What are reflexive verbs?
You met reflexive verbs briefly in A1 when talking about daily routines. Now let's look at them properly. A reflexive verb indicates that the subject performs the action on themselves. In Spanish, these verbs are marked with se on the end of the infinitive: lavarse (to wash oneself), levantarse (to get oneself up).
Many verbs that are reflexive in Spanish are not reflexive in English - you just have to learn which ones take se.
Reflexive pronouns
| Person | Pronoun | Example with ducharse | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me | Me ducho. | I shower. |
| tú | te | Te duchas. | You shower. |
| él/ella/usted | se | Se ducha. | He/She showers. |
| nosotros | nos | Nos duchamos. | We shower. |
| vosotros | os | Os ducháis. | You all shower. |
| ellos/ustedes | se | Se duchan. | They shower. |
Rule: The reflexive pronoun goes before the conjugated verb. With infinitives, it can attach to the end: Quiero ducharme. or Me quiero duchar.
Common reflexive verbs - daily routine
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| despertarse (e → ie) | to wake up | levantarse | to get up |
| ducharse | to shower | bañarse | to bathe |
| lavarse | to wash (oneself) | secarse | to dry (oneself) |
| peinarse | to comb one's hair | maquillarse | to put on makeup |
| afeitarse | to shave | vestirse (e → i) | to get dressed |
| ponerse | to put on (clothes) | quitarse | to take off (clothes) |
| sentarse (e → ie) | to sit down | acostarse (o → ue) | to go to bed |
| dormirse (o → ue) | to fall asleep | prepararse | to get ready |
Other common reflexive verbs
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| llamarse | to be called | sentirse (e → ie) | to feel |
| irse | to leave / go away | quedarse | to stay |
| divertirse (e → ie) | to enjoy oneself | aburrirse | to get bored |
| enfadarse | to get angry | preocuparse | to worry |
| acordarse (o → ue) | to remember | olvidarse | to forget |
Reflexive vs. non-reflexive
Some verbs exist in both reflexive and non-reflexive forms, with different meanings:
| Non-reflexive | Reflexive |
|---|---|
| lavar - to wash (something) | lavarse - to wash oneself |
| despertar - to wake (someone) up | despertarse - to wake up |
| vestir - to dress (someone) | vestirse - to get dressed |
| ir - to go | irse - to leave / go away |
| dormir - to sleep | dormirse - to fall asleep |
- Lavo el coche. - I wash the car. (non-reflexive)
- Me lavo las manos. - I wash my hands. (reflexive)
Body parts: With reflexive verbs, Spanish uses the definite article (el, la, los, las) instead of a possessive: Me lavo las manos. (not mis manos).
Describing your day
Sequencing words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| primero | first |
| luego / después | then / afterwards |
| a continuación | next |
| más tarde | later |
| por la mañana / tarde / noche | in the morning / afternoon / evening |
| antes de + infinitive | before (doing something) |
| después de + infinitive | after (doing something) |
| al final / por último | finally / lastly |
Dialogue: morning routines
Marta: ¿A qué hora te despiertas normalmente?
Pablo: Me despierto a las seis y media, pero no me levanto hasta las siete. ¿Y tú?
Marta: Yo me levanto a las siete y cuarto. Primero me ducho y después me visto.
Pablo: Yo también. Luego desayuno - siempre tomo café con tostadas. ¿Tú qué desayunas?
Marta: Normalmente solo un té. No tengo hambre por la mañana. Me lavo los dientes y me voy al trabajo a las ocho.
Pablo: ¿Y por la noche? ¿A qué hora te acuestas?
Marta: Depende. Entre semana me acuesto a las once. Los fines de semana me quedo despierta hasta más tarde.
Pablo: Yo me duermo enseguida. Antes de acostarme, siempre leo un poco.
Translation
Marta: What time do you usually wake up?
Pablo: I wake up at half past six, but I don't get up until seven. And you?
Marta: I get up at quarter past seven. First I shower and then I get dressed.
Pablo: Me too. Then I have breakfast - I always have coffee with toast. What do you have for breakfast?
Marta: Usually just a tea. I'm not hungry in the morning. I brush my teeth and leave for work at eight.
Pablo: And at night? What time do you go to bed?
Marta: It depends. During the week I go to bed at eleven. At weekends I stay up later.
Pablo: I fall asleep straight away. Before going to bed, I always read a bit.
Practice
Complete with the correct reflexive pronoun and verb form:
- Yo _____ (levantarse) a las siete.
- ¿A qué hora _____ (acostarse - tú)?
- Mi hermana _____ (ducharse) por la mañana.
- Nosotros _____ (prepararse) para salir.
- Los niños _____ (vestirse) solos.
- Yo _____ (lavarse) las manos antes de comer.
Answers
- me levanto
- te acuestas (o → ue)
- se ducha
- nos preparamos
- se visten (e → i)
- me lavo
Key takeaways
- Reflexive verbs show that the subject does the action to themselves. The pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the conjugated verb.
- Many daily routine verbs are reflexive: despertarse, levantarse, ducharse, vestirse, acostarse.
- Some verbs change meaning with and without the reflexive: ir (to go) vs. irse (to leave).
- With body parts, use the article (not a possessive): me lavo las manos.
- Use sequencing words (primero, luego, después, al final) to describe your day smoothly.