Reflexive Verbs

Level 4

Some verbs come with se, and se stays in second position.

How It Works

Reflexive verbs come in three kinds.

  • True reflexive: the action goes back to the doer, as in umiti se (wash oneself).
  • Reciprocal: people act on each other, as in vidjeti se (see each other) and voljeti se.
  • Fixed: the verb always has se, as in smijati se (laugh), bojati se (be afraid), sjećati se (remember) and zvati se (be called).

The word se is a weak word. It cannot start a sentence, and it comes after the first word or group: Danas se vidimo. Zovem se Hasan.

Some reflexive verbs also need a case. Bojati se and sjećati se use the genitive: bojati se pasa. Smijati se uses the dative: smijati se šali.

The reflexive form of a verb can mean something quite different from the plain verb. Zvati is to call, and zvati se is to be called.

Examples (5)

  1. Zovem se Hasan.

    My name is Hasan.

    Se follows the verb zovem.

  2. Smijemo se cijeli dan.

    We laugh all day.

    Smijati se always has se.

  3. Sjećam se tog ljeta.

    I remember that summer.

    Sjećati se is followed by the genitive.

  4. Ajla se boji pasa.

    Ajla is afraid of dogs.

    Bojati se also takes the genitive.

  5. Vidimo se sutra na Baščaršiji.

    See you tomorrow at Baščaršija.

    This use of se means each other.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting se in the wrong place.

    Ja zovem se Amir.
    Ja se zovem Amir.

    In standard Bosnian se takes second position, right after ja, so the usual order is Ja se zovem Amir.

  • Leaving se out.

    Ja sjećam tog dana.
    Ja se sjećam tog dana.

    In this meaning sjećati needs se.

How It Connects

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

Reflexive VerbsLevel 4

Learn This First

Reflexive verbs use se.

Words in This Pattern

seumitisjećatismijatibojati