The Motion System
Систем глагола кретања — Choose direction, manner and viewpoint without forcing a foreign template.
Start with the real situation
ићи is the broad everyday verb for going. Add пешке when walking matters. Use возити for driving and возити се for travelling or riding in a vehicle.
На посао идем аутобусом, а викендом идем пешке.
I go to work by bus, and on weekends I walk.
Prefixes draw the route
доћи arrive, отићи leave/go away, ући enter and изаћи exit show the path relative to a reference point. Their imperfective partners describe repetition or process: долазити, одлазити, улазити, излазити.
Ушла је у зграду, а изашла после пет минута.
She entered the building and came out five minutes later.
Approach, cross and go around
прићи means approach, прећи cross or go over, and обићи go around or visit. Their complements differ: прићи станици, прећи мост, обићи град.
Пришли смо станици и прешли улицу.
We approached the station and crossed the street.
Carry, lead or transport
носити is to carry something, водити to lead or take a person or animal, and возити to drive or transport by vehicle. Context selects the verb; Serbian does not require a Russian-style directional pair for every trip.
Водим дете у школу и носим му ранац.
I am taking the child to school and carrying their backpack.
Aspect inside the motion family
доносити / донети means bring something, доводити / довести bring or lead someone, and превозити / превести transport. Cases still mark the route: у Београд, у Београду, из Београда.
Кад донесеш књигу, стави је на сто.
When you bring the book, put it on the table.
Put It Together
Keep the lesson goal in view: Choose direction, manner and viewpoint without forcing a foreign template. Revisit the examples, then test yourself in practice.