Meanings of -ся
Я мыюся. (I wash myself.) Мы сустракаемся. (We meet each other.) Урок пачынаецца. (The lesson begins.) Я смяюся. (I laugh.)
How It Works
The spelling of -ся and -цца is covered in reflexive verbs in -ся and -цца. Here are the main meanings:
- Oneself. мыць (to wash something) → мыцца (to wash oneself); апранаць → апранацца (to get dressed).
- Each other. сустракацца (to meet), знаёміцца (to get to know each other), сварыцца (to quarrel). For other verbs, use адзін аднаго.
- It happens by itself. With -ся, the thing that was the object becomes the subject: Настаўнік пачынае ўрок (The teacher starts the lesson) → Урок пачынаецца (The lesson starts). Also адчыняцца (to open), зачыняцца (to close), канчацца (to end).
- Only with -ся. смяяцца (to laugh), баяцца (to be afraid), спадзявацца (to hope), усміхацца (to smile).
At higher levels you will also meet a passive meaning (Дом будуецца, The house is being built, see passive with -ся) and impersonal feelings (Мне хочацца спаць, see impersonal -ся verbs).
Always -ся, never -сь. Belarusian keeps -ся after vowels too: я мыюся, яна мылася, мы сустракаліся. The short -сь of Russian is a mistake in Belarusian.
Cases after -ся verbs. Many take a case other than the accusative: баяцца + genitive (Я баюся сабак), цікавіцца + instrumental (see verbs taking the instrumental), смяяцца з + genitive (see laughing at with з).
Examples (6)
- Я мыюся халоднай вадой.
I wash with cold water.
Word by Word: I wash-myself with-cold water.
Reflexive: the action returns to the subject.
- Мы сустракаемся кожную суботу.
We meet every Saturday.
Word by Word: We meet-each-other every Saturday.
Mutual: people do it to each other.
- Урок пачынаецца а дзявятай.
The lesson begins at nine.
Word by Word: Lesson begins at ninth.
The action happens with no one doing it.
- Дзверы адчыніліся.
The door opened.
Word by Word: Door opened-itself.
Дзверы is plural-only, so the verb is plural.
- Чаму ты смяешся?
Why are you laughing?
Word by Word: Why you laugh?
Смяяцца has no form without -ся.
- Я баюся сабак.
I am afraid of dogs.
Word by Word: I fear of-dogs.
Баяцца takes the genitive.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out -ся when the subject is not doing anything to an object.
Урок пачынае а дзявятай.Урок пачынаецца а дзявятай.Пачынаць needs an object: someone starts something. When the lesson itself starts, use пачынацца.
Using the short Russian -сь after a vowel.
Яна вярнулась дадому.Яна вярнулася дадому.Belarusian always writes -ся: вярнулася, мылася, вучуся.
Dropping -ся from a verb that only exists with it.
Чаму ты смяеш?Чаму ты смяешся?Смяяцца, баяцца and усміхацца are never used without -ся.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The meanings of -ся follow its forms.
Related Patterns
- сябеThe Reflexive Pronoun Сябе
Сябе is the separate pronoun for oneself.
Level 3 - адзін аднагоEach Other with Адзін Аднаго
Expresses each other when a verb has no mutual -ся form.
Level 4 - Passive with -ся
A later meaning of -ся: the passive.
Level 4 - мне хочаццаImpersonal Wanting and Feeling with -ся
Impersonal feelings with -ся and the dative.
Level 4 - смяяцца з + GenitiveLaughing at with З
A common -ся verb with a fixed preposition.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Meanings of -ся in Bubblegum
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