Learn Hardcore Russian: Утром я еду на работу на маршрутке, хотя иногда предпочитаю идти пешком. - In the morning I go to work by minibus, although sometimes I prefer to walk.

ехать / идти – one-direction, one specific trip (right now / on this occasion)
ездить / ходить – multi-direction, regular, or habitual trips

So for habits you often see:

По утрам я езжу на работу на маршрутке. – In the mornings I (usually) go to work by minibus.

Using еду here can mean either:

A specific morning (e.g. describing today’s routine: This morning I’m going by minibus…), or
A more “vivid,” informal way of talking about a habitual situation, as if you’re imagining each typical morning as one trip.

For a textbook-style, clearly habitual sentence, езжу would be the more neutral choice, but еду is not impossible in everyday speech. Context decides which nuance is intended.

Why is it на работу and not в работу? What’s the difference?

На работу with the accusative means “to (my) workplace / to work” as a destination:

Я еду на работу. – I’m going to work (to my job place).

Compare:

Я на работе. – I’m at work. (prepositional case: на работе)

В работу exists but has a different, more abstract meaning like “into the work / into the process”, for example:

Включить новый материал в работу. – To incorporate new material into the work.

So when you mean “to the place where I work,” you almost always say на работу, not в работу.

Why is it на маршрутке? Could you also say в маршрутке?

With means of transport, Russian very often uses на + prepositional to mean “by (transport)”:

на автобусе – by bus
на поезде – by train
на велосипеде – by bike
на маршрутке – by minibus / by shared taxi

So на маршрутке here means “by minibus” (as a means of transport).

в маршрутке is also possible, but its meaning is more literal: “in(side) the minibus.”

Я сижу в маршрутке. – I’m sitting in the minibus.

In this sentence we’re talking about the way of getting to work, so на маршрутке is the natural choice.

What exactly is a маршрутка?

Маршрутка is a colloquial word (originally a diminutive) from маршрутное такси:

It’s a shared minibus / minivan that runs on a fixed route.
They usually hold fewer people than a full-size bus.
In many cities they are (or were) a very common form of public transport.

In English explanations, маршрутка is often translated as “minibus,” “minivan,” or “shared taxi.”

Why is it предпочитаю идти пешком and not предпочитаю ходить пешком? Are both correct?

Both are grammatically possible, but they have slightly different nuances:

предпочитаю идти пешком
- Uses идти (one-direction, one trip).
- Focuses on each specific occasion: in those cases when I have a choice, I prefer to walk (this trip).
предпочитаю ходить пешком
- Uses ходить (multi-direction, habitual).
- Emphasizes a general habit or preference: In general, I prefer walking (rather than using transport).

With иногда (sometimes), both work, but идти fits the idea: sometimes, on a particular morning, I choose to walk instead of taking the minibus.

What is пешком grammatically, and why don’t we say на пешком?

Пешком is an adverb meaning “on foot.” It comes from the adjective пеший (on foot, pedestrian).

Я иду пешком. – I’m going on foot / I’m walking.

Because it’s an adverb, it doesn’t need a preposition:

You say идти пешком, ходить пешком, добраться пешком, etc.
✗ на пешком is incorrect.

Compare with transport:

ехать на автобусе – to go by bus
идти пешком – to go on foot

Transport takes на + (transport), but пешком is just an adverb by itself.

Why does the sentence start with Утром? Could we say Я утром еду на работу…?

Yes, you can say Я утром еду на работу на маршрутке…; it’s also correct.

Word order in Russian is relatively flexible. The differences are mostly about emphasis and style:

Утром я еду на работу…
- Slightly emphasizes “In the morning” – setting the time frame first.
Я утром еду на работу…
- Slightly more neutral emphasis on “I”, with утром as additional information.

Both variants are natural; starting with Утром is a common way to introduce a routine in narrative or description.

What does хотя do in this sentence, and how is it different from но (“but”)?

Хотя is a subordinating conjunction meaning “although / even though.” It introduces a subordinate clause that contrasts with the main clause:

Утром я еду на работу на маршрутке, хотя иногда предпочитаю идти пешком.
- Main idea: I go by minibus.
- Contrast: although sometimes I prefer to walk.

Но is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but.” It connects two main clauses:

Утром я еду на работу на маршрутке, но иногда предпочитаю идти пешком.

Both are possible here. Nuance:

хотя – emphasizes concession: even though, despite the fact that…
но – simple contrast: but / however.

Grammatically, хотя starts a dependent clause; но joins two coordinate parts.

Could we drop я and just say Утром еду на работу на маршрутке…?

Yes, you can omit я:

Утром еду на работу на маршрутке, хотя иногда предпочитаю идти пешком.

Russian often drops subject pronouns when the verb ending clearly shows the person:

иду / еду / предпочитаю all have a 1st person singular ending, so the subject “I” is understood.

Including я:

can add slight emphasis (making the subject more explicit),
is very common and fully natural too.

So both forms (with and without я) are correct; it’s mostly a stylistic choice.