Verbos pronominales in Spanish — Pronominal VerbsA2

Verbos pronominales carry a pronoun that changes according to the person: me, te, se, nos and os. The form of the verb and the pronoun work together: yo me lavo, tú te peinas, él se despierta, nosotros nos sentamos, vosotros os levantáis. In the third person, se is used for both singular and plural: ella se viste, ellos se visten. These pronouns appear with many verbs that express actions on the self, mutual actions or changes of state.

Verbos pronominales carry a pronoun that changes according to the person: me, te, se, nos and os. The form of the verb and the pronoun work together: yo me lavo, tú te peinas, él se despierta, nosotros nos sentamos, vosotros os levantáis. In the third person, se is used for both singular and plural: ella se viste, ellos se visten. These pronouns appear with many verbs that express actions on the self, mutual actions or changes of state.

Reflexive use of Verbos pronominales

Idea
We use reflexive meaning when the person who performs the action also receives it.
The pronoun se indicates that the action returns to the same subject in the third person.
With many everyday verbs, the reflexive meaning sounds natural in personal routines.

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With a pronominal infinitive, the pronoun can stick to the end of the verb: levantarse, dormirse, vestirse. The complete form remains a single verb in infinitive, and the pronoun indicates who performs the action. It is often used after another verb: quiero levantarme temprano, voy a dormirme, prefiere vestirse rápido. It can also appear with a preposition: sin lavarme, antes de sentarnos. When it attaches to the infinitive, the conjugation does not change; only the position of the pronoun changes.

Pronoun attached to the pronominal infinitive

Idea
In the infinitive, the pronoun can go attached to the end of the verb.
If the infinitive ends in a vowel, adding the pronoun creates a single new word.
The pronominal infinitive retains its meaning even when the written form changes.

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The pronominal gerund attaches the pronoun at the end: levantándose, durmiéndose, vistiéndose. It is used mainly with estar + gerund and other periphrases: está levantándose, sigue durmiéndose, anda vistiéndose. The base is the same as the normal gerund, and the pronoun marks the person performing the action. If the gerund ends in -ndo, the pronoun is placed after it without changing the main idea of the verb.

Pronominal gerund with a final pronoun

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
yo	levantarse	levantándome
tú	levantarse	levantándote
él	levantarse	levantándose
nosotros	levantarse	levantándonos
vosotros	levantarse	levantándoos
ellos	levantarse	levantándose

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In the simple tenses, the verb is conjugated normally and the pronoun changes according to the person. The structure is pronoun + conjugated verb: me levanto, te acuerdas, se ríe, nos conocemos, os sentís. No special ending is added to the verb for being pronominal; the reflexive or reciprocal information is provided by the pronoun. In the past, present, or simple future, the place of the pronoun remains in front of the verb: me levanté, te vestirás, se bañaba.

Simple tenses with Verbos pronominales

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
yo	bañarse	me baño
tú	bañarse	te bañas
él	bañarse	se baña
nosotros	bañarse	nos bañamos
vosotros	bañarse	os bañáis
ellos	bañarse	se bañan

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In the affirmative command, the pronoun is attached to the end of the verb: dime, siéntate, ponte, vámonos. If there is more than one pronoun, the order is preserved: dímelo, ponte la chaqueta, cuéntanoslo. When the verb carries an accent due to the pronoun attachment, the accent is kept or added to maintain the correct pronunciation: siéntate, vámonos. The affirmative imperative uses this joined form for all persons where there is a direct command.

Affirmative command with an attached pronoun

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
tú	sentarse	siéntate
usted	ponerse	póngase
vosotros	irse	íos
usted	callarse	cállese

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In negative orders, the pronoun goes in front of the verb: no te sientes, no te pongas, no nos vayamos. The structure is no + pronoun + verb in the subjunctive form: no me hables, no se acerquen, no os levantéis. Here the verb does not carry the pronoun attached at the end. The difference with the affirmative is fixed: siéntate versus no te sientes.

Negative commands with pronoun in front

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
tú	sentarse	no te sientes
usted	ponerse	no se ponga
vosotros	irse	no os vayáis
ellos	acostarse	no se acuesten

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The reciprocal use appears when two or more people perform the action with each other. In mirarse, each one looks at the other; in hablarse, they communicate with each other; in ayudarse, they lend mutual help. The pronoun is plural or represents a group: nos miramos, se escriben, os entendéis. The action does not return to a single person, but circulates among several. This use is very common with verbs of contact, communication, and cooperation.

Reciprocal use among several people

Idea
We use reciprocal meaning when two or more people perform the action toward one another.
The pronoun can indicate a mutual action among the participants.
Many reciprocal verbs express cooperation, exchange, or affection.

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Some verbs change meaning when they become pronominal. Dormir and dormirse do not mean the same: dormir is to spend time sleeping or to make someone sleep, while dormirse is to start sleeping or to fall asleep. Ir and irse also separate: ir indicates movement toward a place, and irse expresses leaving or going away. Other verbs add a stronger or more complete idea in pronominal form, such as quedar and quedarse, caer and caerse. The pronoun does not always mark reflection; sometimes it changes the meaning of the verb.

Verbs that change when pronominal

Word	Definition
quedar	Means to meet or stay in a place or situation.
quedarse	Means not to go or to keep something for oneself.
volver	Means to return to a place.
volverse	Means to transform or become in a certain way.
ir	Means to move toward another place.
irse	Means to leave or depart from a place.
poner	Means to place something somewhere.
ponerse	Means to start wearing something or to change state.
llamar	Means to make a call or to name someone.
llamarse	Means to have a name.

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In some fixed expressions of everyday speech, the pronoun may vary or even be omitted depending on the region. You hear sentarse and also sentar in certain popular forms, though the pronominal form is the normal one in standard Spanish. In greetings, questions, or very common expressions, the choice may depend on the country: ¿cómo te va?, ¿cómo va?, ¿cómo se encuentra?. There are also verbs that in some areas sound more natural with the pronoun and in others without it. In standard use, the pronominal form is kept when the verb requires it.

Colloquial variation and fixed expressions

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
Spain	se me ha olvidado	Used frequently in everyday speech to say that something was forgotten without assigning strong blame.	Se me ha olvidado la llave, así que toco el timbre con cara de triunfo.I have forgotten the key, so I ring the bell with a triumphant expression.
Mexico	ahorita me voy	May sound like an immediate or near departure depending on the colloquial context.	Ahorita me voy en cuanto encuentre mi sombrero.I am leaving right now as soon as I find my hat.
Argentina	me voy yendo	Expresses that the departure is already underway in a very natural tone.	Me voy yendo antes de que el café se enfríe de miedo.I am heading out before the coffee gets cold from fear.
Colombia	se me dio	May indicate that something turned out well in informal language.	Hoy se me dio el examen y hasta el lapicero aplaudió.Today, the exam worked out for me, and even the pen applauded.

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