Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive Verbs
• The subject and the verb both perform and
receive the action. The subject is doing the
action for him/herself.
• Many of the daily routine verbs are reflexive
• Reflexive verbs always use a reflexive object
pronoun
Reflexive Object Pronouns
• The placement of Reflexive Object Pronouns is
the same as for Indirect and Direct Object
Pronouns:
1. Before the conjugated verb
2. Attached to the end of an infinitive
3. Attached to the end of a present participle
4. Attached to the end of an affirmative
command.
Reflexive Object Pronouns
me
nos
te
se
se
Reflexive Verbs
Some Common Reflexive Daily Routine Verbs:
despertarse (e:ie)
ponerse
levantarse
quitarse
lavarse
vestirse (e:i)
ducharse
irse
bañarse
desayunarse
secarse
almorzarse (o:ue)
cepillarse
cenarse
peinarse
acostarse (o:ue)
maquillarse
dormirse (o:ue)
afeitarse
Reflexive Verbs
Ejemplos:
Me seco el cabello.
Te cepillas los dientes.
Nos lavamos las manos.
Ella se levanta temprano.
Uds. se duermen tarde.
Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive
• A reflexive verb is only used if the action is being
done to/for oneself. If the action is done for
someone else, the verb is non-reflexive.
Juan se afeita la barba.
John is shaving his (own) beard.
Marta baña al bebé.
Martha is bathing the baby.
Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive
• Besides daily routines, most verbs have a nonreflexive counterpart. Often these verbs
change meaning depending on whether or not
they are used with a reflexive object pronoun.
Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive
aburrir
to bore
aburrirse
to be/get bored
acordar
to agree
acordarse
to remember
comer
to eat
comerse
to eat up
dormir
to sleep
dormirse
to fall asleep
ir
to go
irse
to go away
llevar
to carry
llevarse
to carry away
mudar
to change
mudarse
to move (residence)
poner
to put
ponerse
to put on (clothes)
quitar
to take away
quitarse
to take off “
Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive
Some Spanish verbs/expressions
are always reflexive, even if they
are not so in English. These verbs
frequently are followed by a
preposition.
Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive
acercarse de
to approach
fijarse en
to take notice of
arrepentirse de
to repent of
morirse de
to die of
atreverse de
to dare to
olvidarse de
to forget about
convertirse en
to become
preocuparse de
to worry about
darse cuenta de
to realize
quejarse de
to complain about
enterarse se
to find out about
sorprenderse de
to be surprised
about
Reciprocal “se”
• In the plural, reflexive verbs can express
reciprocal actions (each other)
Marta y yo nos encontramos al centro comercial.
Martha and I met each other at the mall.
Juan y María no se conocen ya.
John and Mary don’t know each other yet.
Impersonal “se”
• used to express one should/must (not) do or
what is (not) done
Se habla español.
Spanish is spoken here.
No se fuma.
No smoking.
Reflexive verbs: to get/become
• The idea of to get or to become can be
expressed through use of the reflexive verbs in
Spanish and by the following constructions:
ponerse + adjective
hacerse + adjective (e.g. professions)
Reflexive verbs: to get/become
Lola se enferma.
Lola is getting sick.
Jorge se pone enojado.
George is getting angry.
Ellos se hacen médicos.
They are becoming doctors.