Unidirectional verbs of motion.

The term “unidirectional” has at times been known by alternate terms, such as definite, actual, or determinate. Although I once used the older terms “potential and actual”, the more modern terms multidirectional and unidirectional more often lead the student to the correct interpretation.

Unidirectional is meant to suggest purposful motion directed toward a goal.

First: Review the verbs from the prior lesson, and memorize these.

along with their stresses and meanings. The first three include an irregular (of the “bookend” type), and a lone Conj. II verb. All the others are of Conj. I. You can come to observe, that these verbs (all except ехать) follow the ending-stressed pattern in all of their forms.

 

бежать (irr.) - to [unidirectionally] be running

плыть - to [unidirectionally] be swimming

лететь - to [unidirectionally] be flying

идти - to [unidirectionally] be going on foot

вести - to [unidirectionally] be leading or driving (a car)

нести - to [unidirectionally] be carrying on foot

везти - to [unidirectionally] be carrying in a vehicle; (Did you remember the -з-?)

ехать - to [unidirectionally] be going in a vehicle

 

Although the meanings given above are meant to suggest using these verbs “as one speaks ”, they can also be used for repeated or habitual motion, when the emphasis is on a single direction (see Example #8).

Second step: How to Conjugate

 

бежать has been conjugated on the page on irregular verbs.

плыть is Conj. I., ending-stressed. плыву плывёшь, etc.

лететь is Conj. II., ending-stressed лечу летишь

 

идти is Conj. I., ending-stressed. иду идёшь

вести is Conj. I., ending-stressed. веду ведёшь

нести is Conj. I., ending-stressed. несу несёшь

везти is Conj. I., ending-stressed. везу везёшь

ехать is Conj. I., stem-stressed. еду едешь

 

Here is an observation which may help you remember the second stems (present/future stems) of the four verbs above which end in -ти.

infinitive	second stem	infinitive consonant
идти	ид-	keeps
вести	вед-	mutates to -д-
нести	нес-	keeps
везти	вез-	keeps

 

Third step: How to Use

 

1. Господин в мундире бежит вверх по лестнице.
   A gentleman in uniform is running up the staircase
   
   
2. Столетья плывут из темноты.
   The centuries are swimming out of the darkness.
   
   
3. А то всё летит прахом.
   …Otherwise everything is flying up as dust.
   
   
4. Сначала я иду к автобусной остановке.
   First I walk to the bus stop.
   
   Мы сначала едем на поезде, а потом идём пешком несколько километров.
   We are first traveling by train, and then we are going on foot [for] several kilometers.
   
   
5. Маркел ведёт с собой шестилетнюю дочь Маринку.
   Markel is leading his own six-year-old daughter Marina.
   
   
6. Они несут гардероб по частям в дом.
   They are carrying the wardrobe into the house in pieces.

 

7. Они везут гардероб в разобранном виде.
   They are transporting the wardrobe in disassembled form.
   
   
8. (see also: example #4)
   Каждое утро я выхожу из дома и еду на работу.
   Every morning I leave the house and drive to work.
   
   Сначала я еду на автобусе, а потом я иду пешком.
   First I am riding on the bus, and then I am going on foot.
   
   

 

 

 

 

 

5/31/2011

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