Word
Я часто навещаю бабушку.
Meaning
I often visit my grandmother.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Я часто навещаю бабушку.
We are learning about using заходить to mean "drop by" or "visit". Why does this sentence use навещать instead?
Навещать (imperfective) / навестить (perfective) specifically means to visit a person, usually for a proper, intentional stay (like visiting relatives or a sick friend). Заходить к (as in я захожу к бабушке) means "to drop in on" or "stop by" someone's place, often for a short time or on your way somewhere else.
Why is бабушка in the Accusative case (бабушку) here? I thought visiting someone requires к + Dative.
It depends on the verb! The verb навещать takes a direct object, so the person you are visiting goes directly into the Accusative case without a preposition. You only use к + Dative when you use verbs of motion to say you are going to someone's place (like я иду к бабушке or я захожу к бабушке).
Could I use the verb посещать here since it also means "to visit"?
Not naturally. Посещать is mostly used for visiting places, attending events, or making official visits (like a museum, a doctor's appointment, or a class). For visiting friends or family, навещать is the correct word.
Why is the imperfective verb навещаю used here rather than its perfective partner?