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 transcribed niSTEEmeaning carry in one direction, a unidirectional verb, and носить transcribed naSEETmeaning carry back and forth, a multidirectional.
| Unidirectional | Multidirectional |
|---|---|
Девочка несёт полено. Transcription: DYEvachka niSYOT paLYEna Translation: The girl is carrying a piece of firewood. describes a single action: one piece moves from one place to another  | Девочка носит дрова. Transcription: DYEvachka NOsit draVA Translation: 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 transcribed niSTEE and носить transcribed naSEET → “to carry (on foot)”
везти transcribed viSTEE and возить transcribed vaZEET → “to carry (using a vehicle)”
вести transcribed viSTEE and водить transcribed 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 transcribed niSTEE and носить transcribed naSEET to describe someone carrying something on foot. The verb нести transcribed niSTEE is unidirectional, while носить transcribed naSEET is multidirectional.
- unidirectional: one tripТеперь твоя очередь нести рюкзак.Transcription: tiPYER tvaYA Ochiryet niSTEE ryukZAKTranslation: Now it’s your turn to carry the backpack.
- multidirectional: multiple tripsЯ всегда ношу с собой таблетки от аллергии на всякий случай.Transcription: ya fsigDA naSHOO s saBOY tabLYEtki at alirGEEi na FSYAkiy SLOOcheyTranslation: I always carry allergy pills with me just in case.
Other meanings of нести and нести
The unidirectional verb нести transcribed niSTEE is often used with metaphorical or idiomatic meanings. For example:
- Он несёт какую-то чушь.Transcription: on niSYOT kaKOOyu-ta chooshTranslation: He’s talking nonsense.
- Взрослые несут ответственность за детей.Transcription: VZROslyye niSOOT atVYEtstvinast za diTYEYTranslation: Adults are taking responsibility for kids.
- Наша курица стала нести яйца.Transcription: NAsha KOOritsa STAla niSTEE YAytsaTranslation: Our chicken started laying eggs.
The multidirectional verb носить transcribed naSEET is frequently used to mean “wear.”
When to use везти (viSTEE) and возить (vaZEET) in Russian?
In Russian, you’ll generally use the verbs везти transcribed viSTEE and возить transcribed vaZEET to describe someone being carried using some kind of vehicle. The verb везти transcribed viSTEE is unidirectional, while the verb возить transcribed vaZEET is multidirectional.
- unidirectional: one tripДелают в Китае и везут в Россию.Transcription: DYElayut f kiTAye i viZOOT v raSEEyuTranslation: They make it in China and bring it to Russia.
- multidirectional: multiple tripsУ нас автобусы бесплатно студентов возят.Transcription: oo nas aFTOboosy bisPLATna stooDYENtaf VOzyatTranslation: We have buses that carry students for free.
When to use вести (viSTEE) and водить (vaDEET) in Russian?
The Russian verbs вести transcribed viSTEE and водить transcribed vaDEET are used to describe actions that transport people. The verb вести transcribed viSTEE is unidirectional while водить transcribed vaDEET is multidirectional.
- unidirectional: one tripТакой трогательный момент! Отец ведёт невесту под венец.Transcription: taKOY TROgatilnyi maMYENT aTYETS viDYOT niVYEstoo pad viNYETSTranslation: Such a touching moment! The father leads the bride down the aisle.
- multidirectional: multiple tripsУ меня друг водит своего ребёнка на хоккей.Transcription: oo miNYA drook VOdit svaiVO riBYONka na khaKHEYTranslation: 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?Transcription: ty ooMYEyesh vaDEET mataTSEEKLTranslation: Do you know how to drive a motorcycle?
- Нет, я только машину вожу.Transcription: nyet ya TOlka maSHEEnoo vaZHOOTranslation: No, I only drive a car.
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 расследованиеTranscription: visTEE raSLYEdyvaniyeTranslation: to conduct an investigation
- вести развлекательную программуTranscription: visTEE razvliKAtilnooyu pragRAmooTranslation: to host an entertainment program
- вести кружок по вышивкеTranscription: visTEE krooZHOK pa VYshifkyeTranslation: to lead an embroidery class
- вести русский язык и литературуTranscription: visTEE ROOskiy yaZYK i litiraTOOrooTranslation: to teach Russian language and literature
The unidirectional везти can mean “have luck”
Мне всегда везёт с учителями.Transcription: mnye fsigDA viZYOT s oochitiLYAmiTranslation: 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.Transcription: aNEE viDOOT zdaROvyi Obraz ZHEEzniTranslation: They lead a healthy lifestyle.
- Дети сегодня плохо вели себя.Transcription: DYEti siVOdnyaPLOkha viLEE siBYATranslation: 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.Transcription: aNEE VOdyat nas ZA nas ooZHYE kaTOryi dyenTranslation: They have been lying to us for several days now.Literally: 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:
| Unidirectional: вести | Multidirectional: водить |
|---|---|
Он везёт меня домой. Transcription: on viZYOT miNYA daMOY Translation: He is driving me home. | Она возит меня в школу каждый день. Transcription: aNA VOzit miNYA f SHKOloo KAzhdyi dyen Translation: She drives me to school every day. |
Я из окна смотрела, как он вёл своего сына в школу. Transcription: ya iz okNA smaTRYEla kak on vyol svaiVO SYna f SHKOloo Translation: I watched from the window as he was walking his son to school. | Он водил своего сына в школу каждое утро. Transcription: on VOdil svaiVO SYna f SHKOloo KAzhdaye OOtra Translation: He walked his son to school every morning. |
Завтра я буду вести уроки по зуму. Transcription: ZAftra ya BOOdoo visTEE ooROki pa ZOOmoo Translation: Tomorrow, I will be teaching on Zoom. | Завтра будем возить тебя по всем достопримечательностям. Transcription: ZAftra BOOdyem vaZEET tiBYA pa fsyem dastaprimiCHAtilnastyam Translation: Tomorrow, we will take you to all the sights. |
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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