весь vs всё vs все

ves vs vsyo vs vse — whole/all of a thing vs everything vs everyone/all (plural)

What it really means

Весь is an adjective meaning "the whole" or "all of" and agrees with a noun: весь день (the whole day), вся книга (the whole book), всё время (all the time), все люди (all people). Всё can be the neuter form before a neuter noun, but as a pronoun it means "everything." Все is the plural form and can mean "everyone" when people are understood, or "all" before a plural noun.

Stress and endings matter: весь, вся, всё, and все are related forms of one word, but всё and все are not interchangeable. The dots over ё can be omitted in ordinary writing, so context may be needed.

Examples in natural speech

Я работал весь день.
I worked all day.
Вся семья дома.
The whole family is at home.
Всё яблоко съедено.
The whole apple has been eaten.
Я всё понимаю.
I understand everything.
Все студенты пришли.
All the students came.
Все уже готовы.
Everyone is ready already.

Common mistakes

Do not use всё for "everyone": "Всё пришли" is wrong; say "Все пришли." Conversely, "Я знаю все" means I know everyone/all of them, while "Я знаю всё" means I know everything. Remember that весь changes for gender and number.

Memory tip

Весь agrees with a noun, всё can mean everything, and все is the plural all/everyone.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between весь, всё, and все in Russian?

Весь is the agreeing adjective "whole/all of." Всё can mean everything or the neuter form before a noun. Все is the plural form and can mean all or everyone.

How do you say everything in Russian?

Say "всё." For example, "Я всё понимаю" means "I understand everything." It is different from "все" (everyone or all, plural).

Why are все and всё pronounced differently?

Все normally has an unstressed e sound, while всё has the stressed ё sound, approximately "vsyo." In writing, ё is often printed as е, so context and pronunciation help distinguish them.

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