In English we regularly use "oneself" constructions or reflexive verbs when the action turns back on the subject: I wash myself, I dress myself, I hide myself.
Kyrgyz has Өздүк мамиле (the reflexive voice) for exactly this purpose. It signals that the subject and the object of the action are the same person.
🔄 Comparison with English: The Kyrgyz reflexive voice works just like reflexive verbs in English: to wash → to wash oneself = жуу → жуун.
🧠 The Logic
The reflexive voice shows that the action is directed back at oneself. Instead of "someone does something to someone else," it means "someone does this to themselves."
When to use:
- Physical actions on oneself: жуундум — I washed (washed myself)
- Getting dressed/undressed: кийиндим — I got dressed (put it on myself)
- Hiding oneself: жашырындым — I hid (hid myself)
When NOT to use:
- Action by an unknown agent → use the passive voice (-ыл)
- Mutual action between people → use the cooperative voice (-ыш)
💡 English analogy: Similar to oneself constructions: "dress oneself" = кийин-, "wash oneself" = жуун-.
🧮 The Formula
To form a reflexive verb, we embed the letter «н» into the stem.
After vowels — add -н
| Stem | Reflexive form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| жуу- (to wash) | жуун- (to wash oneself) | Мен жуундум — I washed up |
| тара- (to comb) | таран- (to comb one's hair) | Сен тарандыңбы? — Did you comb your hair? |
| жаса- (to make) | жасан- (to get dolled up) | Ал жасанды — She got dressed up |
After consonants — add -ын-ин-ун-үн
According to vowel harmony:
| Vowel group | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| а, я, ы | -ын | айт- → айтын- (to speak one's mind) |
| э, е, и | -ин | кий- → кийин- (to get dressed), чеч- → чечин- (to get undressed) |
| о, ё, у, ю | -ун | түш- → түшүн- (to understand) |
| ө, ү | -үн | күй- → күйүн- (to feel distressed) |
кийиндимкийrootинreflexive voiceдpast tenseимI→ I got dressed (put it on myself)
⚠️ Note: Voiceless consonants become voiced before the suffix vowel (п→б, к→г). In the reflexive voice, this is rare.
⚠️ Important details
1. Don't confuse with the passive voice!
| Voice | Suffix | Logic | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passive | -ыл | The action happened, but who did it is unknown | Эшик ачылды — The door was opened (by someone) |
| Reflexive | -ын | The person did it to themselves | Мен кийиндим — I got dressed |
⚠️ Exception: The verb кыл- (to do) already ends in «л». Saying «кылыл-» is awkward, so for the passive it borrows the reflexive suffix: кылын- (to be done). But this is purely for ease of pronunciation — see the passive voice article for more detail.
2. Emotional verbs
The suffix -ын is not only for physical actions. Historically it gave rise to verbs expressing strong inner emotions — when someone is "working on themselves" inwardly:
| Base verb | Reflexive form | The idea behind it |
|---|---|---|
| сүйүү (to love) | сүйүнүү (to rejoice) | filling oneself with love/happiness |
| күйүү (to burn) | күйүнүү (to feel grief/worry) | burning inside |
| тааруу (to narrow) | таарынуу (to feel offended) | shrinking inside from hurt |
💡 Tip: These words have long since become standalone verbs — native speakers don't break them apart. But knowing their origin makes them easier to remember.
💡 Examples
Everyday reflexive verbs
| Kyrgyz | Translation |
|---|---|
| Мен эртең менен жуундум. | I washed up in the morning. |
| Ал тез кийинди. | He got dressed quickly. |
| Балдар жашырынышты. | The children hid. |
| Сен тарандыңбы? | Did you comb your hair? |
With and without the reflexive
| Without reflexive | With reflexive |
|---|---|
| Мен колумду жуудум — I washed my hands | Мен жуундум — I washed up |
| Ал курткасын кийди — He put on his jacket | Ал кийинди — He got dressed |
| Мен бут кийимимди чечтим — I took off my shoes | Мен чечиндим — I got undressed |
| Алар акчаны жашырышты — They hid the money | Алар жашырынышты — They hid |
— Сен даяр болдуңбу? — Are you ready? — Азыр кийинип жатам. — I'm getting dressed right now.
— Балдар кайда? — Where are the children? — Жашырынышты. — They hid.
See also:
- Introduction to verbs — the foundation for understanding voices
- Passive voice (-ыл) — don't confuse with the reflexive!
- Cooperative voice (-ыш) — doing something together
- Sound assimilation — consonant voicing
- Vowel harmony — choosing the right vowel in the suffix