везти vs возить

vezti vs vozit — transport in one direction now vs transport regularly

What it really means

Везти́ is the unidirectional motion verb for transporting a person or thing by vehicle in one direction: "Я везу́ детей в школу" (I am taking the children to school). Вози́ть is multidirectional and means to transport regularly, back and forth, or as a general service. It can also mean to carry something around in a vehicle.

The person driving is not the key point; the focus is on moving a passenger or load by transport. A prefixed perfective form such as привезти́ means bring or deliver by vehicle once, while отвезти́ means take someone or something away by vehicle.

Examples in natural speech

Такси везёт нас в аэропорт.
The taxi is taking us to the airport.
Он везёт цветы в магазин.
He is transporting the flowers to the shop.
Она возит детей на тренировки.
She takes the children to training regularly.
Этот автобус возит пассажиров по городу.
This bus carries passengers around the city.
Мы привезли подарки из поездки.
We brought gifts back from the trip.
Пожалуйста, отвези меня домой.
Please take me home by car.

Common mistakes

Do not use возить for a single journey in progress: "Такси везёт меня домой" is correct. Do not confuse везти/возить with вести/водить: везти transports by vehicle, while вести leads or takes without focusing on vehicle transport.

Memory tip

Везти is one vehicle direction now; возить is repeated or back-and-forth transport.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between везти and возить in Russian?

Везти means to transport someone or something by vehicle in one direction. Возить means to transport regularly, repeatedly, or around from place to place.

How do you say take me home by car in Russian?

For a single completed ride, say "Отвези меня домой." The unprefixed imperfective "вези" can sound like an instruction to keep transporting or to transport generally.

What is the difference between везти and вести?

Везти focuses on transport by vehicle: везти пассажира. Вести focuses on leading or taking in one direction, often on foot or without specifying a vehicle: вести ребёнка.

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