Reflexive Verbs with 'se' and 'si'

01

The Same Word for Everyone

English switches between myself, yourself and herself. Czech doesn't. The ending of the verb changes to show who is doing it, and se or si stays exactly the same.

• Jak se jmenuješ?

  What's your name?

• Moje máma se jmenuje Lisa.

  My mother's name is Lisa.

02

Learn the Verb Together With It

Some verbs are never used without their se or si, and there is no oneself to find in their meaning.

• bát se - to be afraid
• zeptat se - to ask
• všimnout si - to notice

• Bojím se.

  I'm afraid.

Others exist without it too, but then they mean something else.

• jmenovat to name - jmenovat se to be called
• těšit to please - těšit se to look forward to
• dát to give - dát si to have (food or drink)

• Těší mě.

  Nice to meet you. (literally: it pleases me)

• Moc se na to těším.

  I'm really looking forward to it.

Which of the two a verb takes is part of the verb, so learn it along with it: jmenovat se, but dát si. Dictionaries list these verbs with their se or si attached.

03

se Meaning "Myself, Yourself"

With some verbs se really does mean myself, yourself and so on: you do the action to yourself. Without se, the same verb acts on something else.

• Myji se.

  I'm washing (myself).

• Myji auto.

  I'm washing the car.

A very common verb works this way. učit means to teach, and teaching yourself, učit se, is how Czech says to learn or to study.

• Když se učím, jsem velmi unavená.

  Whenever I study, I get very tired.

04

se Meaning "Each Other"

When two or more people do something to one another, se means each other.

• Uvidíme se zítra.

  We'll see each other tomorrow.

• Známe se dlouho.

  We've known each other a long time.

05

si Meaning "For Yourself"

si adds for yourself or to yourself. English often leaves that out, so you won't always translate it.

• Koupím si nový svetr.

  I'll buy myself a new sweater.

• Musíme si promluvit.

  We need to have a talk.

Czech also uses si for things you do to your own body. Where English says my teeth or my arm, Czech says to myself the teeth and leaves the my out.

• Čistím si zuby.

  I'm brushing my teeth.

• Zlomil jsem si ruku.

  I broke my arm.

06

Where They Go in the Sentence

se and si never start a sentence. They sit right after the first word or phrase, even when their verb comes later, so don't expect to find them next to it.

• Moje máma se jmenuje Lisa.

  My mother's name is Lisa.

• Chci si dát pizzu.

  I want to have a pizza.

07

ses and sis

Talking to one person you know well, the past tense uses jsi: Ty jsi přišel. - You came. Next to se or si, that jsi shrinks to a single s and joins on: se becomes ses, and si becomes sis.

• Kde ses narodil?

  Where were you born?

• Už ses sbalila?

  Have you packed yet?

The same happens to the s of bys (you would) and abys (so that you): it moves over, giving by ses and aby sis.

• Chci, aby sis sestavila plán a držela se ho.

  I want you to make a plan and stick to it.

People often say jsi se or abys si in casual speech, but in writing the joined forms are the correct ones.