Chodzic versus Isc. When and why?

When should I use versions of the verb Chodzić and when should I use Iść?

Examples, exceptions and explanations appreciated.

chodzic is used as:
- to be able to walk (children, someone who's recovered after an injury, etc.)
- to work - in terms of a device
- to walk, but as an activity without a direction/destination - for instance: to walk in circles, to walk for the sake of walking (like to collect thought or sth.)

- a regular activity of doing something described in simple present tense in english (I go to the gym)

iśc, this one you'd use most of the time, when you'd use "to go" in english in continuous tense , so in most other cases when describing an activity of going somewhere at a particular moment

to put it simply

chodzić: to go
iść: to be going

Chodzę do fryzjera - I go to the hairdresser's.
Idę do fryzjera - I'm going to the hairdresser's.

But both of these verbs have future tense forms.
Idę translates as 'I go'.

it also translates to "I'm going" as in "I'm going to the movies, tomorrow" (Idę jutro do kina or Pójdę jutro do kina, but the first one is what's more commonly used).

is this the kind of future form you meant?

as of the future form of "chodzić"... "będę chodzić?" - I'll go to, I plan to go to", again a regular activity, as in "I'll go to that school"

Iść is determinate, and expresses specific action(s).
Jutro idziemy do kina (a specific action)

Chodzić is indeterminate, and expresses non-specific action(s).
Często chodzę do kina (non-specific actions, we don't know the details, when etc)

The indeterminate aspect is also used when we have repeated actions as above.

Iść - Idę (teraz) do szkoły. = I'm going to school (right now)

Chodzić - Chodzę (cotygodniowo) do szkoły. = I go to school (on a weekly basis).

Chodź tu! = Come here!

Idź! = Go!

isc - to go
chodzic - to walk

Problem is though, both 'iść' and 'chodzić' (chadzać) don't literally mean either 'go' or 'walk', resp. 'come', as the English equivalents are extremely broad, furthermore, they scarcely begin to convey the aspectual variations inherent in practically all Polish verbs.

Sadly, plugging in quick meanings in an attempt to simplify matters for foreigners, can actually, if unintentionally, mislead them into thinking that both Polish verbs mean ONE thing. There's no getting around the fact that in order to really grasp Polish verbs, they must be repeated mercilessly in context, time after time after time, until the structural context finally sinks in!

At least, this is what worked for me:-)

"Iść" can also be used in fixed-activity expressions:

Iść spać - to go so sleep
Iść na spacer - to take a stroll/walk
Iść na pracę - to go to work
Iść na koncert - to go to a concert

etc....

Again, 'to go' in Polish, as with all Slavic languages, must specify by what means; by foot,
conveyance or other type of transport!

Iść do pracy

Whoops! I goofed again.

Thanks,

I assume then it's also "Iść DO opery"???

Unfortunately it's not that easy.


That's what many Polish teachers do with foreigners.
In Polish it's much more important to learn the structure of the language, than if you learn a language with more simple structure.

An example:
In English you can understand most things even if a person uses poor grammar.
In Polish is often very difficult to understand someone with poor grammar.


True with one exception. To social activities you always use iść, even if you go there by car, bus etc.

right.


yes, thats right.
but please note: "Iść do opery" differs from chodzić- or chadzać do opery (the first one means 'to go to the opera' as an singular event, without referring to its repeateness, the second one means to go to the opera in sort-of regularly, the third one- means irregularity; it happens more than once, but it is not a regular (i.e it is less regular than second phrase)

ergo "Idę na spacer." = I'm taking a walk/stroll
"Chodzę na spacer." = I take a walk/stroll (regularly)

Correct?

:-)

chodzę na spacery sounds more natural to me

Thanks, gumishu (....and also more correct Polish probably)!!!

:-)

Merged: Differences between iść and chodzić ?

Differences between iść and chodzić ? Please help thank you.

from the grammatical point of view chodzić is a frequentative of iść - it means that it is used when the action of going somewhere is repeated (mostly)

are you going to school? = idziesz do szkoły?
do you go to school? = chodzisz do szkoły?

it is a bit simplistic explanation as there are some more subtleties to the topic