Language/Polish/Grammar/Reflexive-Verbs

Polish → Grammar → Reflexive Verbs

As a Polish language teacher with 20 years of experience, I'm excited to introduce you to the use of reflexive verbs in Polish. In this lesson, we will explore their different forms and how to use them in sentences.

Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Gender & Verbs and Tenses.

Understanding Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs are verbs that describe an action being done by the subject on themselves. In other words, the subject is both the one doing the action and receiving the action. In Polish, reflexive verbs are formed by adding the reflexive pronoun "się" to the verb.

Here are some examples:

Polish	Pronunciation	English
myć się	['mɨt͡ɕ ɕɛ]	to wash oneself
ubierać się	[u.'bʲɛ.rat͡ɕ ɕɛ]	to dress oneself
kłaść się	['kwaʂt͡ɕ ɕɛ]	to lay oneself down
bawić się	['bavʲit͡ɕ ɕɛ]	to play with oneself

Reflexive Verbs in Different Forms

Reflexive verbs can be used in different forms, including the infinitive form, present tense, past tense, and imperative mood.

For example, to form the infinitive, simply add "się" to the end of the verb, like this:

• myć (to wash) → myć się (to wash oneself)

In present tense, reflexive verbs are conjugated based on the subject. For example:

• Ja myję się. (I wash myself.)
• Ty myjesz się. (You wash yourself.)
• On/ona/ono myje się. (He/she/it washes himself/herself/itself.)
• My myjemy się. (We wash ourselves.)
• Wy myjecie się. (You all wash yourselves.)
• Oni/one/my myją się. (They wash themselves.)

In past tense, reflexive verbs are formed using the auxiliary verb "być" (to be) plus the past participle of the reflexive verb. For example:

• Ja się umyłem/umyłam. (I washed myself.)
• Ty się umyłeś/umyłaś. (You washed yourself.)
• On/ona/ono się umył/umyła/umyło. (He/she/it washed himself/herself/itself.)
• My się umyliśmy/umyłyśmy. (We washed ourselves.)
• Wy się umyliście/umyłyście. (You all washed yourselves.)
• Oni/one/my się umyli/umyły. (They washed themselves.)

In imperative mood, reflexive verbs are used to give commands or directions. For example:

• Umyj się! (Wash yourself!)
• Umyjmy się! (Let's wash ourselves!)
• Umyjcie się! (You all wash yourselves!)

Tips for Using Reflexive Verbs

Here are some tips to keep in mind when using reflexive verbs in Polish:

• Reflexive verbs always require the reflexive pronoun "się" to be added to the end of the verb.
• The reflexive pronoun "się" changes depending on the subject and the tense.
• When using reflexive verbs in imperative mood, the pronoun "się" is placed at the end of the verb.
• In some cases, reflexive verbs can be used to convey different meanings or to emphasize the subject doing the action on themselves.

Practice Exercises

To help you become more comfortable with the use of reflexive verbs in Polish, here are some practice exercises to try:

1. Conjugate the following reflexive verbs in present tense: myć się, bawić się, kłaść się, ubierać się. 2. Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the reflexive verb:

• Ja ________ (myć się) rano.
• Czy wy ________ (bawić się) w piłkę?
• On ________ (ubierać się) po prysznicu.
• One zawsze ________ (kłaść się) wczesnym wieczorem.

Sources

• The Beginner's Guide to Polish Reflexive Pronouns and Verbs
• Using the Polish Się, Part 1 | Polish Language Blog
• Reflexive "Reflexive Verbs" in Polish

Other Lessons

• Adverbs in Polish
• Give your Opinion
• Personal pronouns
• Future Tense
• Basic Sentence Structure
• Perfective and imperfective verbs
• Conditional Tense
• Past Tense
• Pronouns