть – напиши́!
If you can’t say, write down! (informal)
По пра́вде сказа́ть, мне она́ не нра́вится.
To tell the truth, I don't like her.

Idioms and set expressions:

так сказа́ть = so to say
Легко́ сказа́ть! = It's only easy to say!; Easier said than done!
Ска́жем, ... = Let's say ...

Related words:

ска́зка = a tale
ска́зочник = a tale-teller
расска́з = a story
сказу́емое = a predicate (in grammar)
ска́зочный = fairy-tale (adjective); fantastic
неска́занный = unspeakable, untold
сказа́ться / ска́зываться = to tell; to affect
вы́сказать = to manifest
заказа́ть = to order
показа́ть = to show
приказа́ть = to order
рассказа́ть = to tell, to narrate
указа́ть = to show, point
неска́занно = unspeakably
ска́зочно = as in a fairy-tale; improbably

Proverbs and sayings:

Бабушка надвое сказала.
We shall see what we shall see.
literal A grandmother said twice.

Verb conjugation:

Present Tense

The perfective verb сказать is not used in the Present Tense. Use the imperfective verb говорить instead.

Past Tense

I, you (singular), he	сказа́л
she	сказа́ла
it	сказа́ло
we, you (plural), they	сказа́ли

Future Simple Tense

I	скажу́
you (singular)	ска́жешь
he, she, it	ска́жет
we	ска́жем
you (plural)	ска́жете
they	ска́жут

Future Compound Tense

The perfective verb сказать is not used in the Future Compound Tense. Use the imperfective verb говорить instead.

Imperative Mood (Command Form)

you (singular)	скажи́
you (plural)	скажи́те

View full conjugation table for the verb pair говорить/сказать

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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