давай vs давайте
davay vs davayte — come on/let's (informal) vs polite or plural let's
Register: colloquial / neutral
What it really means
Давай addresses one person informally; давайте addresses several people or one person politely. Before an infinitive or first-person plural verb, they invite action: Давай пойдём; Давайте обсудим. Alone, both can mean “come on,” “go ahead,” or “okay, give it here,” according to context.
The choice is about address, not about how many actions are proposed.
Examples in natural speech
Давай встретимся после работы.
Let's meet after work.
Давайте начнём урок.
Let's start the lesson.
Давай, рассказывай!
Come on, tell me!
Давайте ваш паспорт, пожалуйста.
Please give me your passport.
Ну давайте быстрее!
Come on, faster!
Common mistakes
Do not use давай with a teacher, stranger, or group unless informal ты is appropriate. Давайте is also polite to one person, not only plural.
Memory tip
The -те in давайте is the familiar plural/polite ending, as in идите.
Frequently asked questions
Is давайте always plural?
No. It is also polite singular.
Can давай mean give?
Yes, colloquially: Давай ключи means Give me the keys.
Which form with friends?
Use давай to one friend and давайте to several friends.
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