Idti i ekhat - Russian chapter 10, lesson 21 of 22

Idti i ekhat: the Russian verbs of motion, sorted

Russian has no single verb for go. It asks two questions first: are you on foot or in a vehicle, and is this one trip in one direction or movement in general? The answers give you four verbs, and the prefixes then give you dozens more.

On foot or by transport

is to go on foot. is to go by any vehicle: car, bus, train, bike. If you say я в Москву́ from London, a Russian will picture you walking there. Choosing between them is not a matter of style.

One trip or in general

Each of these has a partner for movement that is repeated, habitual or aimless.

One direction, now	Habitual, round trips	Meaning
		go on foot
		go by transport

я в is I am on my way to school. я в is I go to school, as a habit. is past this chapter's ceiling but you will meet it soon.

is to run, and it behaves the same way as .

Setting off

and are the setting-off verbs: ! is let's go, and я is I will go tomorrow. The - marks the start of the journey.

The prefixes

The prefixes are where the system pays off, because each one means the same thing on every verb.

-: arrival. , : to come, to arrive.
у-: departure. , : to leave.
-: out. : to go out, to get off a bus.
в-: in. : to enter.
-: through or past. : to pass, to go through.
-: dropping in. : to call in, to pop round.

Notice that becomes -йти once it takes a prefix. That is the same verb, just respelt.

Perfective and imperfective

The prefixed forms above are perfective: one completed act. Each has an imperfective partner built on -: , , , . So is he left, done, and is he is leaving, or he leaves every day at six.

, to come back, sits outside the system and works for both feet and wheels. You will want it the moment you have gone anywhere.