# лезть
## Russian
### Alternative forms

* лѣзть (lěztʹ) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)

### Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic лѣзти (lězti), from Proto-Slavic *lězti (“to crawl, climb”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [lʲesʲtʲ]
* Audio:(file)
* Homophone: лесть (lestʹ)

### Verb

лезть • (leztʹ) impf (perfective зале́зть or влезть or поле́зть)
* to climb (up, on to), to scramble
    лезть на сте́ну ― leztʹ na sténu ― to climb up the wall
* to clamber, to crawl, to scramble (through, into, under)
* to get (into); to thrust the hand (into)
    лезть в во́ду ― leztʹ v vódu ― to get into the water
    лезть в дра́ку ― leztʹ v dráku ― to get into the fight
* to thrust oneself (upon); to intrude (upon)
    Не лезь ко мне! ― Ne lezʹ ko mne! ― Don't touch me! / Don't intrude on me! (protest to sexual advances)
* to meddle (in, with)
* to fit (into)
    Боти́нки ему́ не ле́зут. ― Botínki jemú ne lézut. ― He can't get the boots on.
* to fall out, to come out (of hair or fur)
* to stick out, to be conspicuous
* to slip out of position
* to come on, to do something despite obstacles or objections
* to try to climb, to try to reach a better position in life
* to come to pieces (of cloth or leather)
* used in idioms:
    лезть из ко́жи вон ― leztʹ iz kóži von ― to go all out, to bend over backwards (get out of own skin)
    не лезть за сло́вом в карма́н ― ne leztʹ za slóvom v karmán ― to have a ready tongue, not to be at a loss for a word, to have a way with words (not to rummage for a word in the pocket)
    лезть кому́-либо в ду́шу ― leztʹ komú-libo v dúšu ― to worm oneself into someone's confidence (to get into someone's soul)
    лезть не в своё де́ло ― leztʹ ne v svojó délo ― to poke one's nose into other people's affairs; to pry
    хоть в пе́тлю лезть ― xotʹ v pétlju leztʹ ― I am at my wit's end (ready to get a noose to hang myself)

#### Usage notes

* This is a concrete verb. Its abstract counterpart is ла́зить (lázitʹ).

#### Derived terms

* взлезть pf (vzleztʹ), взлеза́ть impf (vzlezátʹ)
* влезть pf (vleztʹ), влеза́ть impf (vlezátʹ)
* вы́лезть pf (výleztʹ), вы́лезти pf (výlezti), вылеза́ть impf (vylezátʹ)
* доле́зть pf (doléztʹ), долеза́ть impf (dolezátʹ)
* зале́зть pf (zaléztʹ), залеза́ть impf (zalezátʹ)
* нале́зть pf (naléztʹ), налеза́ть impf (nalezátʹ)
* обле́зть pf (obléztʹ), облеза́ть impf (oblezátʹ)
* отле́зть pf (otléztʹ), отлеза́ть impf (otlezátʹ)
* переле́зть pf (pereléztʹ), перелеза́ть impf (perelezátʹ)
* повылеза́ть impf (povylezátʹ)
* подле́зть pf (podléztʹ), подлеза́ть impf (podlezátʹ)
* поле́зть pf (poléztʹ)
* понале́зть pf (ponaléztʹ)
* приле́зть pf (priléztʹ), прилеза́ть impf (prilezátʹ)
* проле́зть pf (proléztʹ), пролеза́ть impf (prolezátʹ)
* разле́зться pf (razléztʹsja), разлеза́ться impf (razlezátʹsja)
* слезть pf (sleztʹ), слеза́ть impf (slezátʹ)
* уле́зть pf (uléztʹ), улеза́ть impf (ulezátʹ)

### References

* Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “лезу”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
* Chernykh, P. Ja. (1993) “лезть”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), 3rd edition, volume 1 (а – пантомима), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 474