Russian Blog

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)].

To be frank about things, verbs of motion are tricky, and they don’t make much sense to many of us without a mother tounge from the Slavic family of languages. We never ask ourselves questions like: ‘Am I going there just once, right now?’ or even worse when you get to the past tense: ‘Did I go there and come back, or am I still there?’ In English you can use the verb ‘go’ in a wide array of circumstances. ‘I’ going there’ can mean by foot, by car, on a plane, on a bus, in a wheel chair, on a bike, simply in anyway you’d like to transport yourself. In Russian – not so much. Let’s try and use the English construction that we have above and translate it into Russian and see what different kinds of ‘going’ can be derived from it:

«Я хожу туда» = I’m going there (by foot, in an unspecific direction, many times). To express a repetition of the verb, add for example: «по понедельникам» [on Mondays].
«Я иду туда» = I’m going there (by foot, in a specific direction, once). To prove your point, add «сейчас с тобой» [right now with you].

«Я езжу туда» = I’ going there (by car, bus, in an unspecific direction, many times). Further explain this repeated motion with the words: «часто по работе» [often in my job, or for my work].
«Я еду туда» = I’m going there (by car, bus, in a specific direction, once). In case people are nosy, tell them «потому что у меня там встреча» [because I have a meeting there].

«Я летаю туда» = I’m going there (by plane, in an unspecific direction, many times). As a way of defending your ‘pro-global warming behavior’ you could always say «всегда во время отпуска» [always during my vacation].
«Я лечу туда» = I’m going there (by plane, in a specific direction, once). Everyone has their own reasons for flying, and any reason is better than «в командировке» [on a business trip] so let’s use this one instead: «для того, чтобы познакомиться с родителями моей подруги» [to become acquainted with my girlfriend’s parents].

This was, of course, only a brief introduction to the magically mysterious wonderland of Russian motion verbs. There’s a lot more where this come from, and don’t you worry – I’m not done with this aspect of the Russian language, I’m going to come back to it again and discuss it more and more and then some more with you. Today it hit me that I only have three days left before I leave Russia. I’m going back home to Sweden on Monday (and then to the states for three weeks!). I’m going to miss this country so much. I don’t know what it is about her, but she does have that something. I’ll be back, you bet I’ll be back!, but not until September… For two whole months I’m going to be a Russophile in exile. And who knows, that might be fun too?