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się - explanation needed ?


danyuld  1 | 1  
26 Apr 2011 /  #1
Hi - new here and will post more, just starting my self learning journey of this language from here in Canada. (I'm English though)

Could someone please explain the useage of "się" to me...

I seem to find it used in sentences with no direct translation as though it modifies the sentence to another meaning... ?

apologies if this is very simple, Im confused by it a little.....

Many thanks
z_darius  14 | 3960  
26 Apr 2011 /  #2
apologies if this is very simple

actually, it can be pretty exotic to foreigners.
See: skwierzyna.net/polishgrammar.pdf - page 70, Reflexive Verbs
chaza  50 | 253  
26 Apr 2011 /  #3
hi there
się, is the reflex part of the verb, it basically means ' myself, yourself, oneself.
as in
zmyć się = clean myself
lubię się = i like myself

i am a student also so im sure someone will correct me, but that is the basic meaning.

chaza
pgtx  29 | 3094  
26 Apr 2011 /  #4
zmyć się

?
can you please use it in a sentence?
z_darius  14 | 3960  
26 Apr 2011 /  #5
Bylem juz niezle nalany wiec zdecydowalem zmyc sie do domu.

zmyc sie means something along the lines of "get lost"
pgtx  29 | 3094  
26 Apr 2011 /  #6
zmyc sie means something along the lines of "get lost"

exactly...
and not:

zmyć się = clean myself

alexw68  
26 Apr 2011 /  #7
zmyc sie means something along the lines of "get lost"

True - gotta love those prefixes.

But myć się -> idź się myć, 'go and wash' is OK, right? (No z at the beginning)
pgtx  29 | 3094  
26 Apr 2011 /  #8
(No z at the beginning)

yes...
z_darius  14 | 3960  
26 Apr 2011 /  #9
But myć się -> idź się myć, 'go and wash' is OK, right? (No z at the beginning)

zmyc sie has nothing to do with cleanliness, it's a slang expression, much like "palic gume" (burn the rubber , as the rubber of the shoe sole meaning "to get lost").

zmyc (without the reflexive sie) means "wash away" or simply "wash" as in to wash the dishes. The difference is that of the emphasis:

zmyc - remove the dirt (becoming clean is implied)
myc - to wash (removing dirt is implied)
boletus  30 | 1356  
26 Apr 2011 /  #10
But myć się -> idź się myć, 'go and wash' is OK, right?

Or more common: "umyj się!", perfective aspect.
gumishu  15 | 6193  
26 Apr 2011 /  #11
there once was a thread on the 'się' pronoun as far as I can remember but I can't find it anywhere on the forums now
OP danyuld  1 | 1  
26 Apr 2011 /  #12
Many thanks indeed, I had seen the grammer workbook before, but hadnt noticed the Się section....

Clipped the sections and posted here - didnt see that I cant do that in the rules but happy to remove if required.

I guess to correctly reference the above material =

(c) OSCAR E SWAN
University of Pittsburgh
2003


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cinek  2 | 347  
27 Apr 2011 /  #13
zmyc sie has nothing to do with cleanliness

Of course it has. e.g:

Ta plama nie chce się zmyć.

Cinek

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