Thread: Verbs of motion

I'm here to ask the probably age old question of how Russian verbs of motion work. At the moment, I am writing sentence to do with "going" somewhere and just guess which verb form should be used. I've read through Nicholas Brown's explanation of it in the Penguin Beginner's Course in Russian or whatever it's called, but I still can't seem to get it right 100% of the time.

I'll write a few examples, and my logic as to why they should be that way:

Я вчера ходил в кино, чтобы посмотреть фильм - logic of verb choice - it's a general statement that needs a journey there and journey back, so I use the imperfective multidirectional verb, right?

Я часто езжу с подугой в Германию - a trip that involves two directions, so multidirectional, right?

Он лечит в Россию, чтобы ехать к бабушке - the first verb is specific, so it is undirectional. The infinitive in the second clause is undirectional for the same reason...?

Спасибо большое за объяснения
Джек

Originally Posted by JackBoni

Я вчера ходил в кино, чтобы посмотреть фильм - logic of verb choice - it's a general statement that needs a journey there and journey back, so I use the imperfective multidirectional verb, right?

I unfortunately can't explain the logic here, because it's my native language and I never think about logic using Russian verbs. But in this conrete case I have probably bad news for you:
Я вчера ходил в кино, чтобы посмотреть фильм.
and
Я вчера сходил в кино, чтобы посмотреть фильм.
the both are correct.
Actually, the second one is more logical, but usually we use sentences like the first one.

Я часто езжу с подругой в Германию - a trip that involves two directions, so multidirectional, right?

I have some doubt about "two directions", I think it's just because you go there many times, so it's a periodic, a reiterative action.

Он летит в Россию, чтобы навестить бабушку - the first verb is specific, so it is undirectional. The infinitive in the second clause is undirectional for the same reason...?

It's летит and not летает because the action is non-permanent, it's the one and only

But you can say: Он каждый год летает в Россию, чтобы навещать/навестить бабушку.

Cпасибо за тебю помощь, Оля (или Олю?). Я думаю, что я теперь понимаю. Эти предложения также верные?

Она вчера влетела в Лондон

Он вас отвезёт на вокзал

Вчера приехала моя сестра - Она теперь здесь

Вчера приезжала моя сестра - но она поехала домой.

Спасибо за помощь
Джек

Originally Posted by JackBoni

Cпасибо _ тебе за помощь, Оля (или Олю? No! I'm Оля! ). Я думаю, что я теперь понимаю. Эти предложения тоже верные (правильные is better here; as for также, it's very formal word in Russian)?

Она вчера влетела в Лондон
no, it could be улетела, полетела or вылетела (the meanings in this context are absolutely equal)

Он вас отвезёт на вокзал

Вчера приехала моя сестра - Она теперь здесь

Вчера приезжала моя сестра - но она поехала домой.

The rest is perfect!
Although "Он отвезёт вас на вокзал" sounds a bit more natural to me.

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by JackBoni

Она вчера влетела в Лондон
no, it could be улетела, полетела or вылетела (the meanings in this context are absolutely equal)

I think JackBoni meant прилетела.

Originally Posted by Полуношник

I think JackBoni meant прилетела.

Hah, yeah... maybe.

I also have trouble with verbs of motion - which is why I usually stay in one place when I speak Russian.

Anyway, don't verbs lose their sense of direction when you start adding prefixes (or, rather, the prefixes define the direction), so the verbs are either imperfective or perfective?

So, if I understand it right - do соходил and сошел have the same meaning - just the former means it was a habitual action while the latter means it happened once?

And how come you can't use влетела? Is that more specific to an object? Like: Мальчик бросиил камень и он влетел в окно?

Originally Posted by ZelyeUrsuli

So, if I understand it right - do соходил and сошел have the same meaning - just the former means it was a habitual action while the latter means it happened once?

There is no соходил, it's сходил.
Actually yes, you're right, but сходил in "сходил с горы" and сходил in "сходил в кино" are not the same.

