"jest" what is it exactly?

[meminus]

Hi!

I´ve been wondering about the word that pronounces something like "jest" or "yést"

What does it mean and how do you use it?

[Pollyanna]

Hello, meminus!

Probably you mean "yest' " - with softening after the last consonance. It is a verb есть, which has several different meanings.

1) to eat (the Russian synonym for it is кушать. You may find more details about кушать in Newebie Lesson #3):
Я хочу есть – Ya hachu yest' – I want to eat
Дети любят есть сладкое – Deti lyubyat est' sladkaye – Children love to eat sweets.

2) am, is, are – the rare used present form of "to be" verb (about "to be" verb you can see the Beginner Lesson #4 – past form, Beginner Lesson S1 #13 – future form)
Они есть в списке –Ani yest' v spiske. – They are in the list.
Есть ли жизнь на Марсе? – Yest' li zhizn' na Marsye? – Is there life on Mars?

3) Have, has – (see theBeginner Lesson S1 #6, Newbie Lesson #8for details)
У неё есть билет. – U menya yest’ billet – She has a ticket
У тебя есть деньги? – U tebya yest' den'gi? - Do you have money?

“есть” (in sense “to eat”) is a heteroclitic verb (taken here). It means that conjugation of this verb is partially I and partially II. To wit:
I eat - Я ем - Ya yem
You eat (informal, singular) - Ты ешь - Ty yesh'
He/ She eats - Он/ Она ест - On/ Ana est
They eat - Они едят - Ani yedyat
We eat - Мы едим - My yedim
You eat (formal or plural) - Вы едите - Vy yedite

Some more posts about this question:

• about есть in general
• about есть as "to be"

[fraucha]

Oh yes Newbie Lesson #3, that would be one of the lessons we can not hear for some reason, along wit several others in Newbie and Beginner.

[Erik]

Hello fraucha,

I just contacted our web site tech person about this problem. We will try to get the Newbies and other lessons back online as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience.

Regards,

Erik