велеть

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic велѣти (velěti), from Proto-Slavic *velě̀ti.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [vʲɪˈlʲetʲ]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Audio (Saint Petersburg):(file)

Verb

веле́ть • (velétʹimpf or pf (perfective повеле́ть)

  1. to order, to enjoin, to command [with dative ‘someone’ and infinitive ‘to do something’]
    Synonyms: прика́зывать (prikázyvatʹ), приказа́ть (prikazátʹ)
    Он ей веле́л прийти́ сего́дня.
    On jej velél prijtí sevódnja.
    He commanded her to come today.
    Сам бог веле́л. (expression)
    Sam box velél.
    God Himself has commanded (it). (i.e. it's natural or allowed to do so)
    • 1869, Иван Гончаров [Ivan Goncharov], “Часть II. Глава IX”, in Обрыв, Санкт-Петербург: Вестник Европы; English translation from Stephen Pearl, transl., Malinovka Heights, Alma Classics, 2020:
      — Опя́ть за своё! Вели́, Ма́рфенька, шампа́нское в лёд поста́вить… — сказа́ла ба́бушка.
      — Opjátʹ za svojó! Velí, Márfenʹka, šampánskoje v ljod postávitʹ… — skazála bábuška.
      “There you go again! Marfenka, order the champagne, and tell them to put it on ice!” said Granny.

Usage notes

  • The verb can be both perfective and imperfective, although in the past tense and infinitive it is predominantly perfective.

Conjugation

imperfective:

perfective:

Derived terms

References

  • Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “велеть”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress