говорить vs сказать
govorít' vs skazát' — to speak/say repeatedly vs to say once
Register: neutral
What it really means
"Говорить" is imperfective: to speak, talk, or say something as an ongoing or repeated activity. "Сказать" is perfective: to say or tell something once, with the utterance treated as a completed event.
Use говорить for languages, habits, and an action in progress: "Я говорю по-русски" (I speak Russian). Use сказать for a single piece of information or a completed remark: "Он сказал правду" (He told the truth).
Examples in natural speech
Она говорит по-английски.
She speaks English.
Что ты хочешь сказать?
What do you want to say?
Он говорил об этом час.
He talked about it for an hour.
Он сказал, что придёт.
He said that he would come.
Не говори так!
Do not talk/speak like that!
Скажи мне правду.
Tell me the truth.
Common mistakes
Do not use сказать for a language or an ongoing conversation: "Я сказываю по-русски" is wrong; say "Я говорю по-русски." Conversely, use сказать for one completed remark, especially with "что": "Она сказала, что занята" (She said she was busy).
Memory tip
"Говорить" is the stream of speech; "сказать" is one completed message taken from it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between говорить and сказать in Russian?
"Говорить" means to speak or talk as an ongoing, repeated, or general activity. "Сказать" means to say or tell something once as a completed remark.
How do you say speak Russian in Russian?
Say "говорить по-русски": "Я говорю по-русски" means "I speak Russian." Languages use говорить, not сказать.
When do you use сказать что in Russian?
Use "сказать, что" to report one completed statement: "Он сказал, что занят" means "He said that he was busy."
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