Thread: Verbs of Motion

I am really confused about the verb езжать-ехать. When do you say: приходите к нам and when do you say приезжайте к нам ?
Why do you say я уезжаю в Лондон for a one time action, when it is a multi action verb? Is there a really good explanation of these verbs anywhere?
(I have the Terence Wade Comprehensive Russian grammar, but it only helps up to a point).

Originally Posted by Mickey Mouse

I am really confused about the verb езжать-ехать. When do you say: приходите к нам and when do you say приезжайте к нам ?
Why do you say я уезжаю в Лондон for a one time action, when it is a multi action verb? Is there a really good explanation of these verbs anywhere?
(I have the Terence Wade Comprehensive Russian grammar, but it only helps up to a point).

There is no verb "езжать".

There are:
1)imperfective verb "ехать"
2)a number of perfective verbs "preposition+ехать" like уехать, приехать, доехать etc. etc.
3)a number of imperfective verbs "preposition+езжать" like уезжать, приезжать, доезжать etc. etc.

So there are perf-imperf couples like хххехать-хххезжать.

All above are single-action verbs as well as all verbs in your examples.

Multi-action verbs are "ездить" and its derivatives.

Приходить means to come by feet.
Приезжать means to come by car/train/horse/etc.

Sorry - I meant ездить/eхать. I find it hard to understand when ездить is used and when eхать and their derivatives. For example, when do you say:
Я уезжаю and when Я еду. I was told it was something to do whether the action is planned or not?

Originally Posted by Topolino

Why do you say я уезжаю в Лондон for a one time action, when it is a multi action verb? Is there a really good explanation of these verbs anywhere?
(I have the Terence Wade Comprehensive Russian grammar, but it only helps up to a point).

Wade explains this as an implied round trip i.e. you're going to London but intend to return from there.

Originally Posted by Topolino

Sorry - I meant ездить/eхать. I find it hard to understand when ездить is used and when eхать and their derivatives. For example, when do you say:
Я уезжаю and when Я еду. I was told it was something to do whether the action is planned or not?

Err... I was wrong. "Уезжать" can be single-action as well as multi-action.
single-action:

ехать, уезжать, ...

Я еду в Рим. - I am going to Rome (right now). I go to Rome (right now).

Я уезжаю в Рим. - I am departing to Rome (right now). I am depart to Rome (right now).


Multi-action:

Ездить, уезжать...

Я езжу в Рим. - (Usually/From time to time/Sometimes) I go to Rome.

По пятницам я уезжаю в Рим. In fridays I leave to Rome (normally).

Originally Posted by Topolino

For example, when do you say:
Я уезжаю and when Я еду. I was told it was something to do whether the action is planned or not?

I'm not sure about the planning or the single- vs the multi-action part.

Perhaps, it could be explained by example. So, when do you say: "I'm leaving for London" and when "I'm going to London"?

(I mean, you could leave for London this morning and come back the same afternoon, right? Also, I think the planning might be equally involved in either version.)

I suppose "I'm leaving for London" is more immediate, and "I'm going to London" is more general. But they are very close in meaning. So how are they translated into Russian ?

Originally Posted by Topolino

I suppose "I'm leaving for London" is more immediate, and "I'm going to London" is more general. But they are very close in meaning. So how are they translated into Russian ?

I'm leaving for London => Я уезжаю в Лондон.
I'm going to London => Я еду в Лондон.