Daily Routine & Reflexive Verbs
Daily Routine & Reflexive Verbs
Describing a typical day introduces się — Polish's all-purpose reflexive word, which is far simpler than it looks since it never changes form.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
się Marks Reflexive Verbs, and Never Changes
budzę się, myję się, ubieram się
I wake up, I wash up, I get dressed
Several everyday routine verbs are reflexive in Polish even where English doesn't treat them that way: budzić się (to wake oneself up), myć się (to wash oneself), ubierać się (to get oneself dressed). Unlike English reflexives, which change with the person (myself, yourself, himself...), Polish się stays exactly the same no matter who's doing the action — budzę się, budzisz się, budzi się all use the same się.
się Can Sit Before or After the Verb
Chcę się obudzić wcześnie.
I want to wake myself up early.
With a conjugated verb, się usually follows right after it (budzę się). But when the reflexive verb appears as an infinitive after another verb — like the modals from an earlier lesson — się often moves in front of the whole phrase instead: Chcę się obudzić wcześnie (I want to wake up early). Either position is heard in everyday speech; keeping się right next to its verb is always a safe default.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
- English
- I wake up
- English
- I get up
- English
- I wash up
- English
- I get dressed
- English
- I have breakfast
- English
- I go to work
- English
- I have lunch
- English
- I return home
- English
- I have dinner
- English
- I watch TV
- English
- I go to bed
- English
- I sleep