Choosing a Movement Verb

Level 1

Ići means go, hodati specifies walking and putovati describes travelling. Voziti se describes travelling or riding in a vehicle without necessarily driving it.

How It Works

Idem u Zagreb. gives a destination without specifying transport. Hodam do škole. explicitly describes walking. Putujem vlakom. describes travel and uses the instrumental for the means.

Distinguish vozim, which can mean I drive, from vozim se, which can describe riding or travelling in a vehicle. A passenger can say vozim se autobusom without claiming to be its driver.

The case in a destination phrase still comes from the construction: u školu uses accusative, while do škole uses genitive. A movement verb alone does not make every following noun accusative. Aspect and prefixes add further distinctions later.

Examples (4)

  1. Idem u Zagreb.

    I am going to Zagreb.

    Ići does not specify the means of travel here.

  2. Hodam do škole.

    I am walking to school.

    Hodati explicitly describes walking.

  3. Putujem vlakom.

    I am travelling by train.

    Vlakom is instrumental of means.

  4. Vozim se autobusom.

    I am riding the bus.

    Se distinguishes riding from a claim to be driving.

How It Connects

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Choosing a Movement VerbLevel 1

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Words in This Pattern

ićidoćiotićidolazitiodlazitivozitiputovatihodati