When two or more people do something to each other, Czech reuses the reflexive clitic. Máme se rádi means "we love each other"; známe se means "we know each other"; píšeme si means "we write to each other." This is the reciprocal use of se/si — one of the four jobs the reflexive clitic does, alongside the true reflexive, the inherent reflexive, and the passive. English uses a separate phrase ("each other," "one another"); Czech folds the same meaning into the clitic it already has. The trap for English speakers is reaching for a literal translation of "each other" when Czech wants nothing more than se or si.
The core idea: reflexive meaning, plural subject
A reflexive sentence with a plural subject is naturally ambiguous between two readings. Myjeme se could in principle mean "we wash ourselves" (each person washes himself) or "we wash each other" (true reciprocal). In practice the reciprocal reading is the default for verbs where it makes sense, and context settles the rest. The clitic does not change form — the same se covers both the true-reflexive and the reciprocal reading. What tells you it is reciprocal is the meaning of the verb plus the plural subject.
Známe se ze školy, seděli jsme spolu v lavici.
We know each other from school, we sat together at the same desk.
Potkali jsme se náhodou na nádraží.
We ran into each other by chance at the station.
se for accusative reciprocity
If the verb takes its object in the accusative (a direct object), the reciprocal uses se. Milovat někoho "to love someone" takes the accusative, so "to love each other" is milovat se. The same goes for vidět "to see," znát "to know," potkat "to meet," and líbat "to kiss."
Milují se už deset let a pořád jako na začátku.
They've loved each other for ten years and still like it's the beginning.
Vídáme se jen o Vánocích, bydlíme každý jinde.
We only see each other at Christmas, we live in different places.
Na rozloučenou se políbili.
They kissed (each other) goodbye.
The everyday phrase mít se rád "to love / be fond of each other" (literally "to have oneself glad") is built on this. Máme se rádi is the warm, ordinary way couples and families say "we love each other."
Máme se rádi, i když se občas pohádáme.
We love each other, even though we argue sometimes.
si for dative reciprocity
If the verb governs the dative — that is, you do something to or for the other person rather than acting on them directly — the reciprocal uses si. This catches a big group of communication and exchange verbs: psát někomu "to write to someone," volat někomu "to call someone," telefonovat někomu, pomáhat někomu "to help someone," věřit někomu "to trust someone." Because these take the dative, "to each other" is si, not se.
Píšeme si každý den, i když jsme každý na jiném kontinentě.
We write to each other every day, even though we're on different continents.
Voláme si večer, abychom si popovídali.
We call each other in the evening to have a chat.
Pomáháme si, jak můžeme — na to jsou sousedi.
We help each other however we can — that's what neighbours are for.
Věříme si, a to je v partnerství nejdůležitější.
We trust each other, and that's the most important thing in a relationship.
The choice between se and si therefore is not free — it follows the case the verb governs. If you would say milovat někoho (accusative), reciprocity is se; if you would say pomáhat někomu (dative), it is si. This is the same case logic explained on the dative verbs page, just turned reciprocal.
| Verb (with object) | Case | Reciprocal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| znát někoho | accusative | znát se | to know each other |
| milovat někoho | accusative | milovat se | to love each other |
| potkat někoho | accusative | potkat se | to meet each other |
| psát někomu | dative | psát si | to write to each other |
| volat někomu | dative | volat si | to call each other |
| pomáhat někomu | dative | pomáhat si | to help each other |
Reinforcing with navzájem and jeden druhého
Sometimes you want to make the reciprocity explicit — to rule out the "each does it to himself" reading, or simply for emphasis. Czech has two reinforcers. Navzájem "mutually, to one another" is an adverb you can drop in for clarity. Jeden druhého "one another" (literally "one the other," and it declines for case and gender) spells the reciprocity out fully and is more emphatic or formal.
Pomáháme si navzájem, nikdo tu není sám.
We help one another, nobody here is on their own.
Respektujeme jeden druhého, i když máme jiné názory.
We respect one another, even though we hold different views.
Mluvili jeden přes druhého, nikdo nic neslyšel.
They talked over one another, nobody could hear anything.
Note that jeden druhého changes case to match the verb: accusative jeden druhého (respect one another), dative jeden druhému (e.g. Pomáhají jeden druhému). With the dative verbs you can pair it with si; with accusative verbs, with se. The reinforcer is optional — the bare clitic already carries the reciprocal meaning — but it is the tool to reach for when clarity matters.
Why English speakers stumble here
The error is almost always over-translation: hearing "each other" in your head and trying to render it as a separate object. This produces things like *Milujeme každý druhý or attempts to bolt a pronoun on where Czech wants only se. The fix is to remember that the reciprocal is just the reflexive clitic with a plural subject — milují se, známe se, píšeme si — and that the se-vs-si choice is decided by the verb's case, exactly as in the rest of the reflexive system. Reach for navzájem or jeden druhého only when you genuinely need to disambiguate or emphasise.
Common Mistakes
❌ Milujeme jeden druhý už deset let.
Incorrect — the reciprocal lives in se; 'jeden druhého' must be in the accusative if used, and the clitic se is what's actually required.
✅ Milujeme se už deset let.
We've loved each other for ten years.
❌ Píšeme se každý den. (meaning 'we write to each other')
Incorrect clitic — psát governs the dative, so reciprocity is si, not se.
✅ Píšeme si každý den.
We write to each other every day.
❌ Pomáháme se navzájem.
Incorrect clitic — pomáhat takes the dative, so the reciprocal is si.
✅ Pomáháme si navzájem.
We help one another.
❌ Známe každý druhého ze školy.
Unnatural — the bare reciprocal known each other is simply 'známe se'.
✅ Známe se ze školy.
We know each other from school.
Key Takeaways
- The reciprocal "each other / one another" is carried by the reflexive clitic with a plural subject — no special pronoun needed.
- se for verbs governing the accusative (milovat se, znát se, potkat se); si for verbs governing the dative (psát si, volat si, pomáhat si).
- mít se rád(i) "to love each other" is the everyday warm idiom.
- Reinforce with navzájem or the declining jeden druhého / jeden druhému only for clarity or emphasis.
- Don't over-translate "each other" into a separate object — the clitic already does the work.
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Start learning Czech→Related Topics
- The Reflexive Pronouns se and siA2 — Czech has a single reflexive pronoun for every person — accusative se and dative si — and the choice between them changes the meaning of the verb.
- Reflexive vs Transitive PairsB2 — How adding se to a transitive Czech verb intransitivizes it — učit (teach) vs učit se (learn), vrátit (return something) vs vrátit se (come back), otevřít vs otevřít se.
- The Dative Reflexive siB2 — How the dative reflexive si marks an action done to, for, or in the interest of oneself — koupit si, dát si, umýt si ruce — and how it differs from accusative se.
- Placing se and siA2 — Where the reflexive clitics se and si sit — second in the clause, after the auxiliary but before object pronouns — and the ses/sis contractions.
- Reflexive Verbs: se and si (Introduction)A2 — Czech has a whole class of reflexive verbs that carry se or si as part of their dictionary form; this page introduces them from the verb side — how the particle attaches, what the three types are, and how it travels through the conjugation.
- Verbs Governing the DativeA2 — The dative is one fixed government class in the verb-valency system: a set of verbs whose object is lexically required to stand in the dative, not the accusative.