CLASS 7 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE
Reflexive verbs in everyday Russian: forms and usage
How it works
Reflexive verbs in Russian are recognized by the ending ‹-ся› or ‹-сь›. They show that the action returns to the person performing it, e.g. with ‹одеваться› (to get dressed), ‹мыться› (to wash oneself), or ‹готовиться› (to prepare oneself). In everyday life, reflexive verbs are often used for daily routines, feelings, or mutual actions. The correct form depends on the person and the tense. Examples: ‹Я умываюсь утром› (I wash myself in the morning.), ‹Он готовится к уроку› (He prepares himself for class.).
Note
Reflexive verbs have the postfix ‹-ся› or ‹-сь›. Usually ‹-сь› comes after a vowel, e.g. ‹моюсь›, and ‹-ся› after a consonant, e.g. ‹моешься› or ‹моются›. In the infinitive, one often writes ‹-ться›, e.g. ‹одеваться›. In the present tense, the postfix is attached to the personal form: e.g. ‹я моюсь›, ‹ты моешься›, ‹они моются›. The meaning is often ‘oneself’ or ‘each other’.
Reflexive verbs have the postfix ‹-ся› or ‹-сь›. Usually ‹-сь› comes after a vowel, e.g. ‹моюсь›, and ‹-ся› after a consonant, e.g. ‹моешься› or ‹моются›. In the infinitive, one often writes ‹-ться›, e.g. ‹одеваться›. In the present tense, the postfix is attached to the personal form: e.g. ‹я моюсь›, ‹ты моешься›, ‹они моются›. The meaning is often ‘oneself’ or ‘each other’.
An example
Choose the correct reflexive verb for the sentence: ‹Я _____ к экзамену.›
The correct form is ‹готовлюсь›, so: ‹Я готовлюсь к экзамену.› The verb ‹готовиться› is reflexive and is used for ‘to prepare oneself’.
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: Russian. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.