разрешаться vs разрешиться

razreshat'sya vs razreshit'sya — to be permitted vs be resolved

What it really means

Разрешаться is the imperfective reflexive of разрешать and usually means “to be allowed,” describing a rule or continuing permission. Разрешиться is perfective and most often means “to get resolved” for a problem, conflict, or uncertainty; it does not normally mean “to become permitted.” Use разрешить/разрешать for granting permission.

Examples in natural speech

Здесь разрешается фотографировать.
Photography is allowed here.
В школе не разрешается бегать по коридорам.
Running in the halls is not allowed at school.
Надеюсь, проблема скоро разрешится.
I hope the problem will soon be resolved.
Конфликт разрешился мирно.
The conflict was resolved peacefully.
Ситуация постепенно разрешалась.
The situation was gradually getting resolved.

Common mistakes

Do not infer “permission will be granted” from разрешится; say будет разрешено or разрешат. Distinguish passive permission from an intransitive resolution: вопрос разрешился, but начальник разрешил вопрос can mean the manager settled it.

Memory tip

Разрешаться hangs a permission sign; разрешиться untangles a knot.

Frequently asked questions

Is разрешается impersonal?

Often yes: разрешается вход means “entry is permitted,” with the action noun as the grammatical subject or an impersonal construction.

Can a question разрешиться?

Yes: вопрос разрешился means the question or uncertainty was settled, not that someone granted permission.

What is the non-reflexive aspect pair?

Разрешать/разрешить means allow or resolve something; the reflexive forms focus on permission being in force or a matter resolving.

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