326–327 Verbs of Motion 355

Он понёс кнгу в библиотку

He has taken the book to the library (and is not back yet)

Note
(a) English ‘went’ can refer to one-way journeys (‘He went to China
last week’), rendered by the perfective of a unidirectional verb:
На пр"шлой недле он похал в Китй
or to return trips (‘I went on holiday to France last year’), rendered
by a Russian multidirectional verb:
В пр"шлом год я здил на канкулы во Фрнцию
(b) Note the contrast between durative шёл and perfective пошёл in the
following example: Он крто повернлся и пошёл навстрчу
протвнику, кот"рый шёл на нег" уж без ул$бки (Salnikov)
‘He turned sharply and set off towards his opponent, who was
bearing down on him, no longer with a smile on his face’.
(3) The future of unidirectional perfectives can be used independently
(Я пойд) с тоб"й ‘I will go with you’) or with the future perfective of
another verb:
— Пойд) покурA, — говор я (Kazakov)
‘I’ll go and have a smoke’, I say
(4) The unidirectional perfective may indicate a new phase of an action
already in progress (e.g. a change in tempo):
Он шли мдленно, пот"м пошл быстре
They were walking along slowly, then quickened their pace
Пловц почвствовал устлость и попл1л мдленнее
The swimmer felt tired and began to swim more slowly
(5) An English phrase may translate a unidirectional perfective:
Мы оттолкнлись от бкена и попл1ли к брегу (Nikolaev)
We pushed off from the buoy and struck out for the shore
Он шёл по брегу, но побежл, увдев мен
He was walking along the shore but broke into a run on catching sight
of me

327 Special meanings of gjqnπ

Пойт can mean:

356 The Verb 327–329

(1) ‘To start walking’ of a toddler:

Он пошёл с десят мсяцев

He started walking at ten months

(2) ‘To start school’ of an infant:

Мша в Iтом год пошёл в шк"лу

Misha started school this year

Note also the ‘illogical’ use of the past in Я пошёл! ‘I’m off!’, Похали!
‘Let’s go!’ etc.

328 He gji/k and yt [jlπk

(1) Не ход л denotes that a journey did not take place:

Вчер мы никуд не ход ли

We didn’t go anywhere yesterday

(2) Не пошёл implies an intention unfulfilled:

Вчер мы никуд не пошл

We didn’t go anywhere yesterday (though we had planned to)

329 Perfectives of multidirectional verbs

(1) The perfectives of multidirectional verbs are also formed with the
prefix по-:

ходть/по- ‘to walk’ здить/по- ‘to travel’ etc.

(2) They denote an action of short duration in the past or future:

Он полетл над г"родом и опустлся

He circled the town for a while and then landed

Остлось два рунда. Поход немн"го, пот"м укр"йся

полотнцем и сид здесь, жди мен (Salnikov)
There are two rounds left. Walk around for a bit, then wrap yourself
in a towel, sit here and wait for me
 330 Verbs of Motion 357

330 Figurative and idiomatic uses of verbs of motion

Verbs of motion have a number of figurative or idiomatic meanings.

In most cases only one of a pair (either the unidirectional or the
multidirectional) can be used in a particular figurative sense: the usual
differential criteria between unidirectional and multidirectional do not apply
when the verbs are used figuratively.
(1) Only unidirectional verbs can be used in the following:
(i) Идёт войн, ур"к, фильм
A war, a lesson, a film is on
3та шлпа вам идёт
This hat suits you
Стран идёт к социалзму
The country is moving towards socialism
Идт прbтив в"ли большинств
To go against the will of the majority
Идёт дождь, снег
It is raining, snowing
Ид)т час$
The clock is going

Note
Час$ х#дят is possible in certain contexts: Час$ давн# не х"дят
‘The clock has not gone for a long time’.
(ii) вест войн to wage war
вест дневнк to keep a diary
вест перепску to carry on a correspondence
Дор"га ведёт в лес The road leads to the forest
Ложь к добр не ведёт No good can come of lying
(iii) нест отвтственность to bear the responsibility
нест потри to bear losses
нест наказние to undergo punishment
(iv) [кции летт вниз Shares are plummeting
Врмя лет т Time flies
(v) лезть в дрку to get into a brawl
(vi) Ем везёт/повезл# He is lucky/is in luck
358 The Verb 330–331

Повезл#, что отыскли льдну толщин"й 47 см. (Lebedev)

We were lucky enough to find an ice-floe 47 cm thick
(vii) Дни бег)т; Кровь беж т The days fly past; Blood flows
(viii) Троллйбус ползёт, как черепха
The trolley-bus is crawling along at a snail’s pace
(2) Only multidirectional verbs are used in the following:
(i) нос ть звние, мя to bear a title, a name
нос ть отпечток to bear the imprint
нос ть оджду to wear clothes (habitually: cf.
Он н#снт шлпу ‘He wears
a hat’ and Он в шлпе ‘He is
wearing a hat’)
(ii) вод ть з нос to lead up the garden path
(iii) х#дит слух/х#дят слхи
rumour has it/rumours are rife (also, though less commonly, ид)т
слхи)
(iv) катться на конькх to skate
катться на велосипде to go for a cycle ride
катться на л"дке to go for a row

