Verbs Which We Use to Talk About Clothes in Russian

Let’s start with the verbs НАДЕВАТЬ (нсв) — НАДЕТЬ (св). As I always say, if you know the topic of Imperfect (нсв)/Perfect (св) verbs, then use it. If you don’t, then concentrate on Imperfect (нсв) ones.

Надевать — Надеть (to put on)

When we have a piece of clothing, we put it on ourselves.

«У меня есть шапка. Я НАДЕВАЮ шапку»
(I have a hat. I’m putting on this hat)

«У меня есть куртка. Я НАДЕЛА куртку»
(I have a jacket. I put on that jacket)

«На улице холодно, поэтому я НАДЕЛА тёплые сапоги»
(It’s cold outside, so I put on warm boots)

After these verbs, we always have to use nouns in the Accusative case.

The opposite of them is “to take off”:

✅ Снимать (нсв) — Снять (св)

«Мы пришли домой и СНЯЛИ наши куртки, перчатки, шапки»
(We came home and took off our jackets, gloves, hats)

«На улице сегодня не очень холодно, ты можешь СНЯТЬ свитер»
(It’s not that cold outside, you can take off your sweater)

Try to make your own examples for those verbs. I’ll help you with some questions, and you can give answers to them.

1. Что вы надели сегодня утром?
(What did you put on this morning?)

2. Что вы обычно надеваете на работу?
(What do you normally put on for work?)

3. Что вы снимаете первое, когда приходите домой?
(What do you take off first when you come back home?)

Next verbs are reflexive:

ОДЕВАТЬСЯ - ОДЕТЬСЯ

РАЗДЕВАТЬСЯ - РАЗДЕТЬСЯ

They are opposite, and first, let’s discuss.

Одеваться — Одеться (to get dressed)

We also use these verbs when we put on our clothes, but without using a noun afterward, so it doesn’t matter which piece of clothing we use, only the process. That’s a very common verb; I can give a million examples.

«Почему ты так долго ОДЕВАЕШЬСЯ?»
(Why does it take so long for you to get dressed?)

So we are also talking about putting our clothes on, but it’s not important which piece exactly, just why the process is taking so long.

«Вчера я опаздывала на работу и ОДЕЛАСЬ очень быстро»
(Yesterday, I was running late for work and got dressed very quickly.)

Once again, it doesn’t matter which clothes I wear exactly; the process is very quick.

And the opposite is:

✅ Раздеваться — Раздеться (to get undressed)

«Он пришёл домой и сразу же РАЗДЕЛСЯ»
(He came back home and immediately got undressed)

So we don’t say that he took off his jacket and then his blazer, just generally that he got undressed.

«Гости вошли в квартиру и начали РАЗДЕВАТЬСЯ»
(Guests came in and started undressing)

Like taking off their boots, jackets, coats, etc.

After those 4 verbs, we can’t use nouns.

👎🏼 Я оденусь рубашку.

👍🏼 Я надену рубашку.

(I’ll put on a shirt)

Носить (to wear)

It doesn’t have a Perfect form and we use it talking about clothes which is already on us. It’s a pretty common one. Often used with verbs ЛЮБИТЬ/НРАВИТЬСЯ (to love/like) or with ЧАСТО/РЕДКО (often/rarely).

«Я люблю НОСИТЬ платья»
(I like wearing dresses)

«Я очень редко НОШУ эти джинсы»
(I don’t wear these jeans often)

«Мне не нравится это кольцо, поэтому я не буду его НОСИТЬ»
(I don’t like this ring, so I won’t wear it)

It’s the most basic verb we use for clothes.

Answer the questions:

1. Что вы любите носить летом/зимой?
What do you like wearing in summer/winter?

2. Какие ваши вещи вы никогда не носите?
What of the clothes you never wear?

3. Что вы носили часто, когда были ребёнком?
What did you wear often when you were a kid?

✅ The next form is used without a verb. Here, we’ll use the preposition “НА” and a pronoun in the Prepositional case.

Here, we’re talking about the clothes you’re wearing right now or what is on you at a particular moment.

«НА МНЕ сейчас белая рубашка, бежевый топ и синие джинсы»
(There’s a white shirt, beige t-shirt and blue jeans)

«Что сейчас НА ВАС?»
(What are you wearing right now?)

It can be used for this very moment or for a particular situation in the past.

«Вчера в театре НА МНЕ было очень красивое платье»
(Yesterday in the theatre there was a very beautiful dress on me)

This topic is not finished, and we haven’t discussed all the verbs and forms. My students and I discuss this topic in more detail during our classes. You can contact me and book your first trial lesson so we can learn this topic and many others!

I hope this article has been helpful, and now you’re feeling more confident talking about clothes 🌺