Verbs of motion are some of the most used verbs, and many of them are constructed from just two verb pairs:
| indeterminate | determinate | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| by foot | ходить
|
идти
|
||||||||||||
| by other means | ездить
|
ехать
|
★ Hover over verbs with dotted underline to see their full conjugations.
Determinate verbs of motion indicate motion in one direction. These verbs are also known as unidirectional or concrete.
| Я сегодня еду в Москву.I'm going (by transport) to Moscow today. | Мы едем на автобусе в кино.We are taking the bus to the theater. | Она идёт в школу.She goes (by foot) to school. |
Indeterminate verbs indicate basically everything determinate verbs don't: motion in more than one direction, or motions made habitually. These verbs are also known as multidirectional or abstract.
| Я вчера ездила в Москву.I went (by transport) to Moscow yesterday. a return trip is implied, making the movement multidirectional |
Мы ездим на автобусе по городу.We are taking the bus around town. 'around town' implies multidirectional movement |
Она ходит в школу каждый день.She goes (by foot) to school every day. 'every day' = habitual |
Prefixes for verbs of motion specify direction of movement.
| prefix | meaning |
|---|---|
| в | into |
| вы | out of |
| до | as far as |
| за | dropping in |
| на | onto |
| об | around |
| от | away from |
| пере | across |
| под | approaching |
| при | arrival |
| про | through; past; over a distance/time |
| с | down |
| у | from; leaving |
| по | perfective aspect |
With a prefix, идти becomes йти (or ойти with prefixes ending in a consonant), and ездить becomes езжать. Also, because direction is specified by the prefix, all prefixed verbs of motion are determinate. Instead of indicating direction, the indeterminate verbs now function as the imperfective aspects, and determinate verbs as the perfective.
| Сейчас 08:00. Я прихожу на работу. It is 08:00. I am arriving at work. | Сейчас 16:00. Я ухожу с работы. It is 16:00. I am leaving work. |
| Сейчас 12:00. Я пришел на работу 4 часа назад и уйти с работы через 4 часа. It is 12:00. I arrived at work 4 hours ago and will leave work in 4 hours. | |
| я вхожу в домI am walking into the house | я отойду от домI will walk away from the house | я приезжаю в домI am arriving at the house (by transport) | я уеду с домаI will leave the house (by transport) |
Notice that many of these prefixed verbs are used with prepositions, most commonly в + accusative case or с + genitive case.
Some prefixes, namely про, can express multiple differrent concepts:
| Я бы прошла 100 километров!I would walk 100 kilometers! the prefix indicates motion over a certain distance |
Они проехали домой за четыре часа.They got home in four hours (it took four hours to get there). the prefix indicates a motion/route completed over a certain time |
| Быстрее пройти через лес.It's faster to go though the forest. the prefix indicates motion through, along with через |
Смотри, мы проезжаем мимо реки!Look, we're going past a river! the prefix indicates motion past |
The prefix по always indicates the perfective aspect of any verb of motion.
Ходить/идти and ездить/ехать aren't the only verbs of motion. There are 16 other verbs which indicate differrent types of motion:
| indeterminate | determinate | meaning | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| бегать | бежать
|
to run | ||||||
| бродить | брести
|
to stroll, wander, roam | ||||||
| водить | вести
|
to lead; to drive (a vehicle) | ||||||
| возить | везти
|
to transport | ||||||
| гонять | гнать
|
to drive (as cattle) | ||||||
| гоняться | гнаться
|
to chase | ||||||
| катать | катить | to take for a ride | ||||||
| кататься | катиться | to go for a ride |
| indeterminate | determinate | meaning | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| лазить | лезть
|
to climb | ||||||
| летать | лететь
|
to fly | ||||||
| плавать | плыть
|
to swim | ||||||
| ползать | ползти
|
to crawl | ||||||
| носить | нести
|
to carry; to bring | ||||||
| носиться | нестись
|
to be carried; to rush | ||||||
таскать
|
тащить | to pull, drag something | ||||||
таскаться
|
тащиться | to pull, drag oneself |
Conjugations included for irregular verbs.
Other verbs of motion work just like the main two pairs- they can be prefixed, including using по to form the perfective aspect.