е́хать
jéxatʹconcrete, imperfective
Ride in Russian is е́хать (jéxatʹ) for a ride in progress, and ката́ться when you ride for fun. If unsure, use е́хать. Wiktionary also lists пое́хать (pojéxatʹ) and е́здить (jézditʹ).
Meaning: to transport oneself by sitting on and directing a horse, bicycle etc. (verb)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| е́хать | jéxatʹ | concrete, imperfective |
| пое́хать | pojéxatʹ | perfective |
| е́здить | jézditʹ | abstract, imperfective |
| ката́ться | katátʹsja | imperfective |
| поката́ться | pokatátʹsja | perfective |
| прокати́ться | prokatítʹsja | perfective |
| скака́ть | skakátʹ | imperfective |
Which one should you use?
е́здить is for habitual riding or round trips. ката́ться is riding for pleasure, such as a bike or horse ride and its perfective прокати́ться means to go for a ride. пое́хать stresses setting off. скака́ть is for galloping on a horse.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
та́чка is slang for a car, much like calling a car a ride in English.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
е́хать is imperfective, with пое́хать as its perfective. ката́ться pairs with поката́ться and прокати́ться.
How do you pronounce it?
Following the romanization jéxatʹ, the stress falls on the first syllable and the x sounds like the ch in Scottish loch.
Did you know?
- The slang word та́чка for a car, which translates to 'ride' in certain English contexts, literally means 'wheelbarrow' in standard Russian.
- Using е́хать when you are actually walking can be used as a sarcastic way to tell someone they are moving too slowly, or as a joke when someone is behaving as if they are in a vehicle.
- The verb ката́ться is used for riding a bike or skating, but it also describes the motion of a rocking chair or a swing. It emphasizes the repetitive, circular motion of the activity rather than the destination.
Examples in context
- Моя поездка на работу заняла дольше ожидаемого.My ride to work took longer than expected.
- Как насчет проката катамарана на пляже?How about renting a catamaran at the beach?
Example conversation
Andrey and Maria are discussing how to get to the park.
- Андрей AndreyМа́рия, ты бу́дешь е́хать со мной?Mariya, ty budesh' ekhat' so mnoy?Maria, will you ride with me?
- Мария MariaДа, я то́же хочу́ е́хать на велосипе́де.Da, ya tozhe khochu ekhat' na velosipede.Yes, I also want to ride a bicycle.
- Андрей AndreyХорошо́, выезжа́ем сейча́с.Khorosho, vyyezzhayem seychas.Great, let's head out now.
- Мария MariaЯ уже́ гото́ва, Андре́й!Ya uzhe gotova, Andrey!I am already ready, Andrey!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ride” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
