Лифт идёт наверх.

to go

Breakdown of Лифт идёт наверх.

• лифт: the elevator
• наверх: upstairs; upward (direction)

Questions & Answers about Лифт идёт наверх.

Why is идёт used here? An elevator doesn’t “walk.”

In Russian, идти does not only mean to walk. It can also mean to go / to move in a more general sense. With machines or things in motion, Russian often uses идти in ways that English would not.

So Лифт идёт наверх means the elevator is going up or is moving upward, not that it is walking.

A similar idea appears in phrases like Часы идут = The clock is running.

Why is it идёт, not ходит?

This is the classic идти vs. ходить distinction.

• идти = motion in one direction, or a movement happening right now
• ходить = repeated, habitual, or back-and-forth motion

So in Лифт идёт наверх, the elevator is making one upward trip right now.

If you were talking about what an elevator does in general, you might use a different wording, for example:

• Этот лифт ходит только до пятого этажа = This elevator only goes up to the fifth floor

What form is идёт exactly?