7.3 – Reflexives si/se – Osobní hygiena
We’re going to be seeing some variation of the use of reflexive pronouns (or the absence of them as well). Two points to remember:
- When using these reflexive pronouns, they will always go in 2nd-position.
- The use of se, si or no reflexive pronouns depends on what you are trying to say. Here is a table that explains the various uses you will encounter:
|
reflexive se (acc.) |
reflexive si (dat.) |
non-reflexive i.e. – someone else |
|
oblékám se – ‘I am getting dressed’ holím se – ‘I am shaving’ myju se – ‘I am washing off’ |
čistím si zuby – ‘I am brushing my teeth’ holím si nohy – ‘I am shaving my legs’ češu si vlasy – ‘I am combing my hair’ myju si ruce – ‘I am washing my hands’ myju si vlasy – ‘I am washing my hair’ oblékám si svetr – ‘I am putting on a sweater’ |
oblékám syna – ‘I am dressing my son’
myju nádobí – ‘I am washing the dishes’ |
|
With the reflexive pronoun se, the person doing the action is doing it to themselves. At a very technical level, se is in the accusative case and is the direct object of the verb, i.e. the person is washing, shaving, dressing themself. |
With the reflexive pronoun si, the person is doing the action to something else, typically a body part, with obvious benefit to them. It is the dative because the person is washing, shaving, brushing those body parts for themself. |
With no reflexive of any kind, the action of the verb is directed toward something or someone else. |