се + Verb

Verbs with Се

Level 1Sounds Like se + glagol: se mie

Some verbs come with the short word се: се мие (washes), се облекува (gets dressed), се вика (is called). Се goes right before the verb: Се викам Марко.

How It Works

Many Macedonian verbs are used with the short word се. Often it means that the action comes back to the person doing it. Марко мие чинии means Marko washes dishes. Марко се мие means Marko washes himself, or simply washes up.

Other common verbs with се are се облекува (gets dressed), се смее (laughs), се чувствува (feels) and се вика (is called). You already know the last one from Saying Your Name: Се викам Ана means My name is Ana.

Се never changes. Only the verb ending shows who does the action:

  • јас се мијам (I wash)
  • ти се миеш (you wash)
  • тој се мие (he washes)
  • ние се миеме (we wash)
  • тие се мијат (they wash)

Where does се go? In a statement or question, put it right before the verb: Се мијам. Зошто се смееш? With не, the order is не + се + verb: Не се смеам. Macedonian can start a sentence with се, so do not move it after the verb.

There is one big exception. After a command, се comes after the verb: Измиј се! (Wash up!) You will learn more about this in Short Pronouns After a Command.

Examples (6)

  1. Се викам Марко.

    My name is Marko.

    Word by Word: Self I-call Marko.

    Се comes first, and викам shows the speaker is I.

  2. Секое утро се мијам со ладна вода.

    Every morning I wash with cold water.

    Мие becomes мијам for I, but се stays the same.

  3. Децата се облекуваат брзо.

    The children get dressed quickly.

    Се облекува means gets dressed.

  4. Зошто се смееш?

    Why are you laughing?

    In a question, се still goes right before the verb.

  5. Не се чувствувам добро.

    I do not feel well.

    The order is не, then се, then the verb.

  6. Измиј се пред ручек!

    Wash up before lunch!

    After a command, се moves after the verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting се after the verb in a statement.

    Мие се секое утро.
    Се мие секое утро.

    In a statement, се goes before the verb, even at the start of the sentence. Only commands put се after the verb.

  • Putting не between се and the verb.

    Се не смеам.
    Не се смеам.

    Не always comes first, before се: не + се + verb.

  • Changing се to match the person, as in some other languages.

    Ме викам Марко.
    Се викам Марко.

    Се is the same for every person. The verb ending, not се, shows who it is.

How It Connects

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

се + VerbLevel 1Verbs with Се

Learn This First

Се-verbs build on the present and on се викам.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

се викасе облекувамие