The Verbs of Motion - Глаголы движения
In Russian it is possible to single out a special group of verbs, the so-called verbs of motion.
There are 14 pairs of them, each pair denoting one method of motion. All these verbs are imperfective.
Unidirectional movement (movement in a certain direction) | Non-directed movement, or movement in various directions | ||
| The agent moves | |||
 | идти (to go) | ходить |  |
 | ехать (to go) | ездить |  |
 | бежать (to run) | бегать |  |
 | плыть (to swim, to sail) | плавать |  |
 | лететь (to fly) | летать |  |
 | ползти (to crawl) | ползать |  |
 | лезть (to climb) | лазить | |
брести (to roam, to wander) | бродить | ||
| The agent moves with the object | |||
 | нести (to carry (in one's hands) | носить | |
 | вести (to lead) | водить | |
 | везти (to carry (in a vehicle) | возить |
|
 | тащить (to drag, to carry) | таскать | |
 | катить (to roll, to wheel, to bowl) | катать | |
| гнать (to drive) | гонять | ||
The verbs of unidirectional movement are used: 1) If at the moment of speech the motion is observed to go on in one direction only: Я иду в институт. I go to the college. 2) Talking of habitual movements in one direction: Осенью перелётные птицы летят на юг. In autumn migratory birds fly to the south. 3) In the case of a concrete instruction, command or advice to make a move in a certain direction: Идите сюда! Come here!
| The verbs of non-directed or variously directed movement are used: 1) If at the moment of speech the motion is observed to go on in different directions: Он ходит по комнате. He is walking about the room. 2) Speaking about somebody's habitual movements in different directions: Каждое лето мы ездим на юг. Every summer we go to the south. 3) Speaking about a movement in two different direction (there and back). The verb ходил is synonymous with the verb был: Где ты был? - Ходил в институт. Where were you? - I went to the college. (I go there and then come back) 4) Speaking of ability, skill, of some usual means of locomotion: Он хорошо плавает. - He swims well. Змеи ползают. - Snakes crawl. | ||
