ісці / хадзіць
Motion on Foot: Ісці and Хадзіць
Going on foot has two verbs. Ісці is one trip, one direction: Я іду ў краму (I am going to the shop). Хадзіць is many trips, there-and-back trips or walking in general: Я часта хаджу ў басейн.
How It Works
1. Ісці: one direction. Use it for a trip happening now or planned: Я іду ў краму (I am going to the shop), Куды ты ідзеш? (Where are you going?), Заўтра мы ідзём у тэатр (We are going to the theater tomorrow; see the present for plans).
Forms of ісці. іду, ідзеш, ідзе, ідзём, ідзяце, ідуць. The past comes from a different stem: ішоў, ішла, ішло, ішлі (was on the way).
2. Хадзіць: many directions. Use it for habits with words like часта (often) and кожны дзень: Я часта хаджу ў басейн. Use its past for a completed round trip: Учора я хадзіў у кіно (I went to the cinema yesterday, and came back). It also means walking as an ability: Наш сын ужо ходзіць (Our son can already walk).
Forms of хадзіць. хаджу, ходзіш, ходзіць, ходзім, ходзіце, ходзяць; past хадзіў, хадзіла, хадзілі. Note дз → дж in хаджу and the о in the stressed forms.
3. Destination. Both verbs use у/на + accusative for where you go: у школу, на працу.
Tip: when a person travels, these verbs mean going on foot. For a trip by car, bus or train, even within a town, see ехаць and ездзіць. A vehicle itself can also take them: Аўтобус ходзіць кожныя дзесяць хвілін (The bus runs every ten minutes). To set off, use пайсці.
Examples (6)
- Я іду ў краму.
I am going to the shop.
One trip, happening now.
- Куды ты ідзеш?
Where are you going?
Asked of someone on the way right now.
- Я часта хаджу ў басейн.
I often go to the pool.
A habit: many trips there and back.
- Учора я хадзіў у кіно.
I went to the cinema yesterday.
Past хадзіў: a completed round trip.
- Калі я ішоў дадому, пачаўся дождж.
When I was walking home, it started to rain.
Past ішоў: on the way in one direction.
- Наш сын ужо ходзіць.
Our son can already walk.
Хадзіць as the ability to walk.
Common Mistakes
Using ісці for a habit.
Я часта іду ў басейн.Я часта хаджу ў басейн.Часта describes repeated trips, and repeated trips need хадзіць.
Using ішоў for a finished trip there and back.
Учора я ішоў у кіно.Учора я хадзіў у кіно.To say you went somewhere and came back, use хадзіў. Ішоў only means you were on the way, as in a story that continues.
Using хадзіць to ask a person walking past where they are heading right now.
Куды ты ходзіш?Куды ты ідзеш?Куды ты ходзіш? asks where you regularly go. For the trip happening now, use ідзеш.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Motion verbs need the imperfective and destinations.
Related Patterns
- ехаць / ездзіцьMotion by Vehicle: Ехаць and Ездзіць
The same one-way versus many-way contrast for travel by vehicle.
Level 2 - Verb Aspect
Both verbs are imperfective; motion verbs add a second contrast of direction.
Level 2 - пайсці / паехацьSetting Off with Пайсці and Паехаць
Па- + ісці gives пайсці, to set off.
Level 3 - Present Tense for Planned Future
Іду can describe a planned trip: Заўтра я іду ў тэатр.
Level 3 - бегчы / ляцець / плыцьRunning, Flying and Swimming Pairs
Other motion pairs that follow the same pattern.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice ісці / хадзіць in Bubblegum
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