# пошли или пойдём "Let's go!"



## Memphis9489

I have heard/read both expressions used in the context of "Let's go!"

Can they both be used as "Let's go!"? Are they synonymous? Are there subtle differences in meaning?

Thanks!


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## Wats

In some cases they synonymous. For example you can say to someone: "Пошли домой" or "Пойдем домой". And it will be the same. But "пошли" also is used in the past tense: "Они пошли домой" - "They went home".


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## cheburashka Gena

По крайней мере в повседневном разговорном русском слова пошли и пойдем являются синонимами, имеют одинаковое значение, употребляются одинаково часто.


> But "пошли" also is used in the past tense: "Они пошли домой" - "They went home".


Слово "пошли" может также означать «отправь»:
Пример: Пошли ему письмо. Пошли его в магазин за молоком.


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## Memphis9489

I'm aware of the usual usage of пошли аs in your example sentence. However, I'm only interested in it's use when the intent is to simply say "Let's go!"

Is it possible that пойдём has more of the meaning "Come with us!" as opposed to "Let's go!"? A subtle difference.


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## Wats

If "пошли" confusing you, you may use only "пойдём" in the context of "Let's go!"
"Come with us!" - Пойдем (Пошли) с нами!


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## Maroseika

Пошли and пойдем differ stylistically. 
Imperative of joint action, expressed by the verb in the Future Tense (пойдем, пойдемте), usually signifies a softer request, than when it is expressed by the verb in the Past (пошли).
In particular, if пошли can be pronounced with descending, neutral or ascending intonation, depending on the request insistency, пойдем is mostly pronounced with ascending (pleading) intonation.


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## Memphis9489

That's a good explanation. That being the case, it seems пойдем is something more akin to "Come on!" ... as if to say, "Join me!" or "Come with me!" as opposed to "Let's go." In English "Come on" is considered slightly softer than "Let's go", wouldn't you agree? Could that be the analogous difference for пошли and пойдем?

Are there instances where one must be used and the other would be inappropriate or incorrect? If so, could you give some examples?


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## alibabushka

This is the way I understand it, although may be other native speakers disagree with me.

There are three ways of saying Let’s go (on foot)! in Russian:

*Пойдём(те)! *is an invitation to go somewhere together, it is more aimed at the result:
Пойдём в кино́? _Let’s go to the movie-theatre!_
Ты гото́в? Пойдём! _Are you ready__? Let’s go!_

*Дава*́*й(те) пойдём! *it is common to combine the verb form Дава́й(те) with пойдём to express the invitation to go somewhere:
informal: Дава́й пойдём в кино́! _Let's go to the movies!_
formal: Дава́йте пойдём в кино́! _Let’s go to the movies! _(pay attention that the formal particle –те is attached only the verb-form Дава́йте!)

*Идём(те)! *is an invitation to go somewhere together, it is more aimed at the process:
Идём! Мы опозда́ем! _Let’s go! We will be late!_

*Пошли**́*! is a very colloquial form, used very widely but considered to be “improper Russian”:
Пошли́ сего́дня в кино́! – Пошли́! _Let’s go to the movie today! – Let’s go!_


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## Maroseika

Memphis9489 said:


> " In English "Come on" is considered slightly softer than "Let's go", wouldn't you agree? Could that be the analogous difference for пошли and пойдем?


I don't know, unfortunately. Maybe others know.



> Are there instances where one must be used and the other would be inappropriate or incorrect? If so, could you give some examples?



For example, traffic police officer will never say you "Пошли в патрульную машину", this would sound very rude and even  threateningly. He will say "Пройдемте" - this is even more polite than "Пройдем", but the latter is also possible. However this пройдемте or пройдем is pronounced with descending intonation, so this is not exactly what we are talking about.

Ordinarily пойдем is pronounced with ascending, i.e interrogative intonation, presuming that the addressee may choose - yes or no. Пошли leaves less space for the choice, however pronounced inetrrogatively, it is close to пойдем semantically, but still (at least for me) expresses more insistent proposal or request than пойдем.
By the way, Imperative of joint action should not be mixed up with Indicative, which may sound even more insistent than Imperative пошли, pronounced with ascending intonation, cf.:

- Так, все, хватит спорить, пойдем в кино.
- Что-то мы давно никуда не выбирались. А пойдем в кино?


