Inherent reflexive verbs

Level 2Sounds Like neperehodnye vozvratnye glagoly

Inherent reflexive verbs (reflexiva tantum) are verbs that only exist with the reflexive suffix -ся/-сь. Unlike standard reflexive verbs, they don't mean 'doing something to oneself'; the suffix is simply a permanent part of the word.

How It Works

In Russian, most reflexive verbs are formed by adding the postfix -ся to a base verb (e.g., мыть → мыться). Historically, this postfix is a contraction of the reflexive pronoun себя (oneself). However, a specific group called inherent reflexive verbs (or reflexiva tantum) has no base form. You cannot 'улыбать' someone; you can only улыбаться (to smile).

Key Characteristics:

  • Lexical Identity: What makes inherent reflexive verbs unique is that the postfix is lexically inseparable because the non-reflexive base verb simply does not exist. As with all Russian reflexive verbs (unlike in languages such as Spanish, French, or German), the reflexive postfix is permanently glued to the end of the verb and cannot be detached or moved around in a sentence.
  • Conjugation: They conjugate exactly like normal verbs; the reflexive postfix is simply added to the standard endings.
  • Pronunciation: The infinitive ending -ться and the third-person finite ending -тся are both pronounced as [цца] (or [ца]), not as they are spelled.
  • Aspectual Pairs: Inherent reflexive verbs still form aspectual pairs, and often, both verbs in the pair are inherent reflexives (e.g., улыбаться / улыбнуться, ошибаться / ошибиться). However, some form pairs with non-reflexive verbs (e.g., ложиться / лечь, становиться / стать), where the perfective counterpart completely loses the reflexive postfix. Furthermore, some inherent reflexive verbs describe continuous states and only exist in the imperfective aspect (e.g., нуждаться - to need), lacking a perfective pair entirely.
  • Intransitivity: Like almost all reflexive verbs, they do not take a direct object in the Accusative case. For example, in English, you 'fear something' (direct object), but in Russian, the verb requires the Genitive case, closer to 'to be afraid of something'.
  • Spelling Rules: In finite forms and infinitives, use -ся after consonants and the soft sign (ь), and -сь after vowels. This also applies to imperatives: use -ся after a consonant (улыбайся) or a soft sign (готовься, останься), and -сь after a vowel (улыбайтесь). Note that adjectival participles (причастия) are an exception and always use -ся even after vowels (e.g., улыбающаяся), while adverbial participles (gerunds) always use postfix variants that end in a vowel (-а, -я, -вши, -ши), and therefore always take -сь (e.g., улыбаясь).

Common Categories:

  • Emotions: бояться (to fear + Genitive), надеяться (to hope, requires на + Accusative), гордиться (to be proud, requires Instrumental).
  • Involuntary Actions: смеяться (to laugh, requires над + Instrumental), улыбаться / улыбнуться (to smile).
  • Mental Processes and States: сомневаться (to doubt), ошибаться (to make a mistake), догадываться (to guess).
  • Effort/Struggle: стараться (to try/endeavor).
  • Preferences: нравиться (to be pleasing/to like). Note its specific case government: the person who likes is in the Dative case, and the thing being liked is the subject in the Nominative case.

Examples (5)

  1. Я боюсь темноты.

    I am afraid of the dark.

    Word by Word: I fear [of] darkness.

    The verb 'бояться' is inherently reflexive and governs the Genitive case (темноты).

  2. Она всегда улыбается.

    She always smiles.

    Word by Word: She always smiles.

    The verb 'улыбаться' has no non-reflexive counterpart; you cannot 'smile' someone else.

  3. Мы гордимся тобой.

    We are proud of you.

    Word by Word: We pride [ourselves] by you.

    The verb 'гордиться' is inherently reflexive and governs the Instrumental case (тобой).

  4. Тебе нравится этот фильм?

    Do you like this movie?

    Word by Word: To you is pleasing this movie?

    The verb 'нравиться' is used in a dative construction and is always reflexive.

  5. Дети громко смеялись.

    The children were laughing loudly.

    Word by Word: Children loudly laughed.

    Note the use of -сь after the vowel 'и' in the plural past tense form 'смеялись'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the reflexive pronoun 'себя' with these verbs.

    Я боюсь себя собак.
    Я боюсь собак.

    Because the -ся suffix is already part of the verb, adding 'себя' is redundant and grammatically incorrect.

  • Using the Accusative case for the object of fear.

    Я боюсь это.
    Я боюсь этого.

    Inherent reflexive verbs are intransitive. 'Бояться' requires the Genitive case (этого), not the Accusative (это).

  • Using the wrong suffix after a vowel.

    Я боюсься.
    Я боюсь.

    Always use -сь when the preceding letter is a vowel (у, ю, а, е, и, о, я, э, ы).

How It Connects

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Inherent reflexive verbsLevel 2

Learn This First

To understand inherent reflexive verbs, a learner must first be familiar with the reflexive suffix -ся/-сь and how it attaches to different verb forms. Since these verbs conjugate like standard verbs but always carry the suffix, knowledge of basic present tense conjugation and the infinitive form is essential.

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