English has one verb, to lead (or to take a person somewhere on foot), where Czech has two imperfective verbs split along the same fault line as nést / nosit and jít / chodit. vést is determinate: leading or taking someone in one direction, on one specific occasion, usually right now. vodit is indeterminate: leading or taking habitually, repeatedly, back and forth. They are not an aspect pair — both are imperfective. The choice is about the shape of the action, not whether it is finished. On top of that, vést has a rich second life as the verb for running a company, chairing a meeting, keeping records, and being in the lead — abstract senses where vodit never appears.
The core distinction in one line
Vedu dceru do školky, jdeme pozdě.
I'm taking my daughter to nursery, we're running late (one trip, now).
Každé ráno vodím dceru do školky.
Every morning I take my daughter to nursery (habit).
vést — determinate (one person, one direction, now)
The infinitive is vést, but the whole present and past stem is ved- — the d only surfaces once you conjugate. This is the same shape as nést → nesu; never build forms off vés-. vést takes a direct object in the accusative (vedu dítě, vedeš psa).
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | vedu | vedeme |
| 2nd | vedeš | vedete |
| 3rd | vede | vedou |
| Forms | |
|---|---|
| Future | budu vést, budeš vést, bude vést… |
| Past (l-participle) | vedl (m), vedla (f), vedlo (n) — pl. vedli (m anim.), vedly (f / m inan.), vedla (n) |
| Imperative | veď (ty), veďme (let's), veďte (vy) |
A word on the future. The classic determinate motion verbs build a synthetic po- future (nést → ponesu, jít → půjdu), and historically vést did too: povedu. But that form has been almost entirely annexed by the perfective povést se "to turn out well, succeed" (To se ti povedlo! — "You nailed it!"), so a Czech who wants the plain future of vést avoids povedu and reaches for the analytic budu vést. Treat budu vést as your default — this is one place where vést breaks ranks with the other motion verbs.
Veď nás, ty cestu znáš nejlíp.
Lead us, you know the way best.
Vedl jsem psa na vodítku celou cestu z parku.
I was leading the dog on a leash the whole way back from the park. (male speaker)
Zítra tě budu vést já, takže se neboj.
Tomorrow I'll be the one leading you, so don't worry.
vodit — indeterminate (the habit, back and forth)
vodit is a perfectly regular -í verb (the class like prosit). Use it for repeated, habitual, or multidirectional leading: walking the dog every day, regularly taking the kids somewhere, guiding tourists for a living.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | vodím | vodíme |
| 2nd | vodíš | vodíte |
| 3rd | vodí | vodí |
| Forms | |
|---|---|
| Future | budu vodit, budeš vodit… |
| Past (l-participle) | vodil (m), vodila (f), vodilo (n) — pl. vodili (m anim.), vodily (f / m inan.), vodila (n) |
| Imperative | voď (ty), voďme, voďte |
Vodím psa ven třikrát denně.
I walk the dog three times a day.
Babička nás jako děti vodila na výlety do lesa.
As children, our grandma used to take us on trips to the woods.
vést's other life: lead, run, keep, conduct
This is where vést pulls far ahead of its motion partner. The determinate form alone carries a whole family of abstract meanings — vodit is never used for them. vést runs an organisation, chairs a meeting, keeps records, wages a campaign, holds a conversation, and (in sport) sits in the lead.
Vede malou rodinnou firmu už dvacet let.
He's been running a small family business for twenty years.
Účetnictví si vedeme sami, účetní nemáme.
We keep the books ourselves, we don't have an accountant.
Tahle ulice vede přímo na náměstí.
This street leads straight to the square.
V poločase domácí vedou tři nula.
At half-time the home team is leading three–nil.
Notice that vést here keeps its determinate, "single-line" feel even when abstract: a street runs in one direction toward the square; a score moves the match toward one outcome.
přivést — bringing a person (perfective)
The most useful prefixed perfective is přivést "to bring (a person) here on foot." It is the human counterpart of přinést "to bring (a thing)": you přinést a cake but přivést a guest. Other everyday prefixes give odvést (lead away / take off), zavést (introduce, set up, install), and dovést (take all the way; also "be able to").
Můžu na oslavu přivést kamaráda?
Can I bring a friend to the party?
Přiveď zítra i sestru, bude ráda.
Bring your sister along tomorrow too, she'll be glad.
vést vs vézt — on foot vs. by vehicle
The deadliest trap is the near-twin vézt "to transport (by vehicle)," whose stem is vez-. vést (stem ved-) is leading on foot; vézt (stem vez-) is carrying someone along in something — a car, a pram, a bus. The same destination, two different verbs depending on whether wheels are involved. Its indeterminate partner is vozit; see the vézt / vozit page.
Dceru do školky vedu pěšky, ale syna vozím autem.
I take my daughter to nursery on foot, but I drive my son there by car.
Common mistakes
❌ Každý den vedu psa ven.
Incorrect for a daily habit — vést is for one trip happening now.
✅ Každý den vodím psa ven.
I walk the dog every day. The habit takes indeterminate vodit.
❌ Vodím babičku přes ulici, podej mi ruku.
Incorrect — one specific crossing right now needs the determinate verb.
✅ Vedu babičku přes ulici, podej mi ruku.
I'm walking grandma across the street, give me a hand.
❌ Vodí úspěšně velkou firmu.
Incorrect — running a company is an abstract sense reserved for vést.
✅ Vede úspěšně velkou firmu.
She successfully runs a large company.
❌ Vedu syna do školy autem.
Incorrect — with a car you transport, not lead; this needs vézt/vozit.
✅ Vozím syna do školy autem.
I drive my son to school by car.
❌ Povedu tě na nádraží.
Incorrect — povedu collides with 'succeed'; use the analytic future.
✅ Budu tě vést na nádraží.
I'll lead you to the station. vést prefers budu vést for the future.
Key takeaways
- vést = leading one person, one direction, now; vodit = the habit, back and forth. Both imperfective.
- Stem is ved- (vedu), never vés-; vodit is a regular -í verb (vodím).
- The plural past splits: vedli (m anim.), vedly (f / m inan.), vedla (neuter) — note the neuter plural in -a.
- vést alone carries the abstract senses: run a firm, keep records, chair a meeting, be in the lead.
- přivést brings a person; přinést brings a thing.
- Don't confuse vést (on foot) with vézt (by vehicle) — the stems ved- vs vez- are your signpost.
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- vést — to lead (determinate)A2 — Full reference for vést 'to lead, conduct' — its ved- present stem, its determinate/indeterminate partner vodit, and how to keep it apart from its near-twin vézt.
- nést / nosit — to carry (determinate/indeterminate)B1 — Reference table for the determinate nést vs. indeterminate nosit.
- vézt / vozit — to transport by vehicle (determinate/indeterminate)B1 — Full reference for the determinate vézt (transporting someone or something by vehicle right now) and the indeterminate vozit (transporting habitually), plus the dangerous near-twin vést.
- jít / chodit — to go on foot (determinate / indeterminate)A2 — The determinate verb jít (one trip on foot, now) paired with its indeterminate partner chodit (habitual, repeated walking), fully conjugated side by side.
- Motion Verbs: Determinate vs IndeterminateA2 — Czech verbs of movement come in pairs that are both imperfective but differ in determinacy — one directed trip in progress versus habitual or multi-directional motion.
- Prefixed carrying & leading: přinést, odnést, přivést, odvést (incl. donést vs dovést)B1 — Reference for the common prefixed perfectives of nést (carry) and vést (lead), their secondary imperfectives, and the donést-vs-dovést trap.