Within this website, we have gave you several informations related to the Russian verb. There are many points you could learn from this one of Russian parts of speech from imperfective, perfective, tenses, verbs with and without prefixes. So, we will start to another special group in Russian verb which called One Direction Verbs. One direction or unidirectional verbs is part of verb of motion section and in the form of imperfective aspect. This refers to continuous motion in one direction toward a stated (or implied) goal.
The following below are the most important uses of the one direction verbs:
One direction verb
1. Used to denote motion in progress in the present, past or future. A goal or destination is expressed by the preposition в or на in accusative case (of nouns denoting places), or к in dative case (of nouns denoting people). Otherwise, it is expressed by directional adverbs, for example: домой (home), сюда (here), туда (there).
- Куда ты идёшь, домой?
(Kuda ti ijyosh, damoy?)
Where are you going, home? - Я иду на лекцию
(Ya idu na leksiyu)
I am going (walking) to a lecture - Мы едем к другу
(My yedem k drugu)
We are going to our friend - Алексей едет в Москву
(Aleksey yedet ve Moskvu)
He is going to Moscow - Лена летит к брату в Париж
(Lena lyetit k bratu ve Parizh)
Lena is flying to her brother in Paris
2. In the past and future tenses the one direction verb is normally used to provide a background against which some other action occurs. Therefore, the motion verb is in one clause of a complex sentence, while the verb in the other clause. If imperfective, denotes a simultaneous action, but if perfective, denotes one that was (will be) completed during the time the motion was (will be) in progress.
For example :
- Когда я летела в самолёте, я читала роман
(Kagda ya lyetela ve samalyote, ya chitala roman)
When I was flying in the airplane, I was reading a novel - Когда мы ехали в машине, у нас кончился бензин
(Kagda my yekhali ve mashinye, u nas kanchilsya byenzin)
When we were riding in the car, we ran out of gas - Когда ты будешь идти мимо киоска, купи мне газету
(Kagda ty budyesh idti mima kioska, kupi mnye gazyetu)
When you are walking past the newsstand, buy me a newspaper
3. One direction verb in the present tense may be used to denote an action that is intended for the near future, just as in English.
- Сегодня вечером я иду в кинотеатр
(Sevodnya vyecherom ya idu ve kino)
Tonight I’m going to the movie theater - Завтра мы едем на дачу
(Zavtra my yedem na dachu)
Tomorrow we’re going to the dacha
4. One direction verb is used when the focus is on some circumstance or characteristic of one-way motion. For example, the speed, manner, or means of travel.
- Письмо шло к нам неделю
(Pisma shlo k nam nedelyu)
The letter reached us in a week - Я еду на работу час
(Ya edu na rabotu chas)
It takes me an hour to drive to work - Кирилл ехал домой сегодня на метро
(Kirill yekhal damoy sevodnya na myetro)
Kirill went home today by metro - Лариса шла в библиотеку одна
(Larisa shla ve bibliotyeku adna)
Larisa went to the library alone
5. Only one direction verbs is used to indicate figurative motion in certain idiomatic expressions. The multidirectional cannot occur here, even when the motion is repeated. This is because the subject in these idioms is understood to move in only one direction.
- Как летит время!
(Kak lyetit vremya!)
How time flies! - Сегодня шёл дождь
(Sevodnya shyol dozhd’)
It rained today - Летом здесь часто идут дожди
(Lyetom zdyes casto idut dozhdji)
It often rains here in the summer - Что идёт в кинотеатре?
(Sto ijyot ve kinoteatrye?)
What’s playing at the movie theater?
It may seemed pretty challenging to understand the whole concept of Russian verbs. But like other languages, the key to succeed in Russian language is keep on practice through writing sentences, speaking, watching Russian movies or TV Show an listening to Russian musics. With those combinations, then it will not be impossible for you guys would be excelled in Russian language.