Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: what is the difference between лететь и летать?

  1. #1
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    28
    Rep Power
    13

    what is the difference between лететь и летать?

    my teacher had trouble explaining this to me...

    спасибо!

  2. #2
    JJ
    JJ is offline
    Властелин
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Ural, Russia
    Posts
    1,390
    Rep Power
    15
    It's easy, this is a verb of motion. Some examples:
    Лететь - mostly to fly to, to fly from, летать - just "to fly".
    Птицы летают в небе - The birds are flying in the sky/The birds fly in the sky.
    В небе летят птицы - In the sky the birds are flying to (somewhere).
    Птицы летят на юг - The birds are flying to the south.
    Я умею летать - I can fly.
    Я летаю - I fly (present simple) - Я летаю в Москву каждую неделю - I fly to Moscow every week.
    Я лечу - I'm flying to/from.
    Gib immer 100% bei der Arbeit: 12% am Montag, 23% am Dienstag, 40% am Mittwoch, 20% am Donnerstag, 5% am Freitag ...

  3. #3
    Почётный участник
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    129
    Rep Power
    14
    Quote Originally Posted by JJ
    It's easy, this is a verb of motion. Some examples:
    Лететь - mostly to fly to, to fly from, летать - just "to fly".
    Птицы летают в небе - The birds are flying in the sky/The birds fly in the sky.
    В небе летят птицы - In the sky the birds are flying to (somewhere).
    Птицы летят на юг - The birds are flying to the south.
    Я умею летать - I can fly.
    Я летаю - I fly (present simple) - Я летаю в Москву каждую неделю - I fly to Moscow every week.
    Я лечу - I'm flying to/from.
    yep

    I have to add the following:
    летать is used if someone has no target, like flying around etc.
    whereas лететь understands that smbdy has a target, like he's flying to the north...
    no pain, no gain

  4. #4
    JJ
    JJ is offline
    Властелин
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Ural, Russia
    Posts
    1,390
    Rep Power
    15
    I thought to write something like "летать - means "to fly with no target" but then I had remembered летать в Москву - it has a target.
    Gib immer 100% bei der Arbeit: 12% am Montag, 23% am Dienstag, 40% am Mittwoch, 20% am Donnerstag, 5% am Freitag ...

  5. #5
    Почётный участник
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    129
    Rep Power
    14
    Quote Originally Posted by JJ
    I thought to write something like "летать - means "to fly with no target" but then I had remembered летать в Москву - it has a target.
    yea...it's the second meaning!

    летать

    - roundtrip (from A to B and back)
    - no target
    no pain, no gain

  6. #6
    Увлечённый спикер
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    47
    Rep Power
    8
    Quote Originally Posted by krobatshov View Post
    yep

    I have to add the following:
    летать is used if someone has no target, like flying around etc.
    whereas лететь understands that smbdy has a target, like he's flying to the north...
    Then why Russians says for example


    << Самолет летит над океаном >> ??

  7. #7
    Почтенный гражданин UhOhXplode's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Oklahoma, USA
    Posts
    346
    Rep Power
    11
    Quote Originally Posted by klopp View Post
    Then why Russians says for example


    << Самолет летит над океаном >> ??
    I think that's a lot about usage. Since planes have limited fuel then it's expected that if they fly over the ocean then there must be a destination. That would make the usage "determinate".
    A bird flying over the ocean could have no specific destination but that's not usually true for a plane.

  8. #8
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    209
    Rep Power
    11
    It's simpler to think of it that лететь is used when you are talking about something flying in a specific direction (usually at a specific time) and летать is used in every other sense of the word. Самолет летит над океаном means "right now there is a plane flying above the ocean". But in another context you could say самолеты летают - for example: я живу рядом с аеропортом - самолеты часто летают над моим домом. You might also use самолеты часто летят in this sentence, but it would have an unusual meaning, like planes always fly in the same direction above your house.

  9. #9
    Завсегдатай maxmixiv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Omsk, Russia
    Posts
    1,545
    Rep Power
    28
    аеропорт => аэропорт

    Good explanation.
    "The squadron летит над океаном" (meaning all units are flying to same direction).
    "Самолёты летают везде: и над сушей и над океанами" (various directions )
    "Невозможно передать смысл иностранной фразы, не разрушив при этом её первоначальную структуру."

Similar Threads

  1. Я научился летать, но она не верит.
    By Dogboy182 in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: April 9th, 2010, 11:19 AM
  2. What's the Very Difference Here?
    By Culturist in forum Polish
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: September 4th, 2008, 09:05 PM
  3. Is there a difference
    By Ramil in forum Learn English - Грамматика, переводы, словарный запас
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: January 28th, 2008, 09:28 PM
  4. The difference?
    By Matryoshka in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 35
    Last Post: September 24th, 2007, 07:27 PM
  5. can anyone tell me the difference
    By Орчун in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: April 4th, 2006, 03:54 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary