# Difference between дойти and пойти?



## mrsweden

Hi

This is my last question about the 'verbs of motion', i promise I know that "дойти до" can mean "as far as" and "to reach" t.ex.

давай *дойдëм* до реки - let's go as far as the river
мы сегодня не *доедëм* до города - we will not reach the city today

But can it also have the same meaning as "пойти" (go to some place) t.ex.

мне нужно *пойти* в магазин - i have to go to the shop
мне нужно *дойти* до магазина - i have to go to the shop

If not, what is the difference?

Mvh


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## Saluton

Дойти can be used instead of пойти in colloquial speech. We often say "мне нужно дойти до магазина и купить рыбы", "дойти до доктора, чтобы взять больничный", etc., although we use пойти in these sentences just as well.



mrsweden said:


> мы сегодня не *доедëм* до города - we will not reach the city today


It's either дойдём (we will not reach the city _on foot_ today) or дое́дем (we will not reach the city _by transport_ today).


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## morzh

"Дойти" cannot be used i/o "пойти": the above usage is strictly colloquial and not even a good one at that.
Though I agree, it is used by quite a few.

"Дойти" means "to reach, to arrive".
"Пойти" means "to go to".

If I intend to go to a store, then it is "Мне нужно пойти/сходить в магазин", and not "мне нужно дойти до магазина".

If you explain directions to someone, then, yes - "you need to reach that store over there, and then turn left at the corner", "Вам нужно ДОЙТИ до вон того магазина, и повернуть налево".


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## eni8ma

Saluton said:


> It's either дойдём (we will not reach the city _on foot_ today) or дое́дем (we will not reach the city _by transport_ today).


That reminded me that a Russian lady recently told me that *и**д**ти* is often used colloquially, even when *ехать* is strictly correct. (Please note, I said often, not always) I think the context was for everyday activities.


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## rusita preciosa

eni8ma said:


> That reminded me that a Russian lady recently told me that *и**д**ти* is often used colloquially, even when *ехать* is strictly correct. (Please note, I said often, not always) I think the context was for everyday activities.


I cannot imagine any context, colloquial or not, where *идти* would be used for *ехать*... 
As for *дойти* as colloquial for for *пойти/сходить*, it is used very often.


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## Natalisha

eni8ma said:


> That reminded me that a Russian lady recently told me that *и**д**ти* is often used colloquially, even when *ехать* is strictly correct.


Do you mean transport?


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## eni8ma

For example:
- я иду в магазин
whether walking or driving, or on the train, etc.

Perhaps it is relevant that she is actually a Ukrainian whose native language is Russian?  Perhaps local usage?


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## rusita preciosa

eni8ma said:


> For example:
> - я иду в магазин
> whether walking or driving, or on the train, etc.


I cannot imagine ever saying that, but it could be a regionalism.


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## rusita preciosa

I just read Natalisha's comment and it could be the case: we very often use *идти* / *ходить*  in place of *ехать/плыть* etc... if we talk about transportation; it is not colloquial use through. 
 
e.g. *поезд ходит по расписанию*; *автобус идет до Сухаревской*.
There were threads here on that.


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## Natalisha

eni8ma said:


> For example:
> - я иду в магазин
> whether walking or driving, or on the train, etc.
> 
> Perhaps it is relevant that she is actually a Ukrainian whose native language is Russian?  Perhaps local usage?


No, I don't think so.

If you walk, say 'я ид*у́*'; if you drive, say 'я *е́*ду.


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## Natalisha

rusita preciosa said:


> There were threads here on that.


Поезд дальше не идет...


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## morzh

eni8ma said:


> That reminded me that a Russian lady recently told me that *и**д**ти* is often used colloquially, even when *ехать* is strictly correct. (Please note, I said often, not always) I think the context was for everyday activities.



It is used when talking of transport (train, ship, bus), and it is NOT colloquial - it is a good usage.

When you intend to drive - you never say "я иду".
If you intend to walk - you don't say "я еду".


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## eni8ma

Natalisha said:


> Поезд дальше не идет...


That was about trains walking.

Anyway, I did question this woman, saying that surely it should be "я еду" if I drove or went on the train, and "я иду" only if I walked, and she said, no, it was common to use иду.

No biggie - as I say, perhaps because her family and friends speak that way ... Just thought I'd ask.


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## Natalisha

eni8ma said:


> That was about trains walking.


You can apply this rule to buses, trams, etc.



> Anyway, I did question this woman, saying that surely it should be "я еду" if I drove or went on the train, and "я иду" only if I walked, and she said, no, it was common to use иду.


Can you give us any examples?


> No biggie - as I say, perhaps because her family and friends speak that way ... Just thought I'd ask.


Maybe she speaks Ukrainian? But still, though these words are spelt almost in the same way (correct me if I'm wrong) they are pronounced differently.


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## eni8ma

I understood what I was asking her, and wrote it down to make sure there was no confusion.  She is Ukrainian, but her native tongue is Russian (so she told me).  Her husband is Russian, but he was not in the room at the time.

I had wanted to tell her that I had gone to some place that day, but because I had both walked and travelled on the train, I used *ехать*, at which point she insisted that *идти* was common usage. I said, but I travelled on the train, so surely it should be *ехать* (never mind the conjugation - we were discussing which verb to use). She insisted on *идти*. I said, what if I travel to the other side of town? and various other possibilities (it was earlier this year, so I cannot recall the whole conversation) - she still said *идти*.

Of course, she is only one person ... I just wanted more opinions ... Happy to accept majority view


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## Rosett

eni8ma said:


> i had wanted to tell her that i had gone to some place that day, but because i had both walked and travelled on the train, i used *ехать*, at which point she insisted that *идти* was common usage.


"В тот день я *сходил* в одно место в городе."
При этом мог часть пути идти пешком, а часть - ехать на транспорте.


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## Saluton

eni8ma said:


> That reminded me that a Russian lady recently told me that *и**д**ти* is often used colloquially, even when *ехать* is strictly correct. (Please note, I said often, not always) I think the context was for everyday activities.


Yes, she was right!
"Я сегодня иду/пойду на занятия", "иду/пойду на концерт", "иду/пойду к врачу" - it does not necessarily mean "I will walk there". It means "I will go there", whether on foot or by transport. I don't understand what the argument is all about.
Come to think of it, though, "я иду в город" only means "I'm walking to the city"... too complicated indeed...


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## Natalisha

Saluton said:


> I don't understand what the argument is all about.


Argument?  Having no examples we're just trying to guess what she means.

Thank you for your examples, now I understand what she is talking about.


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## eni8ma

As I did say - everyday activities.



eni8ma said:


> For example:
> - я иду в магазин
> whether walking or driving, or on the train, etc.


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## Natalisha

eni8ma said:


> For example:
> - я иду в магазин
> whether walking or driving, or on the train, etc.



If it's a local shop, I always say 'Я иду в магазин', but if a shop is far away and I have to drive, I never say 'я иду'.

As Saluton said, we almost always say 'я иду к врачу/в кино/в театр' though it can take us a lot of time to get there by car/bus/etc.


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## morzh

Rosett said:


> "В тот день я *сходил* в одно место в городе."
> При этом мог часть пути идти пешком, а часть - ехать на транспорте.



Would you stop that already?


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## Rosett

eni8ma said:


> as i did say - everyday activities.


Некоторые из них - да.

Я иду к подруге. При этом я могу доехать до нее на транспорте.


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## Antares01

morzh said:


> "Дойти" cannot be used i/o "пойти": the above usage is strictly colloquial and not even a good one at that.
> Though I agree, it is used by quite a few.
> 
> "Дойти" means "to reach, to arrive".
> "Пойти" means "to go to".
> 
> If I intend to go to a store, then it is "Мне нужно пойти/сходить в магазин", and not "мне нужно дойти до магазина".
> 
> If you explain directions to someone, then, yes - "you need to reach that store over there, and then turn left at the corner", "Вам нужно ДОЙТИ до вон того магазина, и повернуть налево".



Большое спасибо


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