In Russian, when you perform an action on yourself—such as washing or getting dressed—you use a "reflexive" verb. These verbs are easy to spot because they always end with the particle -ся or -сь.
The Golden Rule: -ся vs. -сь
To conjugate a reflexive verb, you first conjugate the base verb just as you normally would, and then attach the reflexive particle to the very end. The particle you choose depends entirely on the last letter of that conjugated form:
- Add -ся if the verb form ends in a consonant (like т, м, ш) or й / ь.
- Add -сь if the verb form ends in a vowel (like ю, я, е, и, о, а).
Present Tense Routines
When talking about daily personal care routines, you will use these verbs constantly. Let's look at how the rule applies in the present tense:
- Я просыпаю + сь = просыпаюсь
- Ты просыпаешь + ся = просыпаешься
- Он/Она просыпает + ся = просыпается
Past Tense Routines
The exact same rule applies to the past tense. Conjugate the verb for gender and plurality (-л, -ла, -ло, -ли), and then attach -ся or -сь:
- Он мыл + ся = мылся (ends in a consonant)
- Она мыла + сь = мылась (ends in a vowel)
- Они мыли + сь = мылись (ends in a vowel)
Mutual Actions and Emotions
Reflexive verbs aren't just for washing and dressing! They are also used for mutual actions—doing something to each other—such as meeting up.
Additionally, many verbs that describe emotions or physical expressions take a reflexive ending, even though there isn't a direct action being done to oneself.
Putting It All Together
Now that you know the rules for -ся and -сь, you can describe your entire morning routine and ask for the bathroom items you need.
