In short

A reflexive verb is an ordinary Ukrainian verb with the little tail -ся glued onto the end: зва́тися (to be called), подо́батися (to please / to like), вчи́тися (to study). The good news for you: you already know how to conjugate them. Take the plain present-tense endings from lesson 12, then stick -ся on after every single form. Nothing else changes. Master three verbs here and you can say your name, say what you like, and say what you are learning.

The rule

• -ся is a fixed particle that rides on the end of the verb. Unlike French se or Spanish me/te/se, it does not move to a separate word and it does not change for person: it is always -ся for I, you, he, we, they — everyone.
• To build a reflexive form: conjugate the verb normally (conjugation I or II, per lesson 12), then append -ся to the ending you produced. So я чита́ю (I read) → я вчу́ся (I study), ти чита́єш → ти вчи́шся, and so on.
• After the letter -ш the particle is written -ся but pronounced as one long soft s-sound; the spelling stays -шся (ти вчи́шся). Just write both letters.
• The -ся carries several meanings at once. The three you need at A1:
  1. True reflexive / everyday routine — the action turns back on the doer: вмива́тися (to wash oneself), одяга́тися (to get dressed).
  2. “To be called” — зва́тися: Мене́ зва́ти… is one way to say your name, and Я зву́ся Окса́на is another.
  3. Liking (the подобатися pattern) — Ukrainian says “X pleases me”, not “I like X”. The thing liked is the subject; the person who likes it goes in the dative (you meet the dative fully in lesson 19). For now learn the frame Мені́ подо́бається + noun = “I like (noun)”.
• подобатися agrees with the thing liked, not with you: one thing → подо́бається, more than one thing → подо́баються.

Forms & patterns

вчи́тися — “to study / to learn” (conjugation II, take -и- endings + -ся):

зва́тися — “to be called” (conjugation I):

подо́батися — “to please / to be liked” (used mostly in the 3rd person):

Notice the pattern across all three: the ordinary present-tense ending is still there (-ся added to -у, -еш, -е, -емо, -ете, -уть for conj. I — the conj. I 3sg regains its historical -ть before -ся, so -е + -ся gives -еться, not *-еся; to -у, -иш, -ить, -имо, -ите, -ать for conj. II), and -ся is simply appended to each.

Examples

Common mistakes

• я вчу ся -> вчу́ся — -ся is never a separate word; write it joined to the verb.
• я сь вчу -> вчу́ся — the particle goes on the end, not before the verb; it does not float like French se.
• ти вчися -> вчи́шся — keep the -ш of the “ти” ending: the form is -шся, not bare -ся.
• Я подо́баюся му́зику -> Мені́ подо́бається му́зика — you don’t “like” the music; the music “pleases” to me, so the person is dative (Мені́) and the thing is the subject.
• Мені́ подо́бається ці кни́ги -> Мені́ подо́баються ці кни́ги — the verb agrees with the plural thing liked, so use -ються.
• я вчи́ються -> вчу́ся — don’t borrow the “вони” ending for “я”; each person keeps its own ending, then + -ся.

Tips

• One habit fixes almost everything: conjugate first, then bolt on -ся. If your base form is right, the reflexive form is right.
• The -ся tail never changes for person. Stop looking for a me/te/se — Ukrainian has only this one fixed ending.
• Learn the liking frame as a chunk: Мені́ подо́бається… / Тобі́ подо́бається…? You will use it constantly, and it also gently introduces the dative (lesson 19).
• Ask and answer your name with reflexive forms: Як ти зве́шся? — Я зву́ся… (informal), Як Ви звете́ся? — Я зву́ся… (formal). Match ти/ви to the person, per lesson 2.
• Watch the spelling -шся in the “ти” form (вчи́шся, зве́шся): two letters, pronounced as one long soft s-sound, not as ш followed by с.
• A few very common verbs are reflexive in Ukrainian though not in English: смія́тися (to laugh), усміха́тися (to smile), боя́тися (to be afraid). Just memorise them with the tail attached.