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CLASS 9 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE

Verbs of motion with common prefixes in a clear context (Russian)

How it works

Russian verbs of motion with prefixes express different directions, goals, and aspects of movement. Prefixes such as ‹при-›, ‹у-›, ‹вы-›, ‹в-›, ‹за-›, ‹пере-›, ‹до-›, ‹об-› and ‹про-› change the basic meaning of the verb. In addition, ‹с-› in forms such as ‹сходить› often denotes a short there-and-back trip. For example, ‹приходить› means “to arrive”, while ‹уходить› means “to leave”. ‹пройти мимо› means “to pass by”, and ‹сходить в магазин› means “to go briefly into the shop and come back”. The choice of prefix depends on whether you want to emphasize the starting point, the destination, leaving a place, passing by, or a short trip with a return. It is important to pay attention to the context in order to choose the correct prefix, since the meaning of the verb can change greatly as a result.

Note
The prefix determines the direction of movement or the destination: ‹при-› for arrival, ‹у-› for leaving, ‹вы-› for going out, ‹в-› for going in, ‹за-› for a short visit or detour, ‹пере-› for crossing, ‹до-› for reaching, ‹об-› for going around or covering several points one after another, ‹про-› for passing by or transit, ‹с-› in ‹сходить› for a short there-and-back trip.

An example

Choose the correct verb: ‹Я каждый день _____ в школу к восьми часам утра.›

The correct form is ‹прихожу›, because the sentence describes a regular arrival: ‹Я каждый день прихожу в школу к восьми часам утра.›

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Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: Russian. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.