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Russian grammar Part of Chapter 7

CEFR A2-B1

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Test yourself (16 questions)

Russian Prefixed Verbs of Motion: прийти, уйти, выйти

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

Put a prefix on or and two things happen. The prefix adds a direction: arrive, leave, go out. And the pair stops being one-way against round-trip and becomes an ordinary aspect pair: , he has come, against , he comes.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Which verb fits?

  1. Он всегда поздно. (He always comes late.)

  2. Мама уже . (Mum has already left.)

  3. Я в восемь. (I'll come at eight.)

The whole system on one screen

The prefix is marked:

the prefixWhat do the colours mean?
PrefixMeaningPerfectiveImperfective
-arrive
у-leave
-go out
в-go in
-drop in
-go past

For the direction prefixes in the table, the rule fits in two lines:

  • prefix + (one way) = perfective:
  • prefix + (round trip) = imperfective:
при- + идти: прийти, to arrive

After a prefix, is spelt -йти, and в- becomes во-: .

Aspect, as usual

The box marks the aspect:

imperfective (process, habit)perfective (done, one result)What do the colours mean?

Once the prefix is on, choose exactly as with any other pair: one arrival or departure with a result is perfective; a habit or a process is imperfective.

AspectRussianEnglish
perf. .He's come home (and he's here).
imperf. .He always comes late.
perf. .She's left.
imperf. .I'm leaving. (on my way out)
perf. .I'll come at eight.

The past of the perfective follows : , , . Its future is , with no й.

By vehicle: приехать, приезжать

The prefix is marked:

the prefixWhat do the colours mean?

The same prefixes go on and . In the imperfective, -ездить becomes -езжать:

PerfectiveImperfectiveMeaning
to arrive
to leave
выехатьвыезжатьto drive out, set off
  • . - Mum has arrived.
  • . - Mum often comes.
  • . - He has left for Moscow.

Prefix and preposition go together

Colour marks the case:

accusativegenitivedativeWhat do the colours mean?

The preposition after the verb often echoes the prefix: in with , out with , to a person with :

RussianEnglish
.He went into the house.
.She went out of the house.
.I've come to see Mum.
.He's left work.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
a perfective needs no
прийдуthe future has no й
(every day)a habit takes
(has left)one departure with a result

What to do next

  1. Learn the prefixes as directions: при- arrive, у- leave, вы- out, в- in.
  2. Learn each verb with its partner: / .
  3. Do the drill below.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/6

Perfective or imperfective?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Matching

0/5

Match each verb to its meaning.

Pick the right one

0/3

Which verb fits?

  1. Он всегда поздно. (He always comes late.)

  2. Мама уже . (Mum has already left.)

  3. Я в восемь. (I'll come at eight.)

Spot the mistake

0/2

Tap the mistake.

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Frequently asked questions

What do the prefixes mean on Russian verbs of motion?
Each adds a direction. При- is arriving, у- leaving, вы- going out, в- going in, за- dropping in and про- going past or through. is to arrive on foot, to leave, to go out: , she went out of the house.
What is the difference between and ?
Aspect. is perfective: one arrival with a result, , he has come (and is here). is imperfective: arriving as a habit or a process, , he always comes late.
Why is it and not приидти?
When a prefix joins , the verb is spelt -йти: , , , . After в- an slips in: . The future of is , with no й: .
How do and work?
The same way, by vehicle. Prefix plus is perfective (, ); for the imperfective, becomes -езжать (, ). , Mum has arrived; , Mum often comes.
Is a prefixed verb of motion?
Yes, but по- adds no direction: it marks setting off. is he set off home, and is the everyday I'll go. Its imperfective partner, if it has one, is itself; [verbs of motion](/russian/grammar/verbs-of-motion) covers it with the four basic verbs.