In Russian, verbs like “to carry,” “to take,” or “to bring” are verbs of motion, much like verbs meaning “to go,” “to drive,” “to walk,” or “to run.” This means that, like other Russian verbs of motion, they are split based on directionality (movement in one vs. many directions) and based on whether or not the motion involved a vehicle.
In this post, we’ll show you how the two factors above can impact which verb you should use, but we’ll also talk about some other factors that matter for “carrying” verbs, like whether you are transporting objects or people. Okay, let’s take a closer look at the “carrying” verbs of motion!
Unidirectional vs. multidirectional “carrying” verbs
Like other Russian verbs of motion, verbs meaning “to carry” can be split into categories based on directionality:
Unidirectional → a single movement, in one direction (or one-way)
Multidirectional → movement in more than one direction (or repeated motions)
Russian “carrying” verbs, therefore, come in pairs. One member is unidirectional, while the other is multidirectional. Let’s look at an example illustrating the difference between нести[niSTEE](carry in one direction), a unidirectional verb, and носить[naSEET](carry back and forth), a multidirectional.
Девочка несёт полено. DYEvachka niSYOT paLYEna The girl is carrying a piece of firewood. → describes a single action: one piece moves from one place to another | Девочка носит дрова. DYEvachka NOsit draVA The girl carries firewood. → the activity is ongoing, with multiple pieces of wood |
What are the most common carrying verbs in Russian?
The most common carrying verbs in Russian are:
нести[niSTEE] and носить[naSEET] → “to carry (on foot)”
везти[viSTEE] and возить[vaZEET] → “to carry (using a vehicle)”
вести[viSTEE] and водить [vaDEET] → “to carry, take, bring (people)”
You’ll notice that your choice of carrying verb in Russian can depend on factors like:
Whether you are moving on foot or in a vehicle
What kind of thing you are transporting (e.g. people vs. objects)
In the sections below, we will go through each pair of carrying verbs in Russian and look at some examples. Let’s have a look at some of these verbs!
When to use нести (niSTEE) and носить (naSEET) in Russian?
In Russian, we use нести[niSTEE] and носить[naSEET] to describe someone carrying something on foot. The verb нести[niSTEE] is unidirectional, while носить[naSEET] is multidirectional.
unidirectional: one trip
Теперь твоя очередь нести рюкзак.
tiPYER tvaYA Ochiryet niSTEE ryukZAK
Now it’s your turn to carry the backpack.
multidirectional: multiple trips
Я всегда ношу с собой таблетки от аллергии на всякий случай.
ya fsigDA naSHOO s saBOY tabLYEtki at alirGEEi na FSYAkiy SLOOchey
I always carry allergy pills with me just in case.
Other meanings of нести and нести
The unidirectional verb нести[niSTEE] is often used with metaphorical or idiomatic meanings. For example:
Он несёт какую-то чушь.
on niSYOT kaKOOyu-ta choosh
Взрослые несут ответственность за детей.
VZROslyye niSOOT atVYEtstvinast za diTYEY
Adults are taking responsibility for kids.
Наша курица стала нести яйца.
NAsha KOOritsa STAla niSTEE YAytsa
Our chicken started laying eggs.
The multidirectional verb носить[naSEET] is frequently used to mean “wear.”
Русские обычно носят обручальное кольцо на правой руке.
ROOskiye oBYchna NOsyat abrooCHAlnaye kalTSO na PRAvay rooKYE
Russians usually wear (lit. carry) a wedding ring on the right hand.
When to use везти (viSTEE) and возить (vaZEET) in Russian?
In Russian, you’ll generally use the verbs везти[viSTEE] and возить[vaZEET] to describe someone being carried using some kind of vehicle. The verb везти[viSTEE] is unidirectional, while the verb возить[vaZEET] is multidirectional.
unidirectional: one trip
Делают в Китае и везут в Россию.
DYElayut f kiTAye i viZOOT v raSEEyu
They make it in China and bring it to Russia.
multidirectional: multiple trips
У нас автобусы бесплатно студентов возят.
oo nas aFTOboosy bisPLATna stooDYENtaf VOzyat
We have buses that carry students for free.
When to use вести (viSTEE) and водить (vaDEET) in Russian?