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## Maroseika

alibabushka said:


> *Пошли**́*! is a very colloquial form, used very widely but considered to be “improper Russian”:
> Пошли́ сего́дня в кино́! – Пошли́! _Let’s go to the movie today! – Let’s go!_



I'm afraid I have to disagree. This is absolutely proper Russian: побежали, полетели, поплыли, пошли, поползли, взяли, кончили, начали, подтянулись, встали, сели, вздрогнули - all these verbs are quite normative as Imperative verbs.


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## gvozd

alibabushka said:


> *Пошли**́*! is a very colloquial form, used very widely but considered to be “improper Russian”:



Wow, really?


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## cheburashka Gena

> Wow, really?


Я тоже воспринимаю пошли как более разговорную и менее правильную форму (хоть и использую очень часто), а пойдем - как более правильную и литературную.


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## alibabushka

Maroseika said:


> I'm afraid I have to disagree. This is absolutely proper Russian: побежали, полетели, поплыли, пошли, поползли, взяли, кончили, начали, подтянулись, встали, сели, вздрогнули - all these verbs are quite normative as Imperative verbs.



Oh, no problem  I think it depends a lot on where you are from and how old you are. I can't remember exactly but I think in Moscow among older generation this form was frowned upon. But it is a widely used form nowadays.


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## alibabushka

gvozd said:


> Wow, really?



Well, may be not "improper" Russian, but not quite a standard way found in a textbook of saying Let's go, it will always be marked as "colloquial". And there are people who actually associate it with the past form of the noun "послать" (по почте) only. As I said it a lot depends on the region and the age of the speaker


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## Maroseika

alibabushka said:


> Well, may be not "improper" Russian, but not quite a standard way found in a textbook of saying Let's go,



I have no idea what do you mean "standard way found in a textbook". But the Imperative of joint action expressed by the verb in the Past Tense has its own sphere of usage, quite standard and normative. Moreover, in many cases it is impossible to substitute it with the verb in the Future Tense without sacrifice to the sense.


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## alibabushka

Maroseika said:


> I have no idea what do you mean "standard way found in a textbook". But the Imperative of joint action expressed by the verb in the Past Tense has its own sphere of usage, quite standard and normative. Moreover, in many cases it is impossible to substitute it with the verb in the Future Tense without sacrifice to the sense.



Could you give me links to textbooks where the form "пошли" is included? 

Can you also give some examples please of those cases where it is impossible to substitute "the Imperative of joint action expressed by the verb in the Past Tense" by the Future Tense without sacrifice to the sense? This topic is new to me and I am using the quotation marks for the terms which are new to me.


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## Maroseika

alibabushka said:


> Could you give me links to textbooks where the form "пошли" is included?


Par. 1941 and 1947.



> Can you also give some examples please of those cases where it is impossible to substitute "the Imperative of joint action expressed by the verb in the Past Tense" by the Future Tense without sacrifice to the sense?


- Раз-два, взяли!
- Ну что, вздрогнули? ("И немедленно выпил").
- Побежали скорей, автобус уходит!


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## alibabushka

А вообще, анекдот в тему 

Одесса. Дерибассовская. По ней мечется взмыленный интеллигент. 
Подскакивает к одесситу: 
- Вы не знаете, где находится почта? 
- Знаю. А зачем она вам? 
- Хочу послать деньги родителям в Москву. 
- Пошлите со мной. 
- Нет! Я вас не знаю! 
- Не бойтесь, пошлите со мной! 
- Нет! Ни в коем случае! Вы меня обманете! 
- Ну ладно, придурок, если ты из Москвы, скажу тебе по-русски: Идёмте со мной! Я покажу, где почта!


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## alibabushka

Maroseika said:


> Par. 1941 and 1947.
> 
> 
> - Раз-два, взяли!
> - Ну что, вздрогнули? ("И немедленно выпил").
> - Побежали скорей, автобус уходит!



Thank you for the link and for the examples


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## oirobi

Wats said:


> In some cases they synonymous. For example you can say to someone: "Пошли домой" or "Пойдем домой".



Absolutely! I see no difference between the two forms - neither is more or less polite, neither is more or less colloquial! Both can be used in formal and informal contexts! The only difference is that whereas пойдемте (used as a polite form or when the adressee is plural) is a good Russian, its counterpart пошлите is a bad Russian (in the sense let's go, not in the sense of sending someone somewhere).


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## Syline

Well, I see stylistic difference (albeit subtle sometimes): _
пойдем_ sounds more soft and polite, like an offer or request, accentuating cooperation (we will go together), whereas _пошли_ is more categorical and determined.
 Maroseika has already mentioned how this difference can be manifested phonetically.


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