The Upward Prefix: вз- / вс-
In Russian, you can add a prefix to verbs of motion to specify the direction of movement. To describe upward motion, use the prefix вз-.
Depending on the first letter of the root verb, this prefix changes its spelling to match the pronunciation:
- вз- before voiced consonants and vowels.
- вс- before voiceless consonants (like к, п, х).
- взо- before certain tricky consonant clusters.
Taking Off
When things that fly (like airplanes, helicopters, or birds) move upward, they take off. Notice how the root лететь (to fly) becomes взлетать (imperfective) and взлететь (perfective) to mean "to fly up."
Rising and Ascending
For walking up a mountain or watching the sun rise, use the verbs всходить (imperfective) and взойти (perfective). Because the imperfective root starts with the voiceless consonant х, the prefix becomes вс-. In the perfective, the tricky consonant cluster requires взо-.
Jumping Up
To describe a sudden upward movement, like jumping up from a seat or onto a surface, use вскакивать and вскочить. Here, the prefix is вс- because it precedes the voiceless letter к.
Climbing and Scrambling
When climbing requires physical effort—like scrambling up a cliff or a steep riverbank—use взбираться (imperfective) and взобраться (perfective).
Before looking at an example, here is a useful adjective for describing these difficult climbs:
Surfacing and Floating Up
Finally, for upward movement in water, use the verbs всплывать and всплыть. This combines the upward prefix with the root for swimming, and it is used for anything floating to the surface.