Since today is THE day of Russia’s big soccer match against Spain [in a matter of hours!], while 20 times more Russian flags are being sold than usually at this time of the year, I thought we should start our discussion about «глаголы движения» [verbs of motion] with one of the more appropriate verbs: «бежать» [to run]. This is a verb of motion that’s определённо [specific], which means that it describes a motion в определённую сторону [in a specific direction]. It has a ‘friend’, let’s call it that, like all other verbs of motion, in this case it’s «бегать», which is неопределённо [unspecific] and stands for a motion в разные стороны [in different directions]. Each and every motion in Russian is described in verb couples like this one (or verb-friends, if you may). Let’s see if we can use this verb in a suitable soccer situation: «Футболисты бегают по футбольному полю» [The soccer players are running (around) on the soccer field]. That’s a movement that’s unspecific, as they’re plainly chasing a little ball around and not really moving in any definite direction. The specific variant of this movement could be «Футболисты бегут к воротам» [The soccer players are running toward the goal], since they sometimes go forward just once, in one direction, without coming back, only to score a goal once. Even though one could of course add to this, seemingly simple verbs, an abudance of different prefixes and have a field day explaining all sorts of activities in any way imaginable, here there and back again, but I’m thinking we are to learn how to walk before we run. That’s why I think we should, logically, go back and take on the verb couple «ходить» [to walk (around, there and back again)] and «идти» [to walk (in a specific direction, only once and not back again)].
Спасибо!"
