ИДТИ/ЕХАТЬ vs ХОДИТЬ/ЕЗДИТЬ
Unidirectional (or determinate)
1.Continuous motion in one direction toward a stated goal:
Мы идём домой пешком, а он едет на машине. (We’re going home on foot, and he’s going by car)
Вы едете в университет на метро или на автобусе? (Are you going to the university by subway or by bus?)
Они едут в театр на такси, потому что сейчас идёт снег. (They’re going to the theater by taxi because it’s snowing)
2. In the present tense may be used to denote an action that is intended for the near future, just as in English:
Завтра мы едем на дачу. (Tomorrow we’re going to the dacha)
Multidirectional (or indeterminate) verbs
a) motion in more than one direction:
Он ходит по комнате. He walks around the room
b) motion that is repeated or habitual
Мы ездим на дачу по субботам We go to the dacha on Saturdays
c) motion spoken of in general term:
Наша девочка уже ходит. Our little girl already walks
d) round-trip motion in the past (went and returned):
– Где вы были в субботу? – Мы ездили на дачу. Where were you on Saturday? – We went to the dacha)
NB!!!
Only the unidirectional is used to indicate figurative motion in certain idiomatic expressions. The multidirectional cannot occur here, even when the motion is repeated. Because the subject in these idioms is understood to move in only one direction.
Дождь, снег, время, фильм + ИДЁТ!!!
