Russian Reflexive Verbs (-ся/-сь)

Russian verbs can become "reflexive" by adding a special particle to their end. This particle indicates that the action of the verb is, in some way, directed back towards the subject or has a particular nuance.

Identifying & Forming Reflexive Verbs:

• The Particle: Reflexive verbs are marked by the particle -ся or -сь added to the end of the verb form (infinitive, present/past/future tense, imperative, participles, gerunds).
• The Rule for -ся vs. -сь:
  • -ся is used after a consonant or a soft sign (ь) (e.g., умывается, оденься).
  • -сь is used after a vowel (e.g., умылась, оденусь).
• Conjugation: The verb itself still conjugates according to its normal pattern (1st or 2nd Conjugation, tense, mood, etc.). The reflexive particle is simply attached to the end of the already conjugated form.

Common Meanings & Uses of -ся/-сь:

The -ся/-сь particle can impart several different meanings:

• True Reflexive (action on oneself):
  • мыть (to wash) -> мыться (to wash oneself)
  • одевать (to dress someone) -> одеваться (to dress oneself)
• Reciprocal (action between two or more subjects):
  • встречать (to meet someone) -> встречаться (to meet each other)
  • целовать (to kiss someone) -> целоваться (to kiss each other)
• Passive-like (subject undergoes the action, or the action happens by itself):
  • строить (to build) -> дом строится (the house is being built / builds itself)
  • открывать (to open) -> дверь открывается (the door opens / is opened)
• Intrinsic Quality / Auto-Causative (describes a characteristic or capability of the subject):
  • кусать (to bite) -> собака кусается (the dog bites [is a biter])
  • царапать (to scratch) -> кошка царапается (the cat scratches [is a scratcher])
• Impersonal (often used with a Dative experiencer):
• мне не спится (I can't sleep / "to me is not slept")
• мне хочется (I feel like / I want / "to me is wanted")
• Inherently Reflexive Verbs: Some verbs only exist with -ся/-сь and don't have a non-reflexive counterpart with the same root meaning.
  • смеяться (to laugh)
  • бояться (to be afraid of + Genitive case)
  • нравиться (to be pleasing to / to like + Dative case for the liker)
  • стараться (to try, to strive)

Key Characteristics:

• The particle is always the last element of the verb form.
• Pronunciation: -ся is often pronounced closer to [tsə] or [sə].
• The addition of -ся/-сь can change a transitive verb (one that takes a direct object) into an intransitive one.

Difficulties for Foreigners:

• Remembering to add the particle and choosing correctly between -ся and -сь.
• The wide range of meanings; it's not always a simple "self" action.
• Understanding when a verb must be reflexive (e.g., бояться, смеяться).
• Distinguishing the passive-like meaning from true passive constructions formed with participles.
• Correctly using impersonal reflexive constructions.

It is impossible to speak Russian without using reflexive verbs. Mastering their endings and recognizing them is a fundamental step in learning to speak and write Russian correctly. PROMT.One Conjugator is always here to help you. With one click, you can access complete conjugation tables for any Russian verb.