перейти / переходити

Crossing with Перейти and Переходити

Level 3Sounds Like perejti / perehoditi

The verbs перейти and переходити mean 'to cross' or 'to transition.' They are used for physical movement (crossing a street) and abstract changes (switching languages or topics).

How It Works

These verbs are derived from the basic motion verbs іти and ходити.

1. Physical Crossing:
Used to describe crossing a road, bridge, or border. You can use the preposition через + Accusative, or simply the Accusative case directly as a standard construction.

  • Ми перейшли дорогу. (We crossed the road - result).
  • Він обережно переходив міст. (He was crossing the bridge carefully - process).

2. Figurative Transitions:
These verbs are essential for abstract 'crossing':

  • Switching languages: перейти на українську (to switch to Ukrainian).
  • Moving to a topic: Use the preposition до + Genitive (e.g., перейти до справи - to get to the point).
  • Social status: перейти на 'ти' (to switch to the informal 'you').
  • Crossing a line: перейти межу (to cross the line/boundary).

3. Conjugation Notes:
The imperfective переходити undergoes a д → дж мутація in the first person: я переходжу. The perfective перейти has a suppletive past tense (перейшов, перейшла) and a future tense based on the stem перейд-: перейду, перейдеш, перейде.

Examples (6)

  1. Будучи ввічливими, ми перейшли вулицю на зелене світло.

    Being polite, we crossed the street at the green light.

    Word by Word: Being polite, we crossed street on green light.

    Uses the perfective past to show a completed action of crossing the street.

  2. Він щодня переходить цей міст.

    He crosses this bridge every day.

    Word by Word: He every-day crosses this bridge.

    Uses the imperfective present to show a habitual, repeated action.

  3. Давайте перейдемо до наступного питання.

    Let's move to the next question.

    Word by Word: Let-us move to next question.

    A figurative use meaning to transition to a new topic.

  4. Ти перейшов межу, коли сказав це.

    You crossed the line when you said that.

    Word by Word: You crossed boundary when said this.

    The expression 'перейти межу' is a common figurative way to say 'to cross the line'.

  5. Я переходжу дорогу тільки по переходу.

    I cross the road only at the crosswalk.

    Word by Word: I cross road only by crossing.

    Note the correct 'д' to 'дж' mutation in the first-person singular 'переходжу'.

  6. Вона перейде вулицю і зайде в магазин.

    She will cross the street and drop by the store.

    Word by Word: She will-cross street and will-drop-by in store.

    Demonstrates the perfective future form 'перейде'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using перейти instead of переїхати for moving house.

    Я перейшов у нову квартиру.
    Я переїхав у нову квартиру.

    Перейти implies moving on foot. For relocating or moving house, you must use переїхати (by vehicle).

  • Incorrect past tense gender agreement.

    Вона перейшов дорогу.
    Вона перейшла дорогу.

    The past tense must agree with the subject's gender. 'Вона' (she) requires the feminine ending '-ла'.

  • Confusing перейти with пройти.

    Я перейшов повз магазин.
    Я пройшов повз магазин.

    Пройти means to pass by or go through, while перейти specifically means to cross from one side to another.

How It Connects

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перейти / переходитиLevel 3Crossing with Перейти and Переходити

Learn This First

To learn the verbs 'перейти' and 'переходити', a learner needs to understand the fundamental distinction between perfective and imperfective aspects in Ukrainian. Additionally, since these verbs typically take a direct object (the thing being crossed), knowledge of the Accusative case is required.

Words in This Pattern

перейтипереходити