ходи́ть vs е́здить

khodit vs ezdit — go on foot vs travel by vehicle

What it really means

Ходи́ть is the multidirectional or habitual verb for going on foot. It describes repeated trips, movement back and forth, or a general ability and routine: ходи́ть в шко́лу means “go to school” as a regular activity. Its one-direction counterpart is идти́, used for movement currently heading one way.

Е́здить is the multidirectional or habitual verb for traveling by a vehicle or transport, and sometimes for riding as a passenger. It describes regular routes, repeated journeys, or travel back and forth: е́здить на рабо́ту на ме́тро. Its one-direction counterpart is е́хать. The contrast is primarily the mode and motion pattern: ходить is on foot, ездить uses transport, and both are habitual/multidirectional forms.

Examples in natural speech

Я ходжу́ на рабо́ту пешко́м.
I walk to work.
Де́ти хо́дят в шко́лу ка́ждый день.
The children go to school every day.
Мы е́здим на да́чу по вы́ходным.
We travel to the dacha on weekends.
Она е́здит на рабо́ту на метро́.
She takes the metro to work.
Ты сейча́с идёшь пешко́м или е́дешь на авто́бусе?
Are you going on foot now or taking the bus?

Common mistakes

Do not use ходить for regular vehicle travel or ездить for walking. Also keep the aspect-direction pairs straight: идти́/е́хать describe one current direction, while ходи́ть/е́здить describe repeated, habitual, or back-and-forth travel. Remember the irregular first-person form хожу́.

Memory tip

Ходи́ть has shoes on the route; е́здить has transport under the route.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ходить and идти?

Ходить is habitual, repeated, or multidirectional walking; идти is movement in one direction, often happening now.

Does ездить mean driving specifically?

No. It means traveling by vehicle and can include driving, riding, or taking public transport; води́ть is to drive regularly.

Can ходить mean visiting?

Yes, in contexts such as ходи́ть в теа́тр or ходи́ть к врачу́, where it means regularly going or visiting, usually without specifying the transport.

Note: This site uses JavaScript for interactive drills, audio playback, and progress tracking. Please enable JavaScript for the full experience.