Russian language uses prefixes in verbs of motion to better explain the direction / nuances of the movement. Show What is a prefix?A prefix (in Russian, приставка) is an affix, or a small part of a word, which is placed before the stem of a word.
Adding it to the beginning of the word, creates another word with either slightly or completely different meaning.
Most commonly used prefixes in Russian verbs of motion are: Now, let’s look at each prefix more closely and illustrate them with examples! Prefix по-– start of action – action taking place from time to time – insignificant or incomplete action taken in a short period of time Prefix про-– action covering a certain distance – result of action within a certain period – action directed through something – movement past something or moving forward – single action, action happening at one go Prefix под-– approaching, joining something (подъехать – to drive up, подшить – to hem) Prefix до-– bringing something to a limit or a finish line Prefixes от- and у-– moving away from somewhere / something / someone Mind the difference: prefix от-/ото- means a removal for a short distance or for a short time (отъехать – to move off, откатить – to roll back), while prefix у- means a complete and definite removal from a place (уехать – to leave, уползать – to crawl away, убрать – to remove): Prefix вы-– action happening from inside to outside (выехать – to set off, выгнать – to kick out, выйти – to get out) Prefix пере-– movement from one place to another, crossing a line (переехать – to move, in sense to start living in another place, перейти – to cross over, перебросить – to throw over). And also, in NON-motion verbs Prefix вз- / вс-Prefix вз- or it’s equivalent вс- (before deaf consonants) means to “go up”. Всходить на гору. – To climb the mountain. Prefix в- (во-)– direction of movement into something, inside (въехать – to drive into, вставить – to put in) Prefix при-– bringing the action to the final goal, to achieve, to reach a destination Prefix за-– passing by a place where it’s not planned to stay long In NON-motion verbs, sometimes means “the beginning of the action” (захотеть = to start wanting / to become keen on something abruptly, застучать = to start knocking) Prefix на-– movement onto a surface (наехать – to drive onto, нашить = to sew onto/over); Prefix о- (об-, обо-)– movement around something (объехать = to circle around, to drive around, обжарить = to fry from both sides, обойти = to walk around) Prefix с- / со-– motion happening from top to bottom, movement down (съехать = to move down, to move out, сбросить = to throw down): Prefix с- together with postfix -ся indicate the connection of several people, the arrival from different places to one: сбежаться formed from бежать, слететься – from лететь Prefix раз- (рас-) together with postfix -ся indicate the opposite: disconnection, dispersion to several places: разбежаться from бежать, разлететься from лететь. See this graphic to help you understand better: Prefixes in Russian Verbs of Motion and Aspects
With the help of prefixes, unidirectional Russian verbs of motion regularly form verbs in perfective aspect denoting “start of action” (побежать = to run, поехать = to go, пойти = to set off, to start walking) or “spatial relations” (выбежать = to run out, добежать = to run to / to reach, перебежать = to run across, отбежать = to run off). Verbs of multidirectional movement also form prefixed verbs in perfective aspect, but with some additional shades of meaning, for example, meaning of time (походить: Я походил по центру города и вернулся в отель – I walked around the city center and returned to the hotel (action is limited in time) or the result of the action (добежать: Я добежал на вокзал за 5 минут до отправления поезда – I ran to / reached the train station 5 minutes before my train departure). ————- Related posts: Verbs of Motion in The Russian Language Online Course on Russian Cases Online Course “Russian Grammar Made Easy” (on Udemy platform) Follow ExpressRussian on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok Stay tuned! |