на- + Verb + се
Doing Something to One's Fill
Спя = sleep; наспя се = get enough sleep. Най-после се наспах! (At last I got enough sleep!)
How It Works
1. How it is built. Add the prefix на- to a verb and use it with се:
- ям → наям се (eat one's fill)
- спя → наспя се (get enough sleep)
- играя → наиграя се (play to one's heart's content)
- приказвам → наприказвам се (talk one's fill)
- гледам → нагледам се (look one's fill)
2. Aspect. These verbs are perfective, since they describe reaching the point of satisfaction (see aspect pairs formed with a prefix). A few also have imperfective partners for repeated events: наяждам се, наспивам се: В събота винаги се наспивам (I always get enough sleep on Saturdays).
3. The thing you enjoy. It often follows на or с, depending on the verb: Наядохме се с баница (We ate our fill of banitsa), Не мога да се наям на череши (I can never get enough cherries), Не мога да се нагледам на морето.
4. The negative. Не мога да се ... is a warm, common way to say you cannot get enough of something: Не мога да ѝ се нарадвам (I can't get enough of her; she delights me).
5. Careful with напия се. Напия се usually means get drunk. To drink your fill of water, say Напих се с вода, with the drink named.
Other prefixes change a verb's meaning in similar ways: за- (start doing), по- (do for a while), из- (do completely).
Examples (5)
- Най-после се наспах.
At last I got enough sleep.
- Децата се наиграха в парка и заспаха веднага.
The children played to their hearts' content in the park and fell asleep right away.
- Наядохме се с баница и череши.
We ate our fill of banitsa and cherries.
- Не мога да се нагледам на това море.
I can't get enough of looking at this sea.
Не мога да се... means you cannot get enough.
- Наприказвахме се до късно през нощта.
We talked to our hearts' content until late at night.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out се.
Най-после наспах.Най-после се наспах.The fill meaning needs се. Without it the verb is incomplete.
Starting the sentence with се.
Се наядохме с баница.Наядохме се с баница.Се is a short form and cannot open a sentence. Put it after the verb when the verb comes first.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Doing to one's fill combines prefixes and се.
Related Patterns
- за- for Starting an ActionStarting an Action with За-
Another prefix that changes how an action unfolds: starting it.
Level 4 - по- for a Short WhileDoing Something for a While with По-
A prefix for doing something briefly, the opposite of doing it to the full.
Level 4 - из- for Doing CompletelyDoing Something Completely with Из-
A prefix for doing something completely.
Level 5 - Placement of Short Pronouns
Where се goes in the sentence.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice на- + Verb + се in Bubblegum
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