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Questions & Answers about Я увлекаюсь музыкой.
What is the infinitive form of увлекаюсь?
The infinitive is увлекаться. The ending -ся marks it as reflexive, so the full infinitive is увлекаться (“to be passionate about,” “to be really into”).
Why does увлекаться have -ся at the end?
The -ся makes it a reflexive verb. Here it doesn’t mean “doing something to yourself,” but indicates a state or interest directed at something (in this case, music).
Why is музыка in the instrumental case (музыкой)?
The verb увлекаться requires its object in the instrumental case to show what you’re into.
• Nominative: музыка
• Instrumental: музыкой
How do you conjugate увлекаться in the present tense?
Here are the forms:
• я увлекаюсь
• ты увлекаешься
• он/она/оно увлекается
• мы увлекаемся
• вы увлекаетесь
• они увлекаются
Is Я увлекаюсь музыкой the same as Мне нравится музыка?
Not exactly.
• Мне нравится музыка = “I like music” (general liking).
• Я увлекаюсь музыкой = “I’m really into music” or “Music is my hobby/passion.”
How would you ask “What are you into?” using увлекаться?
You’d say:
Чем ты увлекаешься?
Literally: “With what are you passionate?”
Does Я увлекаюсь музыкой imply I play an instrument?
No, it just means you have a strong interest in music—listening, collecting, studying, or even playing. If you specifically mean “I play music,” use я занимаюсь музыкой or name the instrument: я играю на гитаре.
Can you drop я and just say Увлекаюсь музыкой?
Yes. In Russian, subjects are often omitted when context makes them clear. Увлекаюсь музыкой is perfectly natural in a casual conversation.
What are some synonyms for увлекаться in the context of hobbies?
• интересоваться + Instrumental (“I’m interested in…”)
• заниматься + Instrumental (“I practice/do…”)
• быть увлечённым (чем-либо) (“to be enthusiastic about…”)
These differ slightly in nuance, but all can express a hobby or strong interest.