Verbos pronominalesA2
Al terminar este módulo, podrás usar los pronombres con naturalidad, dar órdenes y distinguir cuándo una forma pronominal cambia el sentido del verbo. Empieza por Pronombres reflexivos y entra directamente en la primera unidad.
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Basic reflexive pronouns
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 sense of the verb
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.
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Infinitive with final pronoun
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.
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Gerund with final pronoun
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.
| Subject | Infinitive | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| nosotros | levantarse | |
| tú | levantarse | |
| vosotros | levantarse | |
| ellos | levantarse | |
| él | levantarse | |
| yo | levantarse |
| Subject | Infinitive | Conjugation | |
|---|---|---|---|
levantarse | levantándome | ||
levantarse | levantándote | ||
levantarse | levantándose | ||
levantarse | levantándonos | ||
levantarse | levantándoos | ||
levantarse | levantándose |
Simple tenses with pronoun
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.
| Subject | Infinitive | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ellos | bañarse | |
| tú | bañarse | |
| vosotros | bañarse | |
| él | bañarse | |
| nosotros | bañarse | |
| yo | bañarse |
| Subject | Infinitive | Conjugation | |
|---|---|---|---|
bañarse | me baño | ||
bañarse | te bañas | ||
bañarse | se baña | ||
bañarse | nos bañamos | ||
bañarse | os bañáis | ||
bañarse | se bañan |
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Affirmative pronominal imperative
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.
| Subject | Infinitive | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| vosotros | irse | |
| usted | ponerse | |
| usted | callarse | |
| tú | sentarse |
| Subject | Infinitive | Conjugation | |
|---|---|---|---|
sentarse | siéntate | ||
ponerse | póngase | ||
irse | íos | ||
callarse | cállese |
Negative pronominal imperative
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.
| Subject | Infinitive | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| usted | ponerse | |
| ellos | acostarse | |
| tú | sentarse | |
| vosotros | irse |
| Subject | Infinitive | Conjugation | |
|---|---|---|---|
sentarse | no te sientes | ||
ponerse | no se ponga | ||
irse | no os vayáis | ||
acostarse | no se acuesten |
Reciprocal sense of the verb
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.
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Pronominal meaning changes
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.
| Word | Definition | |
|---|---|---|
| Means to meet or stay in a place or situation. | ||
| Means not to go or to keep something for oneself. | ||
| Means to return to a place. | ||
| Means to transform or become in a certain way. | ||
| Means to move toward another place. | ||
| Means to leave or depart from a place. | ||
| Means to place something somewhere. | ||
| Means to start wearing something or to change state. | ||
| Means to make a call or to name someone. | ||
| Means to have a name. |
Regional colloquial use
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.
| Region | Variant | Definition | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 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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