Moving Apart: раз- / рас- ... -ся
When a crowd disperses, a flock of birds scatters, or a group of friends heads home in different directions, they are moving away from a central point. To describe this divergence, Russian combines the prefix раз- (or рас- before voiceless consonants) and the reflexive suffix -ся (or -сь) with verbs of motion.
Dispersing on Foot
For general dispersal on foot, use разойтись (perfective) or its imperfective counterpart. Notice how the prefix takes the form разо- before this root for easier pronunciation.
| After dinner, the guests dispersed to their rooms. | После ужина гости разошлись по своим комнатам. |
| The crowd dispersed without a conflict. | Толпа разошлась без конфликта. |
Departing by Vehicle
When a group leaves in different directions using transport, use разъезжаться (imperfective) and разъехаться (perfective). Because the prefix ends in a consonant and the root begins with е, a hard sign (ъ) is added between them.
| In summer, students depart to their native cities. | Летом студенты разъезжаются по своим родным городам. |
| We did not manage to drive off quickly because of traffic jams. | Нам не удалось быстро разъехаться из-за пробок. |
Scattering
To emphasize speed or panic, use the verbs for running: разбегаться (imperfective) and разбежаться (perfective).
| From fright, the crowd started to scatter quickly. | От испуга толпа начала быстро разбегаться. |
| When the rain started, people scattered. | Когда начался дождь, люди разбежались. |
For things scattering through the air—like birds, leaves, or papers—use the flying verbs разлетаться (imperfective) and разлететься (perfective).
| In autumn, yellow leaves scatter all over the park. | Осенью жёлтые листья разлетаются по всему парку. |
| The birds scattered as soon as they heard a strange noise. | Птицы разлетелись, как только услышали странный шум. |
Wandering Off
Finally, if a group scatters slowly or aimlessly, use the verbs for wandering or strolling: разбредаться (imperfective) and разбрестись (perfective).
| Tourists often wander off around the city. | Туристы часто разбредаются по городу. |
| We wandered off around the forest and almost got lost. | Мы разбрелись по лесу и чуть не заблудились. |
