“sa” vs. “si”

6 comments

1. This is actually very hard. You need to learn it by practic. As I see, combinating Slovak and German isn’t very good for both nations. 😀
   Like our languages are not very logical.

2. Sa means Seba (Koho? Who do I wash – myself). Umyť sa. Umyť seba. To wash oneself.

   Si means Sebe. (Komu – To Whoom? – Whom do I wash [teeth, hands] to?. Umyť si ruky. Umyť sebe ruky.

   There is a clear rule. Sa and Si have slightly different meaning. One means Who the other [for/to] whoom.

   But … it is not so clear cut, because “to [get a] rest” is said “Oddýchnuť si” a nie “oddýchnuť sa” (*) as you might think from previous explanation. So, there is clear difference in most cases, but for now (until you are exposed to huge volume of Slovak texts) you will have to learn by hart anyway 😉

   (*) but “zrekreovať sa” is correct when you use different word “rekreácia” [in English recreation]

3. >I can therefore always switch “sa” with “seba” or “si” with “sebe”,

   Yeah, no, you cannot. It’s rarely possible. Also what makes it even more confusing that “seba sa” and “sebe si” are both valid gramatical constructs and occasionally used as a slang / pidgin substitute for “seba” and “sebe”.

   Unfortunately you will have to practice and internalize the usage. I’m sure there are rules about the usage – something about how exactly the process described involves you / is done to you. To me it’s absolutely obvious which is used where, but when thinking about it, I don’t even have the words to begin to explain.

4. I would say that “páčiť sa” is an exception from that rule, since it is a phrase (used as verb)

   Slovak language has sometimes more exceptions from rules than words following said rule. “sa” and “si” used in phrases is very common

5. Me sa

   Si you

6. Problem is that “I like this” doesnt exist in slovak. We have totaly different gramatical system for this kind of an expression. Páči sa mi to/Mám to rád are both valid translations and both correct, but niether is exact because our language works in a different way. My best shot to explain would be, that in slovak language the thing itself does the liking. This means roughly translated to english you would say: “It is doing liking to me.” and not “I like it”. Since it is doing the liking – “sa” is used because it is doing something itself, not me doing something to it.

   A bit hard to explain but hope you got the point at least partly 😀

   Other thing to note here is that “umývať sa” and “umývať si” are both viable but with different usage:
   “umývať sa” – washing myself – with soap “s mydlom” (what am I washing my self with?)

   “umývať si” – washing my – teeth “zuby” (what part of myself am I washing)

   From this example you see that again if I am doing washing to myslef we use “sa”. It is kind of internalised process. If I am doing washing to my teeth we use “si” because the object I am washing is not “exactly” myself.

   Another way to look at it: “sa” is used when it is an internal property, or internal process of the concerned object, rather than action of it. Its very hard to explain what that means..

   TLDR: Just try to remember it case by case. Its wierd and confusing overall even to natives 😀