носи́ть vs вози́ть
nosit vs vozit — carry/wear habitually vs transport by vehicle
Register: neutral
What it really means
Носи́ть is the imperfective verb for carrying something or wearing clothes repeatedly or as a general activity. It can describe carrying by hand, on the body, or in a bag, and it is also used for regularly wearing an item: она носит очки means “she wears glasses.” Its directional counterpart for one trip is нести́, while носи́ть presents repeated or non-directional action.
Вози́ть means to transport people or things by a vehicle, usually repeatedly or in different directions. Use it for a driver, courier, or someone who regularly takes something somewhere by car, bus, or another vehicle; the one-way counterpart is везти́. Thus носи́ть concerns carrying or wearing without emphasizing a vehicle, whereas вози́ть explicitly involves vehicle transport.
Examples in natural speech
Она всегда носи́т с собой блокнот.
She always carries a notebook with her.
Мой брат носи́т очки для чтения.
My brother wears reading glasses.
Водитель вози́т детей в школу каждое утро.
The driver takes the children to school every morning.
Курьер вози́т заказы по всему городу.
The courier delivers orders throughout the city.
Мы часто вози́м оборудование на выставки.
We often transport equipment to exhibitions.
Common mistakes
Do not use вози́ть merely for carrying an object in your hands or wearing clothes: use носи́ть. Conversely, a car or bus taking something from place to place calls for вози́ть. For one trip, choose нести́ (carry) or везти́ (transport by vehicle), not these habitual imperfectives.
Memory tip
If a vehicle does the moving, think вози́ть; if a person or clothing bears the item, think носи́ть.
Frequently asked questions
Can носи́ть mean “wear”?
Yes: он носи́т форму means “he wears a uniform,” especially as a regular practice.
Does вози́ть always mean driving a car?
No. It means transporting by vehicle and can involve buses, trains, boats, or other transport.
What are the one-way counterparts?
Нести́ is the one-way counterpart of носи́ть, and везти́ is the one-way counterpart of вози́ть.
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