Reflexive verbs
A1 Los verbos reflexivos 18 / 49
In short
A reflexive verb carries a pronoun (me, te, se…) that points back to the subject — the doer and the receiver are the same person. They cover daily routine (levantarse, ducharse), “each other” actions (se conocen), and many verbs that simply change meaning with se.
The rule
The infinitive is marked with -se: lavarse, levantarse, llamarse. To use it you conjugate the verb and put a matching pronoun in front.
The reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se. They must agree with the subject: yo -> me, tú -> te, él -> se, and so on.
Reflexive verbs come in a few flavours:
- True reflexive - the action falls back on the subject: Me lavo (I wash myself).
- Daily routine - mostly reflexive, and many also stem-change: levantarse, despertarse (e->ie), acostarse (o->ue), vestirse (e->i), ducharse.
- Reciprocal (plural “each other”): Se conocen (they know each other), Nos escribimos.
- Pronominal / meaning change - adding se shifts the meaning: ir (go) -> irse (leave), dormir (sleep) -> dormirse (fall asleep), comer -> comerse (eat up), plus acordarse (remember), quejarse (complain).
Placement. The pronoun goes:
- before a conjugated verb: Me levanto temprano;
- attached to an infinitive, a gerund, or an affirmative command: Voy a levantarme, Estoy duchándome, ¡Levántate! (note the added accent);
- before a negative command: No te levantes todavía.
With a two-verb group (ir a, tener que, querer + infinitive, estar + gerund) the pronoun may also go before the conjugated verb: Me voy a duchar = Voy a ducharme. What never works is putting it between the two verbs.
Forms & patterns
lavarse (to wash oneself):
| Subject | pronoun + verb |
|---|---|
| yo | me lavo |
| tú | te lavas |
| él / ella / usted | se lava |
| nosotros/-as | nos lavamos |
| vosotros/-as | os laváis |
| ellos/-as / ustedes | se lavan |
Where the pronoun goes:
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| conjugated verb (before) | Me ducho por la mañana |
| infinitive (attached, or before the group) | Voy a ducharme = Me voy a duchar |
| gerund (attached, + accent, or before the group) | Estoy duchándome = Me estoy duchando |
| affirmative command (attached, + accent) | ¡Dúchate! |
| negative command (before) | No te duches ahora |
Common reflexive / pronominal verbs:
| Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| llamarse | to be called |
| levantarse | to get up |
| acostarse (o->ue) | to go to bed |
| vestirse (e->i) | to get dressed |
| irse | to leave / go away |
| acordarse de (o->ue) | to remember |
Examples
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| Me llamo Ana. | My name is Ana. |
| ¿A qué hora te levantas? | What time do you get up? |
| Los niños se duchan por la noche. | The kids shower at night. |
| Mis padres se conocieron en 1990. | My parents met (each other) in 1990. |
| Me voy, es tarde. | I’m leaving, it’s late. |
| Siempre me acuerdo de tu cumpleaños. | I always remember your birthday. |
| Tengo que acostarme temprano. | I have to go to bed early. |
| ¡Cállate, por favor! | Be quiet, please! |
Common mistakes
- Llamo Ana -> Me llamo Ana - llamarse is reflexive; you can’t drop the me.
- Me llamo es Ana -> Me llamo Ana - llamarse already means “I am called”; don’t add es.
- Yo levanto a las siete -> Me levanto a las siete - without the reflexive, levantar means “to lift something”, not “to get up”.
- Voy a me duchar -> Voy a ducharme (or Me voy a duchar) - attach it to the infinitive or put it before the whole group, never between the two verbs.
- Se lavo las manos -> Me lavo las manos - the pronoun must match the subject (yo -> me), not stay as se.
- Duchate -> Dúchate - attaching a pronoun to a command adds a syllable, so it needs a written accent.
Tips
- Change both parts to match the subject: yo -> me lavo, tú -> te lavas, nosotros -> nos lavamos.
- Placement: before a conjugated verb, attached to an infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command (me lavo / lavarme / lavándome / ¡lávate!).
- With body parts and clothes, use the reflexive + the definite article, not a possessive: Me lavo las manos (not mis manos).
- Mind the meaning switch: dormir = to sleep, dormirse = to fall asleep; ir = to go, irse = to leave. There the se is not optional.
- Add a written accent when you attach a pronoun to a gerund or command to keep the stress: duchándome, levántate.
- Commands beyond tú: vosotros loses its -d before os (¡Sentaos!, never sentados), and usted/ustedes use the subjunctive form (¡Siéntese!, ¡Siéntense!, No se marche) - lessons 28 and 41.