Thread: летать и лететь

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

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.