Verbos reflexivos in Spanish — Reflexive VerbsA2

Reflexive verbs carry a pronoun that marks that the action returns to the same person. Those pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os and se. They change according to the person just like verbs in Verbos: yo me lavo, tú te lavas, él se lava, nosotros nos lavamos, vosotros os laváis, ellos se lavan. The pronoun agrees with the subject, not with the verb. In the third person singular and plural se is used.

Reflexive pronouns according to the person

Idea
me is used with the first person singular when the action falls back on me.
te is used with the second person singular when the action falls back on you.
se is used with the third person singular when the action falls back on him or her.
nos is used with the first person plural when the action falls back on ourselves.
os is used with the second person plural when the action falls back on yourselves.
se is used with the third person plural when the action falls back on them.

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In the present, the verb is conjugated like any regular or irregular verb and the reflexive pronoun precedes it. With levantarse you get me levanto, te levantas, se levanta, nos levantamos, os levantáis, se levantan. With lavarse you get me lavo, te lavas, se lava. With vestirse you see the vowel change of the verb: me visto, te vistes, se viste, nos vestimos, os vestís, se visten. The reflexive form does not change the conjugation of the verb, it only adds the correct pronoun.

Basic reflexive indicative present

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
yo	levantarse	me levanto
tú	lavarse	te lavas
él	vestirse	se viste
nosotros	acostarse	nos acostamos
vosotros	despertarse	os despertáis
ellos	bañarse	se bañan

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Reflexive verbs are used when the person acts on their own body, their image, or their personal care. Peinarse is fixing your hair, bañarse is washing the body, maquillarse is putting on makeup. That’s why you say Ana se peina, me baño por la noche, se maquilla antes de salir. The verb shows who does the action and the pronoun indicates that the same person receives it.

Reflexive verbs for personal care

Word	Definition
peinarse	arrange the hair with the hands or with a comb.
bañarse	wash the body with water and soap.
maquillarse	put on makeup on the face.
afeitarse	remove the hair from the face or body with a razor.
secase	dry the body after a bath or shower.
ponerse crema	apply cream to the skin.
desmaquillarse	remove the makeup from the face.
cortarse el pelo	trim the hair with scissors or a clipper.
mirarse	observe oneself in a mirror or on a surface.
arreglarse	prepare one's appearance for an occasion.

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Many everyday routines use reflexive verbs with parts of the day and body actions. Levantarse describes getting out of bed, ducharse taking a shower, vestirse putting on clothes and acostarse going to bed. The natural order is subject + pronoun + verb + complement: yo me levanto a las siete, nos duchamos después de correr, se visten rápido para ir al trabajo, me acuesto tarde. These verbs appear a lot with times, habits, and daily sequences.

Routines with verbos reflexivos and the body

Usage	Explanation
Levantarse in the morning	Used to indicate the moment when a person gets out of bed at the beginning of the day.
Ducharse after an activity	Used to talk about hygiene after sweating or getting dirty.
Vestirse to go out	Used when someone puts on clothes before an activity.
Acostarse at the end of the day	Used to express going to bed and ending the day.
Lavarse the face	Used for a hygiene action on a specific part of the body.
Peinarse before a date	Used to show a personal-grooming routine before going out.

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Some verbs change meaning when used in reflexive form. Dormir means to spend time sleeping, while dormirse marks the moment when that state begins: duerme ocho horas, but se duerme a las diez. Another case is ir and irse. Ir indicates movement toward a place, and irse adds departure or removal: voy a casa versus me voy a casa. The reflexive form usually marks start, change, or result, not just the basic action.

Changes in meaning in reflexive form

Idea
The reflexive form can express the beginning of a state and not only the simple action.
The reflexive form can indicate an unexpected result of the action.
The reflexive form can show a change of state more than physical movement.
The reflexive form can express entering an emotional state.
The reflexive form can signal the beginning of a reaction.