331 Compound verbs of motion

(1) All simple verbs of motion combine with up to fifteen different

prefixes to form compound aspectival pairs, multidirectional verbs
forming the basis of the imperfectives and unidirectional verbs the basis
of the perfectives (see 332 for modified verb stems).
(2) These prefixed imperfective/perfective aspectival pairs lack the
unidirectional/multidirectional dichotomy of the simple verbs.
(3) Most compound verbs of motion are intransitive and are linked to the
following noun by a preposition (see (4)).
(4) Prefixed compounds of -ход ть/-йт , for example, are as follows:
Imperfective Perfective Preposition Meaning
вход ть войт в + acc. to enter
всход ть взойт на + acc. to go up on to
выход ть в1йт из + gen. to go out of
доход ть дойт до + gen. to go as far as
заход ть зайт к + dat. to call on someone
 331–332 Verbs of Motion 359

заход ть зайт в/на + acc. to call in at a place

в + acc. to go a long way into
наход ть найт + acc. to find
обход ть обойт вокрIг + gen. to go round
+ acc. to inspect/avoid
отход ть отойт от + gen. to move away from
переход ть перейт через + acc. to cross
+ acc.
подход ть подойт к + dat. to go up to
приход ть прийт к + dat. to come to see a person
в/на + acc. to come to/arrive at a place
проход ть пройт мOмо + gen. to pass
+ acc. to cover (a distance)
расход ться разойт сь по + dat. to disperse to (separate
destinations)
сход ть сойт с + gen. to come down from, step off
сход ться сойт сь с + instr. to come together with
уход ть уйт от + gen. to leave a person
из/с + gen. to leave a place

Note
(a) Alternative usage may be determined by context: Он в$шла в
корид#р/на )лицу ‘She came out into the corridor/on to the street’,
Он ушёл на раб#ту ‘He left for work’, Он пришл от дирктора
‘They have come from the manager’, Он сошл на перр#н ‘She
got down on to the platform’ etc.
(b) The choice of preposition with заход ть/зайт and приход ть/
прийт depends on the type of location involved: Он пришёл в
шк#лу/на зав#д ‘He arrived at the school/factory’ (cf. Он уtел
из шк#лы/с раб#ты ‘He left school/work’). See 408 and 412.
(c) Some compounds in на- take на + acc.: нахать на древо ‘to run
into a tree’.
(d) Prefix and prepositional usage is similar to but not identical with usage
with other verbs (see 254).

332 Stems of compound verbs of motion

Prefixes are added to the following stems to make imperfective and

perfective compounds. Stems which differ in form from the simple verbs
of motion (for meanings, see 316) are in bold type:
Imperfective Perfective
-ходть -йт
-езжть -хать
360 The Verb 332–334

-бегть -бежть
-летть -летть
-лезть -лезть
-плывть -плыть
-ползть -ползт
-ность -нест
-водть -вест
-возть -везт
-тскивать -тащть
-гонть -гнать
-ктывать -катть
-бредть -брест

Note
The stems -бегть and -ползть differ from the simple verbs of motion
бгать ‘to run’ and п#лзать ‘to crawl’ only in stress.

333 Spelling rules in the formation of compound verbs of

motion

(1) For вз/-вс-, раз-/рас-, see 16 (4).

(2) The vowel ‘o’ is inserted between a consonant and -йти:
войт (impf. входть) to enter (future войд); past вошёл)
Likewise взойт ‘to ascend’, обойт ‘to go round’, отойт ‘to move
away from’, подойт ‘to go up to’, разойт сь ‘to disperse’, сойт ‘to
descend’, сойт сь ‘to come together’.
(3) A hard sign is inserted between a prefix ending in a consonant and
all forms based on the infinitive stems -езжть/-хать:
въезжть, въхать to drive in etc.

334 Prefixed verbs of motion

The following examples illustrate the use of compound verbs of motion

(for examples with -ход ть/-йт see 331 (4)):
(1) 1 подн"жью ракты подъезжет авт"бус (Russia Today)
A bus draws up to the base of the rocket
 334–335 Verbs of Motion 361

(2) Дти выбегют из м"ря на пляж (Muraveva)

The children run out of the sea on to the beach
(3) Их объединет одн "бщая цель – он должи$ допл1ть до
брега (Russia Today)
They are united by a common aim – they must reach the shore
(4) К"нонов отп#лз в гол палтки (Belov)
Kononov crawled off into the corner of the tent
(5) Мяч залетл на кр$шу
The ball sailed away on to the roof
(6) Он перелзла через заб"р
She climbed over the fence
(7) Разбредлись по влжному лсу (Vanshenkin)
They were wandering off through the damp forest
(8) Мяч перекат лся через лнию
The ball rolled over the line
(9) В1тащили лётчика из горщего самолёта
They dragged the pilot out of the burning aircraft
(10) Мот"ры их катер"в свaрхм"щные, рlбинспкторам не
догнть (Izvestiya)
The engines of their launches are high-powered, the fisheries
inspectors haven’t a hope of catching up with them
(11) Перенёс телеф"н на тахт (Avdeenko)
He carried the telephone over to the divan
(12) — Вот, матр"са теб привёл, — сказл Кутзов (Yakhontov)
‘Look, I have brought you a sailor’, said Kutuzov
(13) Кутзов сообщл: хты уж привезл (Yakhontov)
Kutuzov reported that the yachts had already been delivered

