Ехать vs Ездить in Russian: When to Use Each

Ехать and ездить both mean "to go" by transport (car, bus, train, etc.). They are one of the 14 pairs of motion verbs in Russian — a system unique to Slavic languages. The difference is direction and type of action: one trip vs repeated or round trip. This distinction is a CEFR A2 level skill and one of the first verb pairs learners need to master. Here's how to use them correctly.

Ехать: One Direction, One Trip, or "Right Now"

Use ехать when:

• You are going somewhere at this moment: Я еду на работу. (I'm going to work.)
• You mean one specific trip (there): Мы ехали в Москву. (We were going to Moscow.)
• You describe how someone is traveling: Они едут на поезде. (They're going by train.)

Conjugation (present): еду, едешь, едет, едем, едете, едут
Past: ехал / ехала / ехало / ехали

Ездить: Repeated, Habit, or Round Trip

Use ездить when:

• You talk about habit or routine: Я езжу на метро. (I go by metro.)
• You mean going there and back or "going in general": Я ездил в Киев. (I went to Kyiv — round trip or general.)
• You talk about ability: Он умеет ездить на машине. (He can drive.)
• You use often, sometimes, every day, etc.: Мы часто ездим за город. (We often go out of town.)

Conjugation (present): езжу, ездишь, ездит, ездим, ездите, ездят
Past: ездил / ездила / ездило / ездили

Quick Rule of Thumb

You want to say…	Use
"I'm going (now)" / one trip there	ехать
"I go (usually)" / round trip / "I went (and came back)"	ездить

Examples Side by Side

• Еду в офис. — I'm going to the office (now, one way).

• Езжу в офис на автобусе. — I go to the office by bus (habit).

• Вчера мы ехали в аэропорт. — Yesterday we were going to the airport.

• Он ездил в Париж. — He went to Paris (trip there and back, or in general).

This same unidirectional/multidirectional logic applies to all Russian verbs of motion, including идти/ходить (on foot), лететь/летать (flying), and more. If you're planning a trip to Russia, these verbs will come up constantly.

With Prefixes

When you add prefixes, you usually use the ездить-type form for the multidirectional base:

• приехать — to arrive (one time)
• приезжать — to arrive (repeated / process)
• уехать — to leave (one time)
• уезжать — to leave (repeated / process)

So: приехать/приезжать, уехать/уезжать, поехать/ездить, etc. For a full guide to how prefixes transform verbs, see Russian verb prefixes explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use ехать for walking?

No — ехать/ездить are strictly for movement by transport (car, bus, train, bicycle, etc.). For movement on foot, use идти (one direction) or ходить (repeated/round trip). Mixing them up is a common beginner mistake.

What about летать and лететь?

Лететь/летать follow the exact same logic as ехать/ездить, but for flying. Лететь = flying right now, one direction ("The plane is flying to Moscow"). Летать = repeated flights, round trips, general ability ("I fly to Moscow every month"). All 14 motion verb pairs in Russian use this same pattern.

How do I remember the difference between ехать and ездить?

The simplest mnemonic: ехать = "right now, one way" (picture yourself in the car heading somewhere). Ездить = "in general" (picture a calendar with repeated trips). If you can say "every day" or "usually," it's ездить. If you can say "right now" or "at this moment," it's ехать.

Practice with a Teacher

Using ехать and ездить correctly takes practice in real sentences. At VividRussian School we focus on verbs of motion in context. Book a free trial lesson and practice with a native speaker—get started from our main page today.