The Russian verbs вести[viSTEE] and водить[vaDEET] are used to describe actions that transport people. The verb вести[viSTEE] is unidirectional while водить[vaDEET] is multidirectional.
unidirectional: one trip
Такой трогательный момент! Отец ведёт невесту под венец.
taKOY TROgatilnyi maMYENT aTYETS viDYOT niVYEstoo pad viNYETS
Such a touching moment! The father leads the bride down the aisle.
multidirectional: multiple trips
У меня друг водит своего ребёнка на хоккей.
oo miNYA drook VOdit svaiVO riBYONka na khaKHEY
I have a friend who takes his child to play hockey.
Other meanings of вести (viSTEE) and водить (vaDEET)
These two verbs can be translated into English using a variety of different words. For example:
The multidirectional verb водить is frequently used in the meaning of “drive.”
Ты умеешь водить мотоцикл?
ty ooMYEyesh vaDEET mataTSEEKL
Do you know how to drive a motorcycle?
Нет, я только машину вожу.
nyet ya TOlka maSHEEnoo vaZHOO
The unidirectional verb вестиis often used to mean “to carry a weight of responsibility” or “to lead” (as we saw above). In this sense, we can use вести metaphorically to mean “to conduct,” “to host,” or “to teach.”
вести расследование
visTEE raSLYEdyvaniye
to conduct an investigation
вести развлекательную программу
visTEE razvliKAtilnooyu pragRAmoo
to host an entertainment program
вести кружок по вышивке
visTEE krooZHOK pa VYshifkye
to lead an embroidery class
вести русский язык и литературу
visTEE ROOskiy yaZYK i litiraTOOroo
to teach Russian language and literature
The unidirectional везти can mean “have luck”
Мне всегда везёт с учителями.
mnye fsigDA viZYOT s oochitiLYAmi
I always have luck with teachers.
The unidirectional вести can describe how you “carry out” something or how you “carry yourself” (in other words, or how you “behave”)
Они ведут здоровый образ жизни.
aNEE viDOOT zdaROvyi Obraz ZHEEzni
They lead a healthy lifestyle.
Дети сегодня плохо вели себя.
DYEti siVOdnyaPLOkha viLEE siBYA
The kids were behaving badly today.
The multidirectional verb водить is often used in the idiomatic phrase below:
Они водят нас за нос уже который день.
aNEE VOdyat nas ZA nas ooZHYE kaTOryi dyen
They have been lying to us for several days now.
lit. They have been leading us by the nose for several days now.
How to use carrying verbs in different tenses?
In Russian, carrying verbs can be conjugated into a wide range of different tenses, just like other Russian verbs. For example:
Он везёт меня домой. on viZYOT miNYA daMOY | Она возит меня в школу каждый день. aNA VOzit miNYA f SHKOloo KAzhdyi dyen She drives me to school every day. |
Я из окна смотрела, как он вёл своего сына в школу. ya iz okNA smaTRYEla kak on vyol svaiVO SYna f SHKOloo I watched from the window as he was walking his son to school. | Он водил своего сына в школу каждое утро. on VOdil svaiVO SYna f SHKOloo KAzhdaye OOtra He walked his son to school every morning. |
Завтра я буду вести уроки по зуму. ZAftra ya BOOdoo visTEE ooROki pa ZOOmoo Tomorrow, I will be teaching on Zoom. | Завтра будем возить тебя по всем достопримечательностям. ZAftra BOOdyem vaZEET tiBYA pa fsyem dastaprimiCHAtilnastyam Tomorrow, we will take you to all the sights. |
Looking at the examples above, it would be easy to conclude that unidirectional verbs should be translated into English using the “-ing” form of a verb, while the multidirectional verb doesn’t use “-ing.”
But although this observation might be helpful in many instances, it does not always hold true. Some unidirectional verbs will not have “-ing,” while some multidirectional verbs will be translated using “-ing.” For example:
multidirectional
Он возит меня по городу.
on VOzit miNYA pa GOradoo
He’s driving me around the city.
→ Here it’s only one action (not a habit), but it’s still in many directions!
Conclusion
In this post, I introduced you to the verbs of motion that have the meaning of “carry.” Here are some of the factors that influence which carrying verb you should use:
directionality (unidirectional vs. multidirectional)
the method of movement (in a vehicle vs. on foot)
what you are transporting (people or non-people)
Want to practice? Download the Russian carrying verbs exercises using the link below! Happy learning!
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