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Questions & Answers about Лифт едет вниз.
Why does this sentence use едет (goes by transport) for a lift?
In Russian, elevators are often treated like vehicles because they transport passengers. That is why it is very common to use ехать (to go by transport). Note: You might also hear Russians say лифт идёт, which treats the elevator as a functioning machine, and that is also completely correct.
Could I use ездит instead of едет here?
No, because едет is a unidirectional verb of motion. This means the lift is making a single, continuous trip in one specific direction (down) right at this moment. You would use ездит (the multidirectional pair) if you were talking about repeated movement, like saying "The lift goes up and down all day."
What is the difference between вниз and внизу? Why is it вниз here?
Вниз means "downwards" and indicates the direction of movement. It answers the question "where to?" (куда?). Внизу indicates a static location, meaning "at the bottom" or "downstairs", and answers the question "where?" (где?). Since the lift is actively moving toward a destination, we must use the directional word вниз.