🏃Movement

Go, come, walk, run, leave, stay — getting from here to there.

13 concepts

Columns follow the languages switched on at the top. Gender after the word (m/f/n); IPA beneath; notes, alternatives and origins underneath — nothing is hidden.

Concept	English	Français	Español
to go verb	to go Covers every way of getting somewhere — on foot, by car, by plane. German and Russian split it; English does not.	aller The most irregular verb in French: je vais, nous allons, j'irai. Like English it does not care how you travel.	ir Two letters, wildly irregular: voy, fui, iré. Irse (reflexive) is a different verb: 'to leave' — me voy = I'm off.
to come verb	to come English 'comes' towards the LISTENER too: 'I'm coming!' when someone calls you. Spanish does not.	venir When someone calls you, French says 'J'arrive !' ('I'm arriving'), not 'je viens'. Je viens de manger = I have just eaten.	venir Strictly towards where the SPEAKER is. Answering a call you say '¡Ya voy!' ('I'm going') — '¡Ya vengo!' means you are coming back later.
to walk (go on foot) verb	to walk The l is silent, and the vowel is the one in 'law', not 'work'. Go for a walk = the leisurely kind.	marcher also: aller à pied (go on foot) Also 'to work, to function': ça marche = it works / OK, deal. A stroll is 'se promener' (reflexive).	caminar also: andar (Spain, very common), ir a pie (on foot) In Spain andar is the everyday word; in Latin America caminar. A stroll = pasear / dar un paseo.
to run verb	to run Also 'to run a business' and 'my nose is running'. Irregular: ran, run.	courir One r in the middle, two in the future: je courrai. Jogging = faire du footing / courir.	correr Trilled rr. In much of Latin America 'correr a alguien' also means to fire someone or throw them out.
to leave (depart) verb	to leave Used alone here ('I have to leave'). With an object it means leave a place or leave something behind — 'I left my keys'.	partir Partir never takes a direct object: 'je pars', 'je pars de Paris'. With an object you need quitter: je quitte Paris. English speakers trip on this both ways.	salir also: irse (reflexive: me voy), marcharse (reflexive), partir (formal, trains) Salir = go out / leave a place, and also 'go out' at night. The most common 'I'm leaving' is reflexive: me voy, me marcho.
to arrive verb	to arrive Arrive AT a place, IN a city or country — never 'arrive to'. Get here / get there is the spoken version.	arriver Also 'to happen' (qu'est-ce qui arrive ?) and 'to manage' (je n'arrive pas à dormir = I can't get to sleep).	llegar /jeˈɣaɾ/ for most speakers (yeísmo). Llegar a = arrive at; llegar a ser = end up becoming.
to come back / return verb	to come back also: to return (formal), to get back Come back = to here; go back = to there. 'Return' is the written word.	revenir also: rentrer (go home), retourner (go back there) Revenir is back HERE, retourner back THERE, rentrer back HOME — French picks by where the speaker stands.	volver also: regresar (preferred in much of Latin America) Volver a + infinitive = do again: vuelvo a empezar = I start again.
to stay / remain verb	to stay Also 'stay at a hotel' = lodge. Remain is the formal word.	rester False friend: rester = to STAY, not to rest (se reposer). Il reste du pain = there's some bread left.	permanecer also: quedarse (everyday, reflexive) The everyday word is reflexive: quiero quedarme / me quiero quedar. Quedar without 'se' means to arrange to meet (Spain) or to be left over.
to travel verb	to travel UK doubles the l (travelled), US does not (traveled). 'A travel' is not a noun — say 'a trip'.	voyager Un voyage = a trip. Faire un voyage = to go on a trip.	viajar Un viaje = a trip. ¡Buen viaje! = have a good trip.
to swim verb	to swim Go for a swim = the leisure version. Irregular: swam, swum.	nager also: se baigner (go in the water) Nager is the stroke; se baigner is going in the water for fun — at the beach French says 'on va se baigner'.	nadar also: bañarse (go in the water) Bañarse = take a dip (also take a bath).
to drive (a car) verb	to drive Used alone: 'I can drive'. Irregular: drove, driven. A 'driver' is the person.	conduire also: rouler (be on the road) Conduire = be at the wheel; rouler = drive along ('on roule depuis deux heures'). Le permis de conduire = driving licence.	conducir also: manejar (Latin America) Spain says conducir; Latin America says manejar (/konduˈsiɾ/ where used). In Spain manejar means to handle or operate something.
to dance verb	to dance RP /dɑːns/, US /dæns/ — the BATH split.	danser	bailar also: danzar (artistic, formal) Bailar is what you do at a party; danzar is ballet and ritual.
to climb (a tree, a mountain) verb	to climb The b is silent. Takes the thing directly: climb a tree, climb the stairs.	escalader also: grimper à (a tree), monter (the stairs) Escalader takes a direct object (escalader le mur). Grimper needs à: grimper à un arbre.	escalar also: subir (a mountain, stairs), trepar a (a tree) Escalar is the sport and mountains; everyday 'go up' is subir (subir la montaña).