GrammarReflexive Verbs

In Russian, some verbs are reflexive. This means the action is directed back to the subject itself. Reflexive verbs are marked by the ending -ся or -сь. You can see the full list here.

What are reflexive verbs?

A reflexive verb describes an action where the subject and the object are the same person or thing.

• мыть (to wash something) → мыться (to wash oneself)
• одевать (to dress someone) → одеваться (to get dressed)

Examples:

• Я мою руки. (I wash my hands.)
• Я моюсь. (I wash myself.)
• Он одевает ребёнка. (He dresses the child.)
• Он одевается. (He gets dressed.)

Form: -ся and -сь

Reflexive verbs always end in -ся or -сь:

• -ся after consonants: учиться
• -сь after vowels: учусь, одеваюсь

The choice is purely phonetic and does not change meaning.

Important pairs

Many verbs exist in pairs: non-reflexive and reflexive, often with the same meaning.

• учить (to teach / learn something) → учиться (to study, to learn)
• открывать (to open something) → открываться (to open, to be opening)

Conjugation

Reflexive verbs conjugate like normal verbs, with -ся/-сь added at the end.

Example: мыться (to wash oneself)

• я моюсь
• ты моешься
• он/она моется
• мы моемся
• вы моетесь
• они моются

Main meanings of reflexive verbs

1. True reflexive (doing something to oneself)

• мыться (to wash oneself)
• бриться (to shave oneself)
• одеваться (to get dressed)

These often correspond to English “myself / yourself / himself”, but Russian usually does not use a separate word.

2. Reciprocal actions (each other)

The action happens between multiple people.

• встречаться (to meet each other / to date)
• обниматься (to hug each other)
• целоваться (to kiss each other)

Example:

• Они обнимаются. (They hug each other.)

3. Passive or “happening by itself”

The action happens without a clear agent, or the subject undergoes the action.

• дверь открывается (the door opens / is opening)
• книга читается легко (the book reads easily)

4. State or change of state

The verb describes entering a state or condition.

• успокоиться (to calm down)
• разозлиться (to get angry)
• улыбаться (to smile)

5. Verbs that exist only in reflexive form

Some verbs do not exist without -ся and must simply be learned as reflexive:

• бояться (to be afraid)
• надеяться (to hope)
• смеяться (to laugh)

Reflexive verbs and objects

Many reflexive verbs do not take a direct object in the Accusative, because the action already refers back to the subject.

• Я моюсь. (I wash myself.)

However, some reflexive verbs can still take other complements:

• Я интересуюсь музыкой. (I am interested in music.)
• Он занимается спортом. (He does sports.)

Summary

• Reflexive verbs end in -ся or -сь.
• They often mean the subject does the action to itself.
• They can also express:
  • mutual actions (each other)
  • passive or spontaneous actions
  • states or changes
• Some verbs exist only in reflexive form.
• Reflexive verbs conjugate like normal verbs, with -ся/-сь added.