Thread: Reflexive verbs

Can someone give to me a good explanation of when to use reflexive verbs in russian. Please don't start to tell me about 'I wash myself' things etc I mean one day i typed 'мне надо практиковать' and someone they correct me and tell me to write 'мне надо практиковаться' as it's better. this has confused me slightly. Explain please someone!

The reflexive ending is often used to differeniate between transitive and intransitive verbs (a verb is transitive if it takes a direct object), even when the verb isn't naturally reflexive (when the action isn't being "done to itself").

The bitch for us English-speakers is that we usually (but not always) use the same word in both transitive and intrasitive contexts, so we're unused to having to make the distinction, and even then there's no guarantee that an intransitive English verb won't be considered transitive in Russian (or vice versa).

I'm lithuanian not english, but I know what you mean.

Reflexive verbs are used for different purposes... one can be what we would call a "passive" verb, another is what the Greeks would call the "middle voice." E.g., the verb "to set up, establish" when made reflexive becomes "to stop." The reflexive particles are shortened forms of the reflexive pronoun.

Originally Posted by challenger

E.g., the verb "to set up, establish" when made reflexive becomes "to stop." The reflexive particles are shortened forms of the reflexive pronoun.

I assume that you mean установить and остановиться. They're different. In order to match, one must take остановить.

I asked my Russian-teachers about this the other day. So do most intransitive verbs in Russian use the reflexive particles?

Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey

I asked my Russian-teachers about this the other day. So do most intransitive verbs in Russian use the reflexive particles?

I'm not sure that's how it works... right on top of my head:
летать (to fly): intransitive, no reflexive particle possible.
читать (to read): transitive, reflexive particle can be attached.
играть (to play): intransitive, reflexive particle can be attached.

I can't think of a transitive one that would not take a reflexive particle now, though.

Originally Posted by Rtyom

Originally Posted by challenger

E.g., the verb "to set up, establish" when made reflexive becomes "to stop." The reflexive particles are shortened forms of the reflexive pronoun.

I assume that you mean установить and остановиться. They're different. In order to match, one must take остановить.

Oops I've been needing a new glasses prescription...

практиковать - transitive
практиковаться - intransitive