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Ponerse is used for a change of clothes, color, mood, or physical state: I put on a jacket, he/she turns red, we get nervous. Quedarse expresses permanence or the result of a change: he/she stayed at home, I became calm, they were left without battery. Sentirse is used for emotions and sensations: I feel well, he/she feels tired, we feel happy. These verbs are very common in Pronominal Verbs, where the pronoun not only reflects the person, but also the state that affects them.

Verbos reflexivos of change and state

Word	Definition
ponerse	change clothes, color, or state quickly.
quedarse	remain in a state or arrive at a fixed situation.
sentirse	perceive a physical or emotional state within oneself.
volverse	change progressively toward a new state or character.
hacerse	come to be something through change or development.
convertirse	transform into another thing or condition.
ponerse nervioso	enter a state of nervousness or tension.
quedarse dormido	fall asleep involuntarily.
sentirse bien	notice physical or emotional well-being.
sentirse mal	notice physical or emotional discomfort.

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In affirmative and negative sentences, the reflexive pronoun goes before the conjugated verb. The normal structure is subject + pronoun + verb: yo me despierto temprano. In negative sentences the same order is kept and no goes before the pronoun: yo no me despierto temprano. It also works with other adverbs: siempre me ducho por la noche, nunca se peina en casa. The pronoun does not separate from the conjugated verb in this position.

Normal placement of the reflexive pronoun

Idea
In affirmative sentences, the reflexive pronoun goes before the conjugated verb.
In negative sentences, the reflexive pronoun goes after no and before the verb.
With several conjugated verbs, the pronoun is placed before the main verb.

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With infinitive and gerund, the reflexive pronoun can go before the auxiliary verb or attached to the infinitive or gerund. You say quiero lavarme or me quiero lavar. You say estoy vistiéndome or me estoy vistiendo. The choice changes the position, not the meaning. With an auxiliary verb, the natural form is the same as in Verbos Auxiliares: pronoun + auxiliary + verb, or auxiliary + pronoun + verb. In constructions with an infinitive, the pronoun attached to the end of the infinitive forms a single word with it.

Pronoun position with infinitive and gerund

Idea
With an infinitive, the pronoun can go attached to the end of the verb.
With an infinitive, the pronoun can also go before the conjugated verb.
With a gerund, the pronoun can go attached to the end of the gerund.
With a gerund, the pronoun can also go before the auxiliary verb.

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In the affirmative command, the pronoun unites with the verb and goes at the end: lávate, séntate, duérmete, vámonos. The written accent changes to preserve the correct pronunciation. In the negative command, the pronoun goes before the verb: no te laves, no te sientes, no te duermas, no nos vayamos. The form of the verb changes according to the person, as in other commands, and the pronoun follows that person.

Affirmative and negative reflexive commands

Form	Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
affirmative	tú	lavarse	lávate
negative	tú	levantarse	no te levantes
affirmative	usted	sentarse	siéntese
negative	usted	callarse	no se calle
affirmative	vosotros	vestirse	vestíos
negative	vosotros	acostarse	no os acostéis

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Reflexive verbs also appear in non-personal forms. The gerund ends in -ando or -iendo and can carry the pronoun attached: lavándose, vistiéndose, levantándose. It can also go with an auxiliary: se está levantando, se está vistiendo. The participle is usually used with auxiliaries in compound tenses: se ha lavado, se ha vestido, se ha levantado. With Perífrasis Verbales these forms are very common, and the pronoun is placed with the same logic as in other combinations: in front of the auxiliary or attached to the non-personal form.

Non-personal forms of verbos reflexivos

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
participio	lavarse	lavado
participio	ponerse	puesto
gerundio	levantarse	levantándose
gerundio	vestirse	vistiéndose
gerundio	irse	yéndose

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In some colloquial varieties of everyday speech, certain reflexive verbs may appear without a pronoun when the meaning remains clear. In parts of the Americas, for example, you hear me fui a bañar alongside fui a bañar in very casual contexts, or subí instead of me subí in some local expressions. The general norm keeps the pronoun when the verb is reflexive. In formal texts, in teaching, and in standard usage, the reflexive form is kept.