When do i use ''se'' in serbian
Yes I was wondering about this too. I am guessing that when an action is being done by the subject itself. But I am not native, so let's wait for someone else to reply this.
yeah you're right. I just dont know where to put in in a sentence, if its before or after the verb
If you are confused about order, this is not general rule but most of the time it works.
- If you start sentence with verb with se, or there is no other content except verb and se it will be se after verb: Smejem se.(I'm smaling. or I'm laughing). Smejem se njegovim šalama. (I'm smiling on his jokes.)
- If there is some content before it will be opposite order. Ja se smejem. Vidiš da se smejem.
- In Serbian you almost always have exceptions :) Ne smejem se. This one is probably the most common, I can't think of other examples now. If you follow 2 rules above that will be enough, and this exception with "Ne" before verb with se.
There are 3 types of “se” verbs in Serbian grammar.
- Pravi povratni - True reflexive
- Uzajamno povratni - True reciprocal
- Nepravi povratni - Irregular
Pravi povratni (True reflexive) means that the subject of the sentence is doing something to themselves. They are both the one doing the action and the one receiving the action. So, it's like they're doing something to themselves
Example:
kupati se (taking a bath)
umivati se (washing face)
šminkati se (putting make-up)
oblačiti se (wearing clothes)
Example sentences:
Kupam se. - I’m taking a bath.
So in this example, you are saying that you are taking a bath by yourself. If you remove the “se”, it will remain “kupam”. It means that you are taking a bath of something or someone so you must add an object. For example, “Kupam bebu” means you are bathing the baby. So putting “se” here also like an object, but “yourself”
Uzajamno povratni (True reciprocal) is the action that is performed between two or more subjects reciprocally. It means that the subjects are performing the same action towards each other simultaneously.
Example:
videti se (seeing each other)
voleti se (loving each other)
ljubiti se (kissing each other)
grliti se (hugging each other)
svađati se (arguing each other)
tući se (fighting each other)
Example sentences:
Vidimo se. - We are seeing each other. (Let’s see each other)
In this example, the subjects are performing the action reciprocally or in two-way. Let’s say “Volimo se”, so it means that “We love each other” mutually.
Nepravi povratni - This is something you must memorize because there is no exact rule when you must add “se”.
One good example for it is, gaining weight which is “ugojila sam se” and losing weight which is “smršala sam”. So both are talking about self but just gaining weight using “se” and not when losing it.
Example:
slagati se (agree)
stideti se (being shy)
igrati se (play)
nadati se (hope)
Example sentences:
Slažem se. - I agree
As you can see, you are agreeing, but you are agreeing to what the person is saying or telling. But it doesn’t mean that you are agreeing with yourself. Another example is “Stidim se” - “I’m shy”, which again doesn’t mean that you are shy with yourself but you are shy to do something.
thank you! i learnt so much