In Russian, reflexive verbs do not only describe daily personal routines like washing or dressing. Adding the reflexive ending also marks a fundamental shift from an active action done to an object into an event that happens on its own. In this deck, you will learn how key verb pairs distinguish an external action from a spontaneous event.

When an agent begins an activity or starts an event, use the active transitive verb начинать for ongoing actions or начать for completed ones, followed by an Accusative object. For example, Учитель начинает урок means The teacher is starting the lesson, and Учитель начал урок means The teacher started the lesson.

When an event starts on its own or gets underway according to a timetable, use the reflexive pair начинаться or начаться. The event itself is the subject, and there is no direct object. For example, Фильм начинается через десять минут means The film starts in ten minutes, and Концерт начался вовремя means The concert started on time.