Russian · Chapter 9 · Lesson 14 · Grammar primer
Reflexive verbs in -ся
Three letters that make a verb reflexive, passive or intransitive, and context tells you which.
The short version
If nothing receives the action, add -sya
English says I opened the door and the door opened with the same verb. Russian will not: when nobody is doing it to the subject, the verb takes -sya. Otkryt dver is to open the door; dver otkrylas is the door opened. Drop the ending and Russian hears a verb still waiting for its object.
Film nachinayetsya v vosem.
In Russian, the thing you like is the subject
Nravitsya means to be pleasing, so the liker goes in the dative and the liked thing is the subject. That is why the verb turns plural for plural things: mne nravyatsya knigi, books are pleasing to me. Ya nravlyus is a real sentence, but it means someone likes me.
Mne nravitsya muzyka.
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