Thread: летать и лететь

Привет.

What is the difference between летать и лететь?

Hi there.

Лететь is an imperfective form of летать. We also use летать to talk about nondirectional movement, i.e. you can't say летать направо or летать в Москву (if you're not talking about permanent action - Я часто летаю в Москву, e.g.), only лететь направо or лететь в Москву (Я лечу в Москву, Завтра я полечу в Москву, etc).

Both летать and лететь are imperfective.

That is a part of the big topic of Russian verbs of motion.

In addition to aspect (perfective/imperfective) verbs of motion can be unidirectional (лететь, идти...) and multidirectional (летать, ходить...).

I recommend you to google for "Russian verbs of motion" and then select whichever explanation you like most.

Based on the concept of uniderectional and multidirectional I have constructed the following examples. I hope they are correct:

1. Multidirectional: Я летаю часто
2. Unidirectional: Я лечу в Россию часто.
3. Multidirectional: Только птицы могут летать.
4. Unidirectional: Он летит в 10 часов.

Originally Posted by Antonio1986

Based on the concept of uniderectional and multidirectional I have constructed the following examples. I hope they are correct:

1. Multidirectional: Я летаю часто
2. Unidirectional: Я летаю в Россию часто.
3. Multidirectional: Только птицы могут летать.
4. Unidirectional: Он летит в 10 часов.

Actually unidirectional implies one complete action with its beginning and end - in one piece. "часто", "обычно" etc. (regular actions) usually "Multidirectional". Native speakers can play with it though... But you are not recommended for now.

"Unidirectional" is what one is doing right now or was doing at that very moment.

Я понял. Спасибо.

Я лечу в Россию часто

Question: Wouldn't this sentence theoretically be possible IF Antonio often often flies to Russia (from Ukraine, for example), but he always takes the train (or an automobile, or some means other than flying) when coming back from Russia to Ukraine?

In other words, you'd use the unidirectional form я лечу because each flight is a one-way trip, even though you make this one-way trip habitually. (And each train trip from Russia to Ukraine is, likewise, one-way.)

But "Я летаю в Россию часто" (multidirectional) means "I often fly to Russia and back".

Я лечу в Россию часто

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

Question: Wouldn't this sentence theoretically be possible IF Antonio often often flies to Russia (from Ukraine, for example), but he always takes the train (or an automobile, or some means other than flying) when coming back from Russia to Ukraine?

In other words, you'd use the unidirectional form я лечу because each flight is a one-way trip, even though you make this one-way trip habitually. (And each train trip from Russia to Ukraine is, likewise, one-way.)

But "Я летаю в Россию часто" (multidirectional) means "I often fly to Russia and back".

Я летаю в Россию часто doesn't even remotely suggest that you will fly back from there, that just means -- I often fly to Russia, nothing more.

Я лечу в Россию would only be proper way of saying that you're flying to Russia now or is gonna fly to

A word about unidirectional vs. multidirectional:

"Unidirectional" does not necessarily imply a complete action, but rather that an action/movement is IN ONE SPECIFIC DIRECTION,
E.g.
Завтра я ЛЕЧУ Москву (one particular destination). -- (лететь)

В четверг я ИДУ к подруге на день рождения (one specific place). -- (Идти)

Летом я ЕДУ в гости к маме (оne specific place/destination) -- (ехать).

"Multidirectional" verbs imply that motion can be in several various directions,
e.g.
Мой друг - летчик. Он ЛЕТАЕТ каждую неделю то в Гонконг, то в Японию, то в Европу. (Летать)

У меня много друзей, я часто ХОЖУ к ним в гости ( I go and visit different people who live at different addresses) -- (ходить)

Муж часто ЕЗДИТ по работе в разные города. -- (ездить).

However, different motion verbs in Russian can also be contrasted as ONE-TIME/IN PROGRESS vs. HABITUAL/REITERATIVE actions.

E.g. Я познакомилась с Ольгой, когда я ЛЕТЕЛА в Москву ( action in progress, "I was flying").
До замужества я довольно часто ЛЕТАЛА в Москву (reiteration, I used to fly to Moscow quite often).

Сегодня я ИДУ в гости к старой школьной подруге (one-time action).
Я редко ХОЖУ в кино. Я никогда не ХОЖУ в пивбар (reiteration, frequency, infrequency).

Почему ты так медленно ЕДЕШЬ? (Action in progress).
Ты же всегда так быстро ЕЗДИШЬ! (Reiteration, habit, characteristics).


Usually this contrast ONE-TIME/IN PROGRESS vs. HABIT/REITERATION overlaps with one-direction vs. multi-directional contrast.

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

Question: Wouldn't this sentence theoretically be possible IF Antonio often often flies to Russia (from Ukraine, for example), but he always takes the train (or an automobile, or some means other than flying) when coming back from Russia to Ukraine?

No, it does not work that way.

The problem with aspect and "directionality" is that for each possible rule a great number of exceptions is possible. The use of of one or another verb can be very subjective, and it works for the native speakers but does not usually work for the foreigners.

For you as an advanced student I can add a comment which can only confuse a student at early stage. "Я часто лечу в Россию..." is possible when, for example, author describes repetitive action (часто), but wants to describe the very process of how exactly he flies. It is often used, for example, for the purposes of narration. It makes the reader to feel like he observes one concrete but typical voyage. So it is a literary trick for the participation effect.

iCake: Я летаю в Россию часто doesn't even remotely suggest that you will fly back from there

Ahh, yes, I see. I was confused because the past multidirectional Я летал в Россию (without a modifier such as
часто) normally does suggest a round-trip flight, doesn't it?

Yulia65: Usually this contrast ONE-TIME/IN PROGRESS vs. HABIT/REITERATION overlaps with one-direction vs. multi-directional contrast.

Thanks, that was very well explained and a good memory-refresher for me.

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

Ahh, yes, I see. I was confused because the past multidirectional Я летал в Россию (without a modifier such as
часто) normally does suggest a round-trip flight, doesn't it?

How come that you have such a notion? This verb never suggests that you fly somewhere and then fly back from the somewhere. That just means that you flied to a place. Of course, the most logical thing is to infer that you did fly back, but the word itself never says so.

If you really want to cut all the ends and make it perfectly clear that you flied back then you can say something like that.

Я летал в Россию и обратно - this one is kinda nonsense construction though, because this implies a habit, thus it's hard to imagine that you didn't come back from Russia by any means.

Я слетал в Россию и обратно - this one is just fine