Russian lessons: how to spell "tsya" and "tsya" correctly in verbs

In Russian, reflexive verbs often cause confusion due to the suffixes "tsya" and "tsya". Many people get lost when writing them, which leads to spelling errors in letters, posts, and documents. The rule, how to remember it, examples of usage and a test for consolidating knowledge are in the Izvestia material.

How to spell and spell: the rule

The spelling of "tsya" and "tsya" is related to the verb form. If the verb is in an indefinite form (infinitive), then a soft sign is used — it is written "to be". It's easy to check: the infinitive answers the questions "what should I do?" or "what should I do?", a soft sign is present in the question itself and suggests the correct spelling.

On the contrary, if the verb is in the form of the third person singular or plural of the present or future tense, "tsya" is written without a soft sign. Such verbs answer the questions "what is he doing?" or "what will he do?" where there is no soft sign.

This rule applies to all verbs ending in "xia" and "xy" (reflexive verbs), regardless of conjugation. There are no exceptions, but it's worth remembering: the soft sign is preserved only in the infinitive to emphasize the uncertainty of the action.

How to remember

It's easy to remember when to write "tsya" and when to write "tsya". You can use the verification or association method.

Here are some effective methods.:

— Question method: ask a question to the verb: if there is a soft sign in the question (for example, "what to do?"), write "tya" if there is no soft sign ("what is doing?"), choose "tsya".

— Association with action: imagine the infinitive as an "unfinished" action — it is "soft", like the "B" sign, and the third person form is concrete, "hard", without a sign.

— Substitution check: replace the verb with a synonym without a suffix: if the infinitive is suitable (for example, "learn" — "teach"), then write "you", if the personal form ("learns" — "teaches"), then "you".

A difficult case may be a sentence in which two verbs go in a row, for example: "I want to take a walk." To understand whether a soft sign is needed or not, it is important to ask a question about both verbs, rather than writing them the same way. The first one answers the question "what is being done", there is no soft sign in this question, which means that it is not required in the verb itself.

Usage examples

To better understand the rule, let's look at specific cases. Here is a list of examples with explanations:

— With a "you". Need (what to do?) learn better. Here the verb is in an indefinite form (infinitive), so a soft sign is required.

— With "tsya". He (what is he doing?) He is studying at the university. Third person, personal form, without a soft sign.

— With "tsya" and "tsya". (What is being done?) I want (what to do?) smile with joy. The infinitive emphasizes a potential action.

— With "tsya". She (what will she do?) She'll smile at a compliment. Here is the future tense, the third person.

— With "tya" and "tsya". The child should (what to do?) to wash more often, but he (what does he do?) he rarely washes. The first is the infinitive, the second is the personal form.

Knowledge consolidation test

Test yourself with a simple test. Choose the correct spelling and explain why.

1. She dreams of ___ going on a trip.

a) go

b) will go

2. The student ___ worked on the project all night.

a) working

b) work hard

3. It is important to ___ before the exam.

a) get enough sleep

b) get enough sleep

4. ___ it's not difficult for your words.

a) reply

b) respond

5. The ___ team for the new season.

a) prepare

b) prepare

6. Children like ___ on carousels.

a) ride

b) rolling

7. ___ on luck is not the best strategy.

a) rely on

b) rely on

8. He always ___ be punctual.

a) tries to

b) try to

9. It doesn't hurt to ___ in front of friends.

a) apologize

b) apologize

10. She likes to ___ exercise in the morning.

a) practice

b) getting involved