Russian Verbs of Motion
Russian verbs of motion are used to describe actions of movement.
In English, as in Russian, verbs of motion mean: go, run, climb, fly etc.
Each Russian motion verb includes:
- one form of perfective aspect
- two forms of imperfective aspect: Indefinite and Definite.
Let's analyze the verb ходи́ть (to go on foot)
Ходи́ть has one perfective and two imperfective forms.
Infinitve (Present Tense) | Imperfective | Perfective | |
Indefinite | Definite | ||
ходи́ть | идти́ | пойти́ | |
Я - I | хожу́ | иду́ | - |
Ты - You (informal) | хо́дишь | идёшь | |
Он - He | хо́дит | идёт | |
Оно́ - It | |||
Она́ - She | |||
Мы - We | хо́дим | идём | |
Вы - You (formal/pl) | хо́дите | идёте | |
Они́ - They | хо́дят | иду́т |
Note: Conjugation rules of Present Tense cannot be applied to Verbs of Motion. You have to memorize them.
Both Imperfective forms have their own conjugations in Present Tense.
Perfective aspect does't have a conjugation in Present Tense.
Imperfective - Definite
Imperfective (Definite) form describes the movements in one direction (Unidirectional)
USAGE OF IMPERFECTIVE (DEFINITE) FORM | |
Movement | Example |
Directional movement at the moment | Ма́ша идёт в шко́лу сейча́с (Masha is going to school now) |
Asking about the movement at the moment | Куда́ Ма́ша сейчас идёт? (Where is Masha going now?) |
Command/order to move | Ма́ша! Иди́ в шко́лу! (Masha! Go to school!) |
Imperfective - Indefinite
Imperfective (Indefinite) form describes the movements in more than one directions (Multidirectional)
USAGE OF IMPERFECTIVE (INDEFINITE) FORM | |
Movement | Example |
Habitual or repeated | Ма́ша хо́дит в шко́лу ка́ждый день (Masha goes to school every day) |
Uncoordinated | Ма́ша хо́дит по Москве́ (Masha goes along Moscow) |
Going and returning | Вчера́ Ма́ша ходи́ла в кино́. (Yesterday Masha went to the cinema) |
Skill or habit | Ма́ша хо́дит бы́стро (Masha walks fast) |
Tip: The Imperfective (indefinite) form is commonly used with adverbs:
ча́сто | often |
ре́дко | rarely |
всегда́ | always |
иногда́ | sometimes |
никогда́ | never |
ка́ждый день | every day |
обы́чно | usually |
The most common Russian Verbs of Motion
English | Imperfective | Perfective | |
Indefinite | Definite | ||
to roam/wander | броди́ть | брести́ | побрести́ |
to run | бе́гать | бежа́ть | побежа́ть |
to drive | води́ть | вести́ | повести́ |
to transport | вози́ть | везти́ | повезти́ |
to go (by transport) | е́здить | е́хать | пое́хать |
to fly | лета́ть | лете́ть | полете́ть |
to climb | ла́зить | лезть | поле́зть |
to swim | пла́вать | плыть | поплы́ть |
to crawl | по́лзать | ползти́ | поползти́ |
to carry | таска́ть | тащи́ть | потащи́ть |
to go (by foot) | ходи́ть | идти́ | пойти́ |
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