сябе
The Reflexive Pronoun Сябе
Ён глядзіць на сябе. (He looks at himself.) Яна купіла сабе сукенку. (She bought herself a dress.) Вазьмі з сабой парасон. (Take an umbrella with you.)
How It Works
Forms. Сябе declines like the personal pronouns but has no nominative:
- genitive and accusative: сябе (ля сябе, на сябе)
- dative and locative: сабе (купіць сабе, пры сабе)
- instrumental: сабой or сабою (з сабой)
All three forms are stressed on the last syllable: сябе́, сабе́, сабо́й.
Why it matters. A personal pronoun points to someone else: Ён бачыць яго means he sees another man. Ён бачыць сябе means he sees himself. The same holds for я and ты: say Я купіў сабе кнігу (I bought myself a book), not мне.
Everyday phrases.
- з сабой: with you, along: Вазьмі з сабой парасон.
- Як ты сябе адчуваеш? (How do you feel?)
- Раскажы пра сябе. (Tell me about yourself.) Пра takes the accusative, see пра with the accusative.
Many actions done to oneself use a -ся verb instead: мыцца (to wash oneself). See meanings of -ся. For each other, use адзін аднаго, and for one's own belongings, свой.
Examples (6)
- Ён глядзіць на сябе ў люстэрка.
He looks at himself in the mirror.
Word by Word: He looks at self in mirror.
На + accusative: сябе.
- Яна купіла сабе сукенку.
She bought herself a dress.
Word by Word: She bought to-self dress.
The one who receives is in the dative: сабе.
- Вазьмі з сабой парасон.
Take an umbrella with you.
Word by Word: Take with self umbrella.
- Як ты сябе адчуваеш?
How do you feel?
Word by Word: How you self feel?
- Раскажы пра сябе.
Tell me about yourself.
Word by Word: Tell about self.
- Я купіў сабе новы тэлефон.
I bought myself a new phone.
Word by Word: I bought to-self new phone.
Сябе works for я and ты too.
Common Mistakes
Using a personal pronoun when the subject means itself.
Яна купіла ёй сукенку.Яна купіла сабе сукенку.Ёй would mean another woman. When she buys it for herself, use сабе.
Using the accusative form where the dative is needed.
Яна купіла сябе сукенку.Яна купіла сабе сукенку.The person something is bought for is in the dative, and the dative of сябе is сабе.
Using the Russian form of the instrumental.
Вазьмі з собой парасон.Вазьмі з сабой парасон.The Belarusian instrumental is сабой or сабою.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Сябе follows pronoun cases.
Related Patterns
- свойThe Reflexive Possessive Свой
The possessive that also points back to the subject.
Level 3 - Meanings of -ся
Many reflexive actions use a -ся verb instead of сябе.
Level 3 - адзін аднагоEach Other with Адзін Аднаго
For actions done to each other rather than to oneself.
Level 4 - самEmphatic Сам
Сам stresses that the subject acts in person; сябе is the object.
Level 5 - Dative for the Recipient
Сабе is the dative, used for the person who receives.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice сябе in Bubblegum
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