Reflexive Verbs in -ся/-цца

Reflexive Verbs in -ся and -цца

Level 2Sounds Like zvarotnyâ dzeâslovy -sâ/-cca

Я мыюся, ён мыецца, яна мылася: the reflexive ending -ся follows the normal ending and merges with ць into -цца.

How It Works

A reflexive verb is an ordinary verb with -ся added at the very end. Two spelling rules turn some forms into -цца.

мыцца (to wash oneself), first conjugation:

  • я мыюся, ты мыешся, ён/яна мыецца
  • мы мыемся, вы мыецеся, яны мыюцца
  • past: ён мыўся, яна мылася, яны мыліся
  • imperative: мыйся, мыйцеся

вучыцца (to study), second conjugation:

  • я вучуся, ты вучышся, ён/яна вучыцца
  • мы вучымся, вы вучыцеся, яны вучацца
  • past: ён вучыўся, яна вучылася, яны вучыліся

Rule 1: ць + ся = цца. The infinitive (мыць → мыцца) and the яны form (мыюць → мыюцца) end in -ць, so they are written with -цца. The -цц- is pronounced as one long ц.

Rule 2: the ён form always has -цца. In the first conjugation the plain ён form has no -ць (ён мые), but the reflexive form still ends in -цца: ён мыецца. In second-conjugation verbs in -іцца or -ыцца, such as вучыцца, the ён form looks exactly like the infinitive: ён вучыцца. Only the stress differs: ву́чыцца (he studies) and вучы́цца (to study). Other second-conjugation verbs do not match: баяцца (to be afraid), ён баіцца.

Always -ся, never -сь. Unlike Russian, Belarusian writes the full -ся after vowels: мылася, вучыліся, спазняўся.

-ся can mean an action done to oneself, done to each other, or simply an intransitive action, and some verbs exist only with it (смяяцца, to laugh). See the meanings of -ся. Many common verbs are reflexive in Belarusian, such as вучыцца.

Examples (6)

  1. Я мыюся халоднай вадой.

    I wash with cold water.

    Word by Word: I wash-myself cold water.

  2. Ён вучыцца ва ўніверсітэце.

    He studies at university.

    Word by Word: He studies in university.

  3. Мы сустракаемся ў восем.

    We are meeting at eight.

    Word by Word: We meet-each-other at eight.

  4. Яна доўга смяялася.

    She laughed for a long time.

    Word by Word: She long laughed.

    Смяяцца exists only with -ся.

  5. Не хвалюйся, мы не спознімся.

    Don't worry, we won't be late.

    Word by Word: Not worry, we not will-be-late.

  6. Яны вучацца чытаць.

    They are learning to read.

    Word by Word: They learn to-read.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a plain -ся to the ён form instead of -цца.

    Ён мыеся.
    Ён мыецца.

    The ён and яна form of a reflexive verb always ends in -цца: мыецца.

  • Using the infinitive-looking form with я.

    Я вучыцца ў школе.
    Я вучуся ў школе.

    Вучыцца is the infinitive and the ён form. With я, the form is вучуся.

  • Shortening -ся to -сь after a vowel, as in Russian.

    Яна вучылась у Гродне.
    Яна вучылася ў Гродне.

    Standard Belarusian always writes the full -ся: вучылася.

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Reflexive Verbs in -ся/-ццаLevel 2Reflexive Verbs in -ся and -цца

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Reflexive verbs need present and past forms.

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Words in This Pattern

-ся