Drop -ть from the infinitive and add -л for a male speaker or subject, -ла for a female one, -ло for neuter and -ли for plural or polite вы. The past tense has no personal endings at all — only gender and number matter.
Examples
- Вчера я работал весь день.
- Yesterday I worked all day. (man speaking)
- Вчера я работала весь день.
- Yesterday I worked all day. (woman speaking)
- Мы были в Петербурге в прошлые выходные.
- We were in Petersburg last weekend.
- Ты когда-нибудь ел борщ?
- Have you ever eaten borscht?
The mistake to avoid
Using один form for everyone: a woman must say я сказала, not я сказал, even though "I" is the same word.
Where this fits in
Talking about the past, Russian A2: Tell stories about yesterday, last weekend, and life experiences using the past tense. Russian past tense is gendered — verbs change form for masculine/feminine speakers.