Verbs of motion

Lesson opening

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Verbs of motion: ići, doći, otići and the whole family

English makes you choose between “I go” (a habit) and “I’m going” (a trip under way). Serbian has no such fork: one verb, ići “to go”, covers both, and like English go it does not care whether you walk, take the bus or drive.

You have already met the parts: the conjugation idem (the lesson “Core irregular verbs”), forms such as dođem (the lesson “Conjugation classes”) and the fact that a prefix often makes a verb perfective (the lesson “The concept of aspect”). Here they come together. The prefix sets the direction (to, away, in, out, across, through), and the perfective/imperfective pair tells you whether the movement is seen as complete. Then come the other verbs of motion (voziti, putovati, šetati, trčati, leteti) and the case that follows them: where to, not where.

ići: one verb for “I go” and “I’m going”

“I’m going” (right now, on my way) and “I go” (in general, regularly) are both idem; only the words around it change.

All three have idem. The vehicle goes in the instrumental case with no preposition (the lesson “Instrumental of means”): idem autobusom “by bus”, idem vozom “by train”, idem kolima “by car”; on foot is idem peške. You already know the full conjugation: idem, ideš, ide, idemo, idete, idu, past išao/išla, imperative idi!

Prefixes set the direction

Bare ići is movement “in general”. For a direction (to, away, in, out), English adds a little word after the verb (come in, go out, go away); Serbian glues a prefix to the front. Latin did the same with ire “to go”: exire “go out”, inire “go in”, transire “go across” (hence English exit, transit). The prefixed verb becomes perfective (a single, completed movement). Most have a present in -đem; otići has odem (the lesson “Conjugation classes”). The imperfective partner, for a process or a habit, is built on -laziti and has an ordinary present in -im: dolazim, ulaziš.

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Verbs of motion: ići, doći, otići

Serbian has no separate verbs for a single trip and a habit, and no “-ing” present: one verb ići covers “I go” and “I’m going”, on foot or by transport. Conjugation: idem, ideš, ide, idemo, idete, idu; past išao / išla; imperative idi! A habit is shown by an adverb. The vehicle: instrumental, no preposition (idem autobusom, vozom, kolima); on foot: idem peške.

A prefix sets the direction and makes the verb perfective

• Prefix = English particle: do- to, arriving; ot- away; u- in; iz- out; pre- across; pro- through, past.
• Present in -đem, but otići — odem; stići is not built on ići: stignem.
• Imperfective in -laziti, present in -im (dolazim): once and complete doći versus in progress, regularly dolaziti. Voz dolazi u podne (timetable), Voz je došao (it is here).
• đ is one letter (the d of British duty), not d + j: dođem, uđi. “dj” (“dodjem”) is only a stand-in without a Serbian layout.

Other verbs of motion

The reflexive se decides who travels and who is taken: without it, “to drive, to take”; with it, “to ride, to go by transport”. Putujem u Niš vozom. I’m travelling to Niš by train. Avion leti za Beč u podne. The plane flies to Vienna at noon.

Motion and case: where to, not where