| September 27, 2023
Russian motion verbs are notoriously complex so I put together a cheat sheet you can print out and laminate to give you a quick reference guide when you are trying to learn them (and the following five times you again, try to learn them).
Remember both unidirectional and multidirectional verbs are imperfective verbs
When to use the unidirectional verb
- Movement in one direction (point A to point B)
- Set expressions
- Short distances
When to use the multidirectional verb
- Movement in more than one direction
- Habitual or repetitive action
- General motion
- Implied round trip
- Completed round trip (past tense)
Verbs covered
| English | Uni / multi / perfective |
|---|---|
| To stroll | Брести / Бродит / Побрести |
| To climb | Лезть / Лазить / Полезть |
| To crawl | Ползти / Ползать / Ползти |
| To drag | Тащить / Таскать / Потащить |
| To drive / chase | Грнать / Гонять / Погнать |
| To roll | Катить / Катать / Покатить |