Weather, time and events that “go”
Anything that is happening or in progress can “go”: precipitation, time, lessons, films, wars. The verb is always идти́ in the present (идёт, иду́т) and шёл, шла, шло, шли in the past, agreeing with the subject’s gender.
Weather i-DYOT snyek Идётgoesснегsnow It’s snowing. Rain, snow and hail all “go”. Past: шёл снег.
Time VRYE-mya i-DYOT BYS-tra Вре́мяtimeидётgoesбы́строfast Time passes quickly. For time flying, Russian also says вре́мя лети́т (“time flies”).
Films and shows shto i-DYOT f ki-NO Чтоwhatидётgoesвinкино́cinema What’s on at the cinema? Films, plays and TV programmes that are showing “go”.
Lessons, meetings si-CHAS i-DYOT u-ROK Сейча́сnowидётgoesуро́кlesson A lesson is going on now. Anything in progress: a lesson, a meeting, a war.
Past tense fsyu noch shol dozhd’ Всюallночьnightшёлwentдождьrain It rained all night. шёл agrees with masculine дождь.
Feminine subject shla vai-NA Шлаwentвойна́war A war was going on. война́ is feminine, so шла. A common opening in history books.
Working, suiting and being about
идти́ also says that something works, suits someone, or is the topic. Compare what each sentence would mean word for word with what it actually means.
| Russian | Word for word | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mo-EE cha-SY ni i-DUTМои́myчасы́watchнеnotиду́тgo | my watch doesn’t walk | My watch has stopped.Clocks “go” when they work. часы́ is plural only. |
| kak i-DUT di-LAКакhowиду́тgoдела́affairs | how go the affairs? | How are things going?A friendly question about work or life in general. |
| ti-BYE i-DYOT E-tat tsvetТебе́to youидётgoesэ́тотthisцветcolour | to you goes this colour | This colour suits you.The person is in the dative. The clothing or colour is the subject. |
| ryech i-DYOT a din’-GAKHРечьspeechидётgoesоaboutденьга́хmoney | speech goes about money | It’s about money.A fixed phrase for “the issue is…”, common in news and debate. |
| da-RO-ga i-DYOT CHE-ris lyesДоро́гаroadидётgoesче́резthroughлесforest | the road goes through the forest | The road runs through the forest.Roads, rivers and borders “go” too: they extend somewhere. |
| ra-BO-ta i-DYOT kha-ra-SHOРабо́таworkидётgoesхорошо́well | work goes well | The work is going well.Progress on a task or project. |
Carry, lead, drive: figurative uses
The verbs for carrying (нести́), leading (вести́) and transporting (везти́) have their own set of fixed expressions. The most useful is about luck: in Russian, luck is something that carries you along.
везти́ ti-BYE vi-ZYOTТебе́to youвезётcarriesYou’re lucky!Dative person, no subject.
везти́ nam pa-viz-LO s pa-GO-daiНамto usповезло́carriedсwithпого́дойweatherWe were lucky with the weather.Perfective past, neuter -ло because there is no subject. с + instrumental names what you were lucky with.
вести́ on PLO-kha si-BYA vi-DYOTОнheпло́хоbadlyсебя́himselfведётleadsHe’s behaving badly.вести́ себя́, literally “to lead oneself”, means “to behave”.
вести́ kto vi-DYOT E-tu pra-GRA-muКтоwhoведётleadsэ́туthisпрогра́ммуprogrammeWho presents this programme?вести́ also means to host, run or chair something.
нести́ ni ni-SEE chushНеdon’tнеси́carryчушьnonsenseDon’t talk nonsense!To “carry nonsense” is to talk it. Informal.
води́ть ty u-MYE-yish va-DEET’ ma-SHY-nuТыyouуме́ешьcanводи́тьto leadмаши́нуcarCan you drive?Driving as a skill: the multi-way води́ть. To be driving somewhere now: е́хать на маши́не.
Prefixed expressions
With a prefix (a syllable added to the front, like при- or вы-), motion verbs build some of the most common expressions in Russian. The prefix keeps a trace of its physical meaning: вы- is “out”, so a bride “goes out” of her family to marry.
- при-mnye pri-SHLA v GO-la-vu i-DYE-yaМнеto meпришла́cameвintoго́ловуheadиде́яidea An idea occurred to me.An idea “arrives into your head”.
- вы-a-NA VY-shla ZA-mushОна́sheвы́шлаwent outза́мужbehind a husband She got married.Said only of women; a man жени́тся. The phrase dates from a bride leaving her family.
- со-ty shto, sa-SHOL s u-MAТыyouчтоwhatсошёлwent offсfromума́mind Have you gone mad?“To go down off the mind.” Usually said in surprise, not as a diagnosis.
- про-ya pra-SHOL ek-ZA-minЯIпрошёлwent throughэкза́менexam I passed the exam.про- means “through”. Also: вре́мя прошло́, time passed.
- пере-da-VAY pi-ri-DYOM na tyДава́йlet’sперейдёмcross overнаtoтыty Let’s switch to ты.The standard offer to stop using the formal вы.
- у-PA-pa u-SHOL na PYEN-si-yuПа́паdadушёлwent awayнаontoпе́нсиюpension Dad has retired.у- means “away”: he has left work for good.
- за-zai-DEE ka mnye POS-lye ra-BO-tyЗайди́drop inкоtoмнеmeпо́слеafterрабо́тыwork Drop by after work.за- means a short stop on the way.
- до-da mi-NYA ni da-SHLOДоtoменя́meнеnotдошло́reached It didn’t sink in. / I didn’t get it.The meaning “didn’t walk all the way” to you. Informal.
Which partner? One-way or multi-way
Each motion verb has a one-way partner (идти́) and a multi-way partner (ходи́ть). Figurative expressions usually lock in one of the two, and swapping them breaks the meaning or changes it completely.
| Expression | Uses | With the other partner |
|---|---|---|
| Идёт дождь. ▸i-DYOT dozhd’ИдётgoesдождьrainIt’s raining. | one-way идти́ | Хо́дит дождь is not used. |
| Тебе́ идёт. ▸ti-BYE i-DYOTТебе́to youидётgoesIt suits you. | one-way идти́ | Тебе́ хо́дит means nothing. |
| Мне везёт. ▸mnye vi-ZYOTМнеto meвезётcarriesI’m lucky. | one-way везти́ | Мне во́зит is not used. |
| води́ть маши́ну ▸va-DEET’ ma-SHY-nuводи́тьto leadмаши́нуcarto drive (as a skill) | multi-way води́ть | вести́ маши́ну: to be driving a car on a particular trip. |
| носи́ть очки́ ▸na-SEET’ ach-KEEноси́тьto carryочки́glassesto wear glasses | multi-way носи́ть | нести́ очки́: to be carrying glasses somewhere right now. |