Questions & Answers about Kot myje się bardzo często.
Why do we need the word się here?
In Polish, the verb myć means to wash an object. To say the cat is washing itself, you must add the reflexive word się. Without się, the sentence feels incomplete, as if the cat is washing a toy or a dish but we forgot to say what it is!
Does się always come right after the verb?
Often yes, but it is flexible. The main rule is that się cannot be the very first word of a sentence. It also prefers not to be the last word if there are other words available. Here, putting it right after the verb myje is a very natural and common choice.
Does się change if I want to say I wash myself or they wash themselves?
No, się never changes its spelling or form! It stays exactly the same no matter who is doing the action. To say I wash myself, you only change the verb to the I form: ja myję się.
Why does the verb myje end in -e?
Myje is the he/she/it form of the verb myć (to wash). Because the subject of the sentence is kot (the cat), we use this third-person singular form.