Comparative analysis of Russian verbs of motion without prefixes плыть - плавать and their Chinese equivalents

The article is devoted to a comparative analysis of Russian non-prefixed verbs of motion плыть and плавать in direct and figurative meanings and correlative verbs of the Chinese language, conveying the idea of moving in water. The article shows that a pair of Russian verbs corresponds to five verbs in Chinese. An analysis of the combinability of Russian and Chinese verbs that convey the idea of moving in water is performed; specific examples show that the verbs плыть and плавать are combined with the subject component of different semantics, while in Chinese the choice of the verb is determined by the nature of the subject. Some typical mistakes of Chinese students associated with the use of the verbs плыть and плавать in speech are described.