And how come you can't use влетела? Is that more specific to an object? Like: Мальчик бросил камень, и он влетел в окно?

Yes, we can use it, but not in that case. You can't "влететь в Лондон".

Does the verb "влететь" mean "to fly into" in the sense of "The plane flew into the building".... (and as a result the building collapsed) - ie, does that verb represent a destructive action? If I get this wrong then it's probably quite funny...

If not, why does влететь not work?

Спасибо
Джек

Originally Posted by JackBoni

Does the verb "влететь" mean "to fly into" in the sense of "The plane flew into the building"....

Yes, it does. Although we usually say "врезаться" in this case:
Самолёт врезался в здание.

Wow, so what I said was actually destructive... not a good idea - I'll look it up properly next time

Спасибо за объяснение!
Джек

Птичка влетела в комнату (через открытое окно).

Originally Posted by JackBoni

Does the verb "влететь" mean "to fly into" in the sense of "The plane flew into the building".... (and as a result the building collapsed) -

What an example.

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by ZelyeUrsuli

So, if I understand it right - do соходил and сошел have the same meaning - just the former means it was a habitual action while the latter means it happened once?

There is no соходил, it's сходил.
Actually yes, you're right, but сходил in "сходил с горы" and сходил in "сходил в кино" are not the same.

Oops. Just a typo.

Thanks to everyone for the explanations!

Originally Posted by ZelyeUrsuli

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by ZelyeUrsuli

So, if I understand it right - do соходил and сошел have the same meaning - just the former means it was a habitual action while the latter means it happened once?

There is no соходил, it's сходил.
Actually yes, you're right, but сходил in "сходил с горы" and сходил in "сходил в кино" are not the same.

Oops. Just a typo.

Thanks to everyone for the explanations!

Generally speaking when you add prefixes to verbs of motion they behave like normal verbs, i.e. the multidirectional prefixed verb becomes a normal imperfective, and the unidirectional prefixed verb becomes the perfective of the pair. However it's more complicated, but that works as a general rule.

Originally Posted by JackBoni

Wow, so what I said was actually destructive... not a good idea - I'll look it up properly next time

Спасибо за объяснение!
Джек

No, it's not necessarily destructive, as we see it from Lampada's example:

Originally Posted by Lampada

Птичка влетела в комнату (через открытое окно).

Just влететь in this context means "to fly into a closed space", you can
влететь в комнату, влететь в окно, влететь внутрь, влететь в ворота (in football sense). But you cannot use this verb when you mean arriving to a place (city/country etc.) by plane.
Just use прилететь for arriving by air. It's the same way as you use приехать (by arrive by riding), приплыть (to arrive by ship) or прийти (to arrive by foot) etc.

London is not a closed 3-D space where you can fly inside it You just arrive to there.

Originally Posted by Боб Уайтман

Just влететь in this context means "to fly into a closed space", you can
влететь в комнату, влететь в окно, влететь внутрь, влететь в ворота (in football sense). But you cannot use this verb when you mean arriving to a place (city/country etc.) by plane.
Just use прилететь for arriving by air. It's the same way as you use приехать (by arrive by riding), приплыть (to arrive by ship) or прийти (to arrive by foot) etc.

London is not a closed 3-D space where you can fly inside it You just arrive to there.

Thanks for the very clear explanation and examples.

Ещё влететь можно на деньги Но это уже сленг.

Originally Posted by Ramil

Ещё влететь можно на деньги Но это уже сленг.

How do you translate this? Is it "there's still money to be made"?

Originally Posted by tohca

Originally Posted by Ramil

Ещё влететь можно на деньги Но это уже сленг.

How do you translate this? Is it "there's still money to be made"?

Я влетел на деньги (Я попал на деньги)
Означает, что ты был вынужден расстаться с крупной суммой денег. Например - ты разбил машину, или сходил ко врачу