Reflexive Verben auf -ties

Many Latvian verbs end in -ties instead of -t. This ending is the reflexive marker: it shows that the action comes back to the subject, often where English uses "myself" or "yourself", or no extra word at all.

Ordinary	Reflexive
mazgāt - to wash (something)	mazgāties - to wash (oneself)
ģērbt - to dress (someone)	ģērbties - to get dressed
mācīt - to teach	mācīties - to learn, study
satikt - to meet (someone)	satikties - to meet (each other)
-	smieties - to laugh; priecāties - to be glad

Some verbs have no non-reflexive partner, so learn them as they come.

Present tense

The reflexive part sits at the end, after the personal ending, and changes shape:

Person	mazgāties (wash oneself)	mācīties (learn)
es	mazgājos	mācos
tu	mazgājies	mācies
viņš / viņa	mazgājas	mācās
mēs	mazgājamies	mācāmies
jūs	mazgājaties	mācāties
viņi / viņas	mazgājas	mācās

Examples

• Es mazgājos no rīta. - I wash (have a wash) in the morning.
• Mēs mācāmies latviešu valodu. - We're learning Latvian.
• Kā tevi sauc? - Mani sauc Laura. Priecājos iepazīties! - What's your name? - My name's Laura. Pleased to meet you!
• Satiksimies pie Brīvības pieminekļa! - Let's meet at the Freedom Monument!

For English speakers

English often drops "myself" ("I get dressed", "I wash"), so it is easy to use the plain verb by mistake: *Es mazgāju no rīta means you wash something else, and the listener waits for the object. Negation goes on the front as usual: Es nemācos - I'm not studying. And a prefix goes before the verb: apģērbties (get dressed), iepazīties (get to know).