Verbs ending in -ся

In this lesson, you will learn how to use verbs ending in -ся in the past. This ending can cause certain changes to a verb. Firstly, it can make it passive. For example, there is a difference between the two sentences below:

Строители (Nominative case) строят дом. The builders have been building this block of flats for a year.
Дом строится строителями (Instrumental case). This block of flats is being built by builders.

Secondly, -ся can make the verbs reflexive where the subject in the sentence is always animate. See the difference between одевать is to dress someone and одеваться is to dress someone else.

Я одеваю ребёнка. I am getting the child dressed.
Ребенок одевается сам. The child is getting dressed himself.

Thirdly, this ending can also indicate a reciprocal action, meaning ‘each other’. For example:

Они часто встречаются. They meet (each other) often.
Они видятся каждый вечер. They see (each other) every day.

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