дайсці / даходзіць
Reaching with Дайсці and Даходзіць
Дайсці and даходзіць mean to get as far as, to reach: Як дайсці да вакзала? (How do I get to the station?)
How It Works
The prefix да- adds the idea of reaching the end point of a trip. On foot it goes on ісці and хадзіць, and ісці becomes -йсці after the vowel, as in прыйсці.
- дайсці (perfective, one arrival): дайду, дойдзеш, дойдзе, дойдзем, дойдзеце, дойдуць; past дайшоў, дайшла, дайшлі; imperative дайдзі.
- даходзіць (imperfective, usual or repeated arrivals): даходжу, даходзіш, даходзіць; past даходзіў.
Watch the stress. In the future tense, only the я-form keeps the a: дайду́. In the other forms the stress moves to the prefix, so аканне no longer turns it into a: до́йдзеш, до́йдзе, до́йдуць (see akanye). The past дайшоў and the imperative дайдзі also keep a, because the prefix is unstressed there.
The goal. Use да + genitive, as for any destination you head toward (да with the genitive): дайсці да цэнтра, да ракі, да канца вуліцы. The idea of as far as is often clear: Мы дайшлі толькі да моста. (We only got as far as the bridge.)
By vehicle the prefix goes on ехаць: даехаць (даеду, даедзеш) and даязджаць. Як даехаць да аэрапорта? (How do I get to the airport?)
Things can reach you too. Letters, parcels, news and sounds даходзяць: Ліст даходзіць за тры дні. (A letter takes three days to arrive.) Да нас дайшлі дрэнныя навіны. (Bad news reached us.) Used without a subject, да мяне дайшло also means it finally dawned on me.
Do not confuse this travel meaning with the prefix да- that means finishing an action, as in дачытаць (finishing with да-).
Examples (6)
- Прабачце, як дайсці да вакзала?
Excuse me, how do I get to the station?
Word by Word: Excuse-me, how reach to station?
- Ліст даходзіць за тры дні.
A letter takes three days to arrive.
Word by Word: Letter reaches in three days.
- Мы дайшлі толькі да моста і павярнулі назад.
We only got as far as the bridge and turned back.
Word by Word: We reached only to bridge and turned back.
- Ты дойдзеш сам ці цябе правесці?
Will you get there on your own, or should I walk you?
Word by Word: You will-reach yourself or you to-walk?
Stress on the prefix: до́йдзеш, not дайдзеш.
- Як даехаць да аэрапорта?
How do I get to the airport (by car or bus)?
Word by Word: How reach-by-vehicle to airport?
- Да нас дайшлі дрэнныя навіны.
Bad news reached us.
Word by Word: To us reached bad news.
Common Mistakes
Using у + accusative instead of да + genitive for the goal.
Як дайсці ў цэнтр?Як дайсці да цэнтра?Дайсці means to reach a point, and that point takes да with the genitive.
Keeping a in the prefix in the stressed forms.
Ты дайдзеш да школы сам?Ты дойдзеш да школы сам?In the future tense, only the я-form keeps a: дайду. In the other forms the stress falls on the prefix, so it is spelled до-: дойдзеш, дойдзе, дойдуць.
Using a vehicle verb for a trip on foot.
Мы даехалі да лесу пешшу.Мы дайшлі да лесу пешшу.Даехаць means reaching by vehicle, which contradicts пешшу (on foot). On foot, use дайсці.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Reaching follows arriving.
Related Patterns
- ісці / хадзіцьMotion on Foot: Ісці and Хадзіць
Дайсці and даходзіць are ісці and хадзіць with the prefix да-.
Level 2 - ехаць / ездзіцьMotion by Vehicle: Ехаць and Ездзіць
Даехаць and даязджаць are the vehicle versions.
Level 2 - The Prefix да- for FinishingFinishing with Да-
The same prefix also means finishing an action, as in дачытаць.
Level 5 - Aspect Pairs Made with a Prefix
Adding a prefix turns the motion pair into an ordinary aspect pair.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice дайсці / даходзіць in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Belarusian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
