Have you ever tried talking about your morning routine and said something like, “Yo levanto a las 6 AM,” only to have your tutor correct you by adding just one tiny word: me? If that sounds familiar, don’t worry, you’re not alone!
Reflexive verbs can feel confusing at first, but they don’t have to be. In today’s post, we’re going to break it all down and show you exactly how reflexive verbs work, so you can stop struggling and start sounding more natural in Spanish!
What Is a Reflexive Verb and How Do You Identify One?
Reflexive verbs are used to describe actions you do to yourself. That might sound a little strange, so let’s look at an example.
Take the verb lavar (to wash). If you want to say you're washing part of your own body, you’ll use the reflexive form:
Yo me lavo las manos. (I wash my hands.)
But if you're washing something else, like a car, you don’t need a reflexive pronoun:
Yo lavo mi carro. (I wash my car.)
So, reflexive verbs show that the subject of the sentence is also the receiver of the action.
How Can You Tell If a Verb Is Reflexive?
It’s easier than you think! Whenever you see a verb ending in -se, it’s a reflexive verb. Here are some examples:
- Cepillarse – to brush (e.g., teeth or hair)
- Levantarse – to get up
- Maquillarse – to put makeup on
- Bañarse – to take a shower
See the pattern? The “-se” at the end marks it as reflexive.
Reflexive Pronouns: What Are They?
Remember the little syllable? That’s called a reflexive pronoun, and it changes depending on the subject of the sentence:
- me - myself
- te - yourself
- se - himself, herself, themselves
- nos - ourselves
How to Conjugate Reflexive Verbs in Spanish
When conjugating reflexive verbs, don’t overthink the pronoun. Start by conjugating the verb as usual, then just add the correct reflexive pronoun in the right place.
There are three main rules for where to put the reflexive pronoun:
Before a Conjugated Verb
When the verb is conjugated in the present, past, future, or any other tense, place the reflexive pronoun in front of it.
Example:
Yo me maquillo todos los días.(I put makeup on every day.)
Yo me maquillaré mañana.(I will put makeup on tomorrow)
Attached to the End of an Infinitive Verb
When using an infinitive (the base form of the verb), place the reflexive pronoun at the end of the verb.
Example:
Ella va a levantarse muy temprano.(She is going to get up very early.)
But wait, remember how the first rule said to put the pronoun before a conjugated verb? In this sentence, va (from ir) is conjugated, so we can also apply the first rule here:
Ella se va a levantar muy temprano.
Both versions are correct and mean the same thing, they are just placed differently.
Attached to the End of a Gerund (-ING Verb)
When using a gerund (the -ing form, like duchando), the reflexive pronoun goes at the end of the verb:
Example:
Tú estás duchándote.(You are showering.)
But again, estás is conjugated, so we can also apply the first rule:
Tú te estás duchando.
Both are grammatically correct!
Useful tip:
If you’re just starting with reflexive verbs, no worries! Don’t stress about all the different ways to place the pronoun. To keep it easy, just pick one structure and stick with it until it starts to feel natural.
10 most common reflexive verbs in Spanish
- Levantarse – to get up
- Cepillarse – to brush (e.g., teeth or hair)
- Vestirse – to get dressed
- Acostumbrarse – to get used to
- Enojarse – to get angry
- Sentirse – to feel
- Alegrarse – to be glad
- Preocuparse – to worry
- Perderse – to get lost
- Caerse – to fall
Regular verbs vs Reflexive verbs: A review
A non-reflexive verb is used when someone does something to someone or something else -like brushing a dog or calling a friend-.
But when you do something to yourself -like getting dressed or brushing your own teeth- that’s when you use a reflexive verb.
That’s where those little words, me, te, se, and nos come in, called reflexive pronouns and they help show who’s getting the action.
¡Let’s see a final example!
Non-Reflexive Verb
Yo visto al niño. (I dress the child)
Reflexive Verb
Yo me visto antes de salir. (I get dressed before going out)
Reflexive verbs in Spanish aren’t as tricky as they seem! Once you start using them in everyday conversations, they’ll start to feel more natural. The more you practice, the easier it gets! So don’t be afraid to try them out often. Reflexive verbs can make a big difference in how you sound, more fluent, more confident, and like you really own the language!
