# chodit, jet, jít



## Kwunlam

Sorry if my beginner's questions are annoying.

May I ask what is the difference between chodit, jet, jít ?

I checked Lingea CZ-DE, which suggests me that "jet" means "fahren", but I get "gehen" for "chodit" and "jít". (I get "to go" for all three words in Lingea CZ-EN).

So, is it that both "chodit" and "jít" means "to go" in general, with some smaller differences in meaning?

Thanks !




P.S. but "jezdit" also means "fahren" ?


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## parolearruffate

Hi, I'll try to help you.
Jezdit means: to go by car, bus, train.
Chodit means: to go by foot. You use it to say that you often goes somewhere, an action that you do many times. 
Jit: to go by foot. You use it when you want to express a singular action. Ted jdu doma. (Now I go home)
Anyway it's better to wait for the experts...


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## Jana337

Let me add that "jít" and "chodit" are - besides the meaning "to go on foot" - used as a general verb for short- and medium-distance movements (i.e. not travel). E.g. if I say "_zítra musím jít k zubaři_", it can either mean that I will walk there five minutes or that I need to take a bus and go to a nearby town. An example with "chodit": _Mám problémy se srdcem a každý měsíc chodím ke kardiologovi. _Again, it can be either on foot or by bus/train etc.

Difference between "jít" and "chodit":
_Teď s tebou nemůžu mluvit, jdu do školy. - I can't talk to you now, I am going to school._ (a one-time activity)
_Do školy chodím v 7:30. - I go to school at 7:30_ (implied: every day).


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## texpert

quick guide: 

jít - to go
chodit - to walk
jet - to drive


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## winpoj

A very poor guide, I would say.

(To go covers both jít and jet; jet can mean both drive and ride; drive often needs to be translates as "řídit"...)


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## texpert

quick guides, as I see them, are something like traffic signs. These are poor story tellers, I should think


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## Wedgehog

I find these differences very peculiar. Why would you need a separate way to say I go somewhere by car/bus/train? Can anyone tell me how and when this entered the Czech language?


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## Mori.cze

Jít/chodit means to move around by walking. The other word, jet/jezdit, is used for all means of transport (including horseback). It is definitely way older than buses and trains, if that is what you find confusing.


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## Wedgehog

Thanks for the reply. It's not that I find it confusing, I am just interested in what necessitated the distinction. Are there many other languages that distinguish between how one gets to a place? In English, you would simply specify after the verb: I go by bus, by car, by horse, on foot. My Czech friend says it's useful because if someone said they were going somewhere, you would know instantly whether you can ask to hop along for the ride!


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## Mori.cze

Well, English has a general get-somewhere verb "to go" and a specific one "to walk" when the distinction is wanted. Czech has general "jít" for moving around (as someone noted already you'd use "jít" in cases like "to go home", "to go to the cinema" etc, when the specifics of the transport are insignificant) and specific "jet" when a vehicle is used. I do not see that much difference in the pattern. 

And it is by no means rare logic, German "fahren"/"gehen" work very alike to "jet"/"jít". Not sure about other languages,


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## Wedgehog

I'm not familiar with German but yes that is true. Thanks for the explanation.


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## ilocas2

I may be wrong, but Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian are the same as Czech in this matter. In Slovak it's different.


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## Wedgehog

ilocas2 said:


> I may be wrong, but Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian are the same as Czech in this matter. In Slovak it's different.


 
That's interesting! I forgot to add that our mutual friend, who is Slovak, said they don't have such a distinction. This is probably what got me wondering if Czech is unique in this case.


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