на- ... -ся

Doing to One's Fill with На- and -ся

Level 5Sounds Like na- ... -sâ

На- ... -ся means have enough of: Дзеці нагуляліся. (The children have played as much as they wanted.)

How It Works

The prefix на- and the ending -ся work as a pair. Together they mean doing something until you have had enough:

  • есці → наесціся (eat your fill)
  • піць → напіцца (drink your fill; in some contexts, get drunk)
  • гуляць → нагуляцца (play or walk as much as you like)
  • гаварыць → нагаварыцца (talk to your heart's content)
  • слухаць → наслухацца (hear plenty of)
  • глядзець → наглядзецца (look your fill)

Both parts are needed. Without -ся these words either do not exist or mean something else. Я наеўся is right; я наеў is not. See the meanings of -ся.

Genitive for the thing. What you had enough of goes in the genitive: наесціся бліноў, напіцца вады, наслухацца абяцанняў. Наглядзецца takes на + accusative: наглядзецца на мора.

Satisfied or fed up. The tone depends on context. Дзеці нагуляліся sounds happy. Я наслухаўся гэтых абяцанняў means I am fed up with them. With не магу, it means you cannot get enough: Не магу наглядзецца на гэтае мора.

Aspect. These verbs are perfective. Some have an imperfective partner for habits, such as наядацца.

Examples (6)

  1. Дзеці нагуляліся і хутка заснулі.

    The children played to their hearts' content and quickly fell asleep.

    Word by Word: Children played-their-fill and quickly fell-asleep.

  2. Дзякуй, я ўжо наеўся.

    Thank you, I've already had enough to eat.

    Word by Word: Thanks, I already ate-my-fill.

  3. Сабака напіўся вады і лёг пад дрэвам.

    The dog drank its fill of water and lay down under a tree.

    Word by Word: Dog drank-its-fill of-water and lay under tree.

  4. Я наслухаўся гэтых абяцанняў.

    I have heard more than enough of these promises.

    Word by Word: I heard-my-fill of-these promises.

  5. Не магу наглядзецца на гэтае мора.

    I can't stop looking at this sea.

    Word by Word: Not can look-my-fill at this sea.

  6. За вечар сябры нагаварыліся ўдосталь.

    Over the evening the friends talked to their hearts' content.

    Word by Word: Over evening friends talked-their-fill plenty.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving off -ся.

    Дзякуй, я ўжо наеў.
    Дзякуй, я ўжо наеўся.

    The meaning of having enough needs both на- and -ся. Наесці without -ся does not mean to eat your fill.

  • Putting the food in the accusative.

    Я наеўся бліны.
    Я наеўся бліноў.

    What you had your fill of goes in the genitive: бліноў, вады, абяцанняў.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

на- ... -сяLevel 5Doing to One's Fill with На- and -ся

Learn This First

Doing to one's fill needs -ся and the partitive.

Words in This Pattern

-сянаесціся