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Wiktionary defines the verb "понаехать" as follows:

наехать, приехать во множестве, в большом числе

This is obviously a single meaning, not a list of different meanings, because different meanings are given in Wiktionary as a numerated list rather than a single line with commas. In Wiktionary, a single line with commas lists synonymous phrases or synonymous words to give an idea about the meaning.

Since "наехать" is given as a synonymous word, I also looked at its definition in Wiktionary:

1. столкнуться при езде, сбить при езде




2. проехать или встать колесами на что-либо




3. приехать внезапно, без предупреждения




4. пренебр. приехать в большом количестве, обычно вопреки желанию местных




5. жарг. начать оказывать давление, обычно с целью заставить выполнить какие-либо требования




6. спец. кино, видео при помощи трансфокатора приблизить объект съёмки; плавно перейти на более крупный план

Obviously, the meaning of "наехать" in the definition of "понаехать" is the fourth meaning above, because it coincides with what is written further in the definition of "понаехать."

Thus, Wiktionary basically defines "понаехать" as "to come in big numbers."

And here is the problem: Wiktionary shows conjugation of "понаехать" as follows:

Я понае́ду понае́хал понае́хала

Ты понае́дешь понае́хал понае́хала

Он понае́дет понае́хал

Она понае́хала

Оно понае́хало

Мы понае́дем понае́хали

Вы понае́дете понае́хали

Они понае́дут понае́хали

Пр. действ. прош. понае́хавший

What I cannot understand is how a single person can come in big numbers. The very definition of "понаехать" as it stands in Wiktionary excludes using this verb in any single person form. From the logical standpoint, only plural forms of this verb are permissible, yet single person forms are provided in the conjugation table.

I did some research in Google and found that "понаехать" is quite often used in single person forms, for example:

Сейчас я понаехал в Великобританию на второй семестр и буду рассказывать и об этой стране тоже. (Source)

This led me to suspect that the definition of "понаехать" in Wiktionary is wrong. I am very much puzzled. Overall, I am confused by this crazy combination of two prefixes.

My question is this: What is the precise meaning of "понаехать," and who is wrong - the Wiktionary contributors who defined "понаехать" as "to come in big numbers" or people who use "понаехать" in single person forms? I am also curious how the meaning of "понаехать" is different from the fourth meaning of "наехать" if there is any difference.

Понаехать here is used in the sense 4 in Wiktionary: "to come in big numbers, not being welcome".

It's usually used when talking of big cities, like Moscow or St. Petersburg, because that's where people go in big numbers, not being welcome by those who came into these cities in big numbers a year earlier.

Normally, it's used in impersonal constructs:

Во лимиты́ понаехало!

This refers to the Soviet policy of limiting unrestricted growth of big cities by setting a quota on the number of new residents who could legally settle in the city and allocating this quota to the enterprises which needed the influx of the workforce the most.

This quota policy was called лимит прописки and people who matched this quota were called лимитчики or, colloquially, лимита́.

By definition, you alone cannot some in big numbers, that's why it's not normally used with singular personal subjects.

So the usage of понаехал with a personal singular subject, or when talking about small groups of people, is ironic.

Я понаехал в Москву

literally means "I came to Moscow in big numbers, being unwelcome", however it's understood to actually mean just "I moved to Moscow" or other place lots of people are moving to, usually not being especially welcome and having to overcome obstacles on their way.

The colloquial пона- prefix, in general, describes something done to excess.

Понастроили домов! — Too many houses have been built!

Понапокупали прав! — Too many people have bribed their way to a driving license without bothering to learn the road rules!

Понапривозили хлама! — Too much junk has been brought in!

To extend the other answers:

One can use понаехать in the singular when the subject denotes a group of people (собирательные существительные):

• Деревенский люд понаехал.


• Татарва понаехала.


• Быдло понаехало.

"Понаехать" is a semi-joking verb used to describe the action of migrating somewhere where you are not welcome, like in phrase "понаехали тут понимаешь!". It's usage is strictly colloquial and usually it is used in 3rd person, plural, so it's "понаехали".

Using it like in "ну и я понаехал во Францию" is even more ironic and even more colloquial. It's almost like a joke.

I do not know why your dictionary does not include the following meaning for наехать: to move(by transport) oneselves onto one place. For instance: на ярмарку наехало много продавцов из окрестных деревень.

Now, понаехать adds repeatedness to this. Thus already repeated action gets additional repeating prefix. This can be understood as different sets of people наехали. For instance, people of several different ethnicities or occupations separately (each ethnicity/occupation independently of others) наехали (collected themselves) in a certain place.