Reflexive Verbs And Reflexive Pronouns In Spanish - SpanishDict

Quick Answer

A reflexive pronoun (pronombre reflexivo) is used as part of a reflexive verb (verbo reflexivo) to indicate that someone or something is performing an action on or for itself.

Reflexive Pronouns in Use

Many actions related to personal care or daily routines are reflexive, but other verbs can be reflexive as well. In the sentences below, the subject performs the action on itself, and the subject and object of the verb refer to the same entity.

Spanish	English
Me ducho cada mañana.	I shower every morning.
Te peinas antes de salir.	You brush your hair before going out.
Se hablaba.	He was talking to himself.
Yo me veo en el espejo.	I see myself in the mirror.

Now, compare two sentences in which one is reflexive and one is not. In the reflexive sentence, the subject and object refer to the same entity.

Spanish	English
Reflexive	Yo me lavo.	I wash myself.	Yo (I) is the subject of of the verb lavar (wash) and me (myself) is the object.
Not Reflexive	Yo lavo el perro.	I wash the dog.	Yo (I) is the subject of of the verb lavar (wash) and el perro (the dog) is the object.

Match your Pronouns

When the object of the verb is the same entity as the subject, you will need to use a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject of the verb in both number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third). In the first table below, you'll find the different forms Spanish reflexive pronouns take.

Reflexive Pronoun Forms

Person	Singular Pronouns	Plural Pronouns
First Person	me(matches with yo)	nos(matches with nosotros)
Second Person	te(matches with tú) OR se(matches with usted)	os(matches with vosotros) OR se(matches with ustedes)
Third Person	se(matches with él or ella)	se(matches with ellos or ellas)

Just to make sure you've got these down, the next table shows you the Spanish reflexive pronoun forms, along with example sentences showing how they may be used. Remember, the reflexive pronoun will always be the same number and person as the subject of the sentence.

Reflexive pronouns have the same forms as indirect object pronouns, with the exception of se, which is used instead of le and les for the third person.

Reflexive Pronoun Forms and Examples

Number and Person	Reflexive Pronoun	Spanish	English
Singular, First	me	Me lavo.	I wash myself.
Singular, Second (Informal)	te	Te lavas.	You wash yourself.
Singular, Second (Formal)	se	Se lava.	You wash yourself.
Singular, Third	se	Se lava.	He washes himself./She washes herself./It washes itself.
Plural, First	nos	Nos lavamos.	We wash ourselves.
Plural, Second	se	Se lavan.	You (all) wash yourselves.
Plural, Second (Informal)	os	Os laváis.	You (all) wash yourselves.
Plural, Third	se	Se lavan.	They wash themselves.

More Examples of Reflexive Pronouns and Verbs

As you now know, reflexive verbs require the use of reflexive pronouns to indicate that the direct object of the verb is also the subject (in other words, the subject is performing the action on himself or herself). Check out a few examples with verbs that are commonly reflexive.

Verb	Example
lavarse(to wash one’s self)	Me lavo las manos.(I wash my hands.)
sacarse(to take something off one’s self)	Nos sacamos los guantes.(We take our gloves off.)
despertarse(to wake up)	Se despiertan a las seis cada mañana.(They wake up at six o’clock every morning.)

As mentioned before, you can also add reflexive pronouns to verbs that are not regularly reflexive in order to make them reflexive.

examples
verse to see one’s self
hablarse to talk to one’s self
escribirse to write to one’s self
comprarse to buy (something) for one’s self

Reflexive verbs can also be used to indicate an emotional response to something. When a person becomes angry, sad, happy, etc., you can express this by using reflexive verbs.

examples
Me enojé rápidamente. I got angry quickly.
Te alegras de hablar español. It makes you happy to speak Spanish.
Se aburre en la clase de matemáticas. He gets bored in math class.

Reflexive pronouns can also be used to add emphasis to a seemingly regular situation. In these cases, the reflexive pronoun is not normally translated directly into English, but it often adds a sense of doing something more completely or thoroughly.

examples
Comí el pastel. I ate the cake.
Me comí el pastel. I ate up the cake/I ate the whole cake.
Estúdialo. Study it.
Estúdiatelo. Really study it./Study it thoroughly.

Reflexive Pronoun Placement

Reflexive pronouns are placed immediately before simple conjugated verbs and negative commands.

examples
Yo me quito los guantes. I take off my gloves.
Tú te afeitas la cara. You shave your face.
No te pegues. Don't hit yourself.
No se preocupe. Don’t worry yourself.

Reflexive pronouns are attached to the end of affirmative commands. For compound verbs like the present progressive, the pronoun can either be attached to the end of the infinitive or present participle or go before the conjugated verb.

Spanish	English
Quítate el sombrero.	Take off your hat.
Estoy duchándome.or Me estoy duchando.	I am showering.
Voy a sentarme.or Me voy a sentar.	I am going to sit (myself) down.

Reflexive Verb Examples

Below is a list of common reflexive verbs. This is not a complete list, but rather a reference to give you an idea of the kinds of verbs that can be reflexive.

examples
aburrirse (de) to get bored (with)
despertarse to wake up
enojarse (con) to get mad (at)
quitarse to take off
acordarse de to remember
destaparse to uncover
reponerse to get better
acostarse to go to bed
desvestirse to get undressed
secarse to dry off
afeitarse to shave
disgustarse (de) to become upset (about)
maquillarse to put on makeup
sentarse to sit down
alegrarse (de) to be glad (about)
distraerse to distract oneself
mirarse to look at oneself
bañarse to bathe
divertirse to enjoy oneself
olvidarse (de) to forget (about)
subirse to get up
cepillarse to brush
dormirse to go to sleep
peinarse to comb one's hair
taparse to cover up oneself
convertirse en to become
ducharse to shower
torcerse to twist
enfermarse to become ill
probarse to try on
vestirse to get dressed
despedirse to say good-bye
enloquecerse to go crazy
ponerse to put on
volverse to become

Become a pronoun pro with the following articles:

• Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish

• Indirect Object Pronouns

• Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns

• Direct Object Pronoun Placement

• Relative Pronouns

• Relative Pronouns with Prepositions

• Relative Pronouns "Donde," "Lo Que," "Lo Cual", and "Cuyo"

• The Neuter Relative Pronouns "Lo Cual" and "Lo Que"

• Demonstrative Pronouns in Spanish

• The Neuter Demonstrative Pronouns “Eso,” “Esto,” and “Aquello”

• Prepositional Pronouns

• Reciprocal Verbs and Reciprocal Pronouns

• Possessive Pronouns in Spanish

• Using "Lo" with Possessive Pronouns