Understanding Reflexive Verbs in Russian

Reflexive verbs in Russian are special because they show actions that someone does to themselves.

You can recognize these verbs because they usually end in "-ся" or "-сь." This ending makes them reflexive.

When we change these verbs to show who is doing the action, we need to pay close attention to that little reflexive part.

How to Change Reflexive Verbs in the Present Tense

1. Regular Conjugation:

   • Take the example "мыться" (to wash oneself).
   • Here’s how it changes:
     • Я моюсь (I wash myself)
     • Ты моешься (You wash yourself)
     • Он/она моется (He/she washes himself/herself)
     • Мы моемся (We wash ourselves)
     • Вы моетесь (You wash yourselves)
     • Они моются (They wash themselves)

2. Irregular Conjugation:

   • Another example is "одеваться" (to dress oneself).
   • The change is:
     • Я одеваюсь (I dress myself)

Understanding Actions: Perfective and Imperfective

Reflexive verbs can either be perfective or imperfective. This helps us understand if the action is finished or still ongoing.

• Imperfective: "мыться" (to wash oneself) means it is still happening.
• Perfective: “помыться” (to have washed oneself) means it is done.

Using the Genitive Case

Sometimes, reflexive verbs can change the nouns that go with them. We might need to use the genitive case to show something belongs to someone or is missing.

• Example: Я боюсь кошки (I am afraid of the cat).

Dative Case for Indirect Objects

Reflexive verbs can also require indirect objects, which go in the dative case.

• Example: Я помогаю сестре (I help my sister).

Asking Questions

To turn reflexive verbs into questions, keep the same word order but add some question markers.

• Example: Ты моешься? (Are you washing yourself?)

Overall, knowing how to use reflexive verbs is very important for speaking Russian well. They help add extra details in everyday conversations.