одевать vs одеваться
odevát' vs odevát'sya — dress someone vs get dressed
Register: neutral
What it really means
Одевать is transitive: it means putting clothes on another person, a child, or a doll. Одеваться is reflexive and means putting clothes on oneself; it is the normal verb for getting dressed.
Examples in natural speech
Мама одевает ребёнка.
Mum dresses the child.
Я быстро одеваюсь.
I get dressed quickly.
Няня одевает детей перед прогулкой.
The nanny dresses the children before their walk.
Дети уже оделись.
The children have already got dressed.
Он не любит одеваться в спешке.
He does not like getting dressed in a hurry.
Common mistakes
Do not use одевать for your own clothes unless an object makes clear that you are dressing someone else: Я одеваю сына. For “I get dressed,” say Я одеваюсь. Conversely, Оденься ребёнка is wrong because the child is the person being dressed, not the subject doing it.
Memory tip
Treat -ся as the direction of the clothes: одевать sends them onto somebody else; одеваться brings them back onto the subject.
Frequently asked questions
Which verb do I use for «dress the child»?
Use одевать: одевать ребёнка. The child is the direct object receiving the clothes; in the perfective imperative, say Одень ребёнка.
Can одеваться refer to choosing clothes as well as putting them on?
Yes. Она любит красиво одеваться means “She likes to dress stylishly,” while Она одевает дочь says she clothes her daughter.
Why is «дети оделись» reflexive?
The children put their own clothes on, so одеться is appropriate. If an adult dressed them, say Мама одела детей.
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