Я моюсь утром и улыбаюсь в зеркало.

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Breakdown of Я моюсь утром и улыбаюсь в зеркало.

• в: in
• и: and
• улыбаться: to smile

Questions & Answers about Я моюсь утром и улыбаюсь в зеркало.

What does the -сь at the end of моюсь and улыбаюсь mean?

The -сь / -ся ending marks a reflexive verb in Russian.

• моюсь = I wash myself (from мыть – to wash)
• улыбаюсь = I smile / I am smiling (myself) (from улыбать, though this base is not used alone in modern Russian)

Reflexive in Russian can mean:

• you do something to yourself: мыться – to wash oneself
• or the action “stays with you” or is just intransitive: улыбаться – to smile

So, -сь / -ся often corresponds to English “myself / yourself / themselves”, or it just makes the verb intransitive.

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What is the difference between я мою and я моюсь?

• я мою means “I wash (something)” and needs an object:

  • Я мою посуду. – I wash the dishes.
  • Я мою пол. – I wash the floor.

• я моюсь means “I wash myself / I am washing (myself)”.
  The object is me, built into the reflexive ending -сь, so you don’t say себя here.

In your sentence, you’re washing yourself, so я моюсь is correct.

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