335 Use of the imperfective past of a compound verb of

motion to denote an action and its reverse

(1) The past tense of the imperfective aspect of a compound verb of motion
can denote the action and its reverse (see also 259): Он приход л ‘He
came’ (and has now gone away again), Он уезжл ‘He went away’ (and
has now returned).
362 The Verb 335–336

(2) The prefixes most frequently involved are в-/вы-, за-, под-, при-/
у-:

Кк-то он привод ла свох детй на рентгн (Aksenov)

She had once brought her children for an X-ray
Каке красвые цвет$! Кт"-то, должн# быть, вход л в к"мнату
без мен
What beautiful flowers! Someone must have been into the room when
I was out

Жнщина, кот"рая т"лько что подход ла к ки"ску за газтой,

извстная актрса
The woman who has just been up to the kiosk for a newspaper is a
famous actress

336 Figurative and idiomatic uses of compound verbs

of motion

Many compound verbs of motion have figurative or idiomatic meanings.

The following list contains only a representative sample:

(1) Compounds in -ходть, -йт

входть/войт в м"ду to come into fashion

выходть/в$йти из стр"я to break down
доходть/дойт до слёз to be reduced to tears
заходть/зайт слшком далек" to go too far
переходть/перейт к друг"й тме to switch to a different topic
подходть/подойт to be suitable
приходть/прийт в г"лову to occur (to someone)
(ком-нибудь)
проходть/пройт to pass (e.g. врмя, боль
прох"дит ‘time, pain
passes’)
расходться/разойтсь во мнниях not to see eye to eye
сходть/сойт с ум to go mad
сходться/сойтсь во мнниях to see eye to eye

(2) Compounds in -водть, -вест

вводть/ввест в обращние to bring into circulation

 336–337 Verbs of Motion 363

выводть/в$вести из терпния to exasperate

доводть/довест до конц to put the finishing touches
to
заводть/завест час$ to wind up a watch
наводть/навест спрвки to make enquiries
отводть/отвест дшу to unburden one’s soul
переводть/перевест to translate
подводть/подвест дрга to let a friend down
приводть/привест к to lead to
проводть/провест врмя to spend time
разводть/развест to breed (livestock)
разводться/развестсь to get divorced
сводть/свест к мнимуму to reduce to a minimum

(3) Compounds in -ность, -нест

вность/внест вклад to make a contribution

выность/в$нести пригов"р to pass sentence
доность/донест на + acc. to denounce
заность/занест to record, register
наность/нанест поражние to inflict a defeat
переность/перенест зму to survive the winter
приность/принест п"льзу to bring benefit

337 Perfectives in c- based on multidirectional verbs

(1) Multidirectional verbs combine with the prefix с- to form perfectives:

сбгать, сход ть, създить etc. They do not have imperfectives.

(2) Such verbs denote the performance of an action and its result, usually
within a limited period of time:

Нкон сход л (pf.) за дровми, затопл мленькую пчку

(Abramov)
Nikon went to fetch some firewood and lit the small stove

Note
Compounds with с- are preferred to the simple unprefixed multidirectional
verb (e.g. он ходл, он здил):

(a) where sequential actions are involved:

364 The Verb 337–338

Създил (pf.) за кнгами и сел занимться

He went to fetch the books and sat down to study
(b) where a time element is involved:
Он сход л (pf.) за газтой за 10 мин)г
He took 10 minutes to fetch the newspaper
(3) Unlike the simple unprefixed multidirectional verb, which can
describe single return journeys in the past tense only (see 323),
perfectives in с- can also express this meaning in the future, the infinitive
and the imperative:
Да и лгче, пожлуй, на Лун) слетть (pf.), чем придмать
так"й вездех"д (Abramov)
I do believe it would be easier to fly to the Moon and back than devise
a cross-country vehicle like that
Сход (pf.) к Мйе и передй ей, чтbбы он подошл звтра пbсле
игр$ к газтному ки"ску (Trifonov)
Pop over to Maya’s and tell her to come to the newspaper kiosk after
the game tomorrow

Note
It is important to distinguish perfectives сход ть, слетть, сбгать
from imperfectives сход ть/perfective сойт ‘to go down’, слетть/
perfective слетть ‘to fly down’ and сбегть/perfective сбежть ‘to
run down’.

338 Perfectives in pf-, bp- and yf- based on

multidirectional verbs

За-, из- and на- also combine with multidirectional verbs to form
compound perfectives (such verbs do not have imperfectives):
(1) За- (in the meaning ‘beginning of an action’)
Он в волннии заход л (pf). по к"мнате
He began walking about the room in agitation
(2) Из- (in the meaning ‘to cover the whole area’)
Он изъздил (pf). всю стран
He has travelled the length and breadth of the country