myself; me (reflexive clitic with verbs)
Used with many verb forms to mark reflexive or reciprocal meaning. It is unstressed and attaches to the verb.
mă spăl
I wash myself / I wash
mă uit la televizor
I watch TV
mă întorc acasă
I return home
#111 · Pronoun · PRON
In Romanian, ma means “myself; me (reflexive clitic with verbs)”. It’s the #111 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Clitic pronoun used with the verb to show that the subject acts on itself or is involved in the action; in English it often corresponds to 'myself', but the exact translation depends on the sentence.
neutralUsed with many verb forms to mark reflexive or reciprocal meaning. It is unstressed and attaches to the verb.
I wash myself / I wash
I watch TV
I return home
| 1st person singular unstressed reflexive clitic | mă | Standard form before a verb: mă spal, mă duc, mă uit |
|---|---|---|
| before vowel or h | m- | Used in contractions/clitic combinations in writing, e.g. m-am, m-a |
| with past tense auxiliary | m-am | I (have) ... myself / I ...ed: m-am trezit |
vs. te
te is used for 'you (yourself)' in the 2nd person singular.
Te speli înainte de culcare.
You wash yourself before bed.
vs. se
se is used for 3rd person singular/plural and polite 'you'; mă is only 1st person singular.
Se uită la film.
He/She is watching the movie.
vs. mă
This is the clitic form; it is usually unstressed and cannot stand alone as an independent pronoun.
Mă văd în oglindă.
I see myself in the mirror.
Mă trezesc devreme.
I wake up early.
mă
Mă gândesc la tine.
I’m thinking of you.
mă
Nu mă simt bine.
I don’t feel well.
mă