Reflexive pronouns indicate that the action of the verb returns to the subject itself, to a subject associated with it, or to the subject in a reinforced way. They also appear in reciprocal constructions, emphatic uses, and in forms where they attach to the verb through pronominal placement. The scope of this group also depends on its relationship with Personal Pronouns, Oblique Pronouns and the verbal structure in which they occur.

The clitic forms are me, te, se, nos and vos. They attach to the verb and normally represent the same subject of the clause, as in reflexive, reciprocal use or in pronominal verbs. The form 'se' also appears in impersonal and passive constructions, in which there is no reflexivity.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
A forma me refere a primeira pessoa do singular.The form 'me' refers to the first person singular.	Eu me vejo no espelho.I see myself in the mirror.
A forma te refere a segunda pessoa do singular.The form 'te' refers to the second person singular.	Tu te lembras da aula.You remember the class.
A forma se refere à terceira pessoa ou a uso impessoal.The form 'se' refers to the third person or to impersonal use.	Ela se penteia com calma.She combs her hair calmly.
A forma nos refere a primeira pessoa do plural.The form 'nos' refers to the first person plural.	Nós nos abraçamos no fim.We hug each other at the end.
A forma vos refere a segunda pessoa do plural.The form 'vos' refers to the second person plural.	Vós vos preparais cedo.You (plural) prepare yourselves early.

The stressed forms comigo, contigo, consigo, connosco, convosco and si appear after a preposition and do not attach to the verb like the clitic forms. Consigo and si refer to the same subject of the sentence, while comigo, contigo, connosco and convosco indicate companionship or relation with the person indicated. The use of [Oblique Pronouns] helps distinguish these forms from the clitics.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Comigo exprime relação com a primeira pessoa.With me, expresses relation to the first person.	Ele saiu comigo para a praça.He went with me to the square.
Contigo exprime relação com a segunda pessoa.With you, expresses relation to the second person.	Falei contigo depois da reunião.I spoke with you after the meeting.
Consigo retoma o mesmo sujeito.Consigo refers back to the same subject.	Cada um leva consigo o documento.Each one carries the document with them.
Si aparece após preposição e retoma o sujeito.Si appears after a preposition and refers back to the subject.	Ele fala de si com franqueza.He talks about himself frankly.
Convosco exprime relação com a segunda pessoa do plural.Convosco expresses relation with the second person plural.	Vamos convosco ao teatro.We go to the theatre with you.

In reflexive use, the subject both performs and receives the action at the same time. The pronoun indicates that the action falls on the subject itself, as in 'She combs her hair' or 'They dress themselves.' This value is especially clear with verbs of personal care, movement and hygiene, and it interacts with the notion of agreement discussed in [Possessive Pronouns] when reference to the subject needs to be explicit.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
O sujeito faz a ação sobre si mesmo.The subject performs the action on itself.	Ela se penteia.She combs her hair.
A ação reflexiva pode ocorrer no plural.Reflexive action can occur in the plural.	Eles se vestem rapidamente.They dress themselves quickly.
O pronome confirma que o alvo é o próprio sujeito.The pronoun confirms that the target is the subject itself.	A criança se lava antes de dormir.The child washes himself before going to sleep.
O valor reflexivo depende do verbo e do contexto.The reflexive value depends on the verb and the context.	O rapaz se sentou na primeira fila.The guy sat down in the front row.
A reflexividade pode ocorrer com sujeitos de qualquer pessoa.Reflexivity can occur with subjects of any person.	Eu me observo com atenção.I observe myself carefully.

In reciprocal use, two or more subjects perform the action on one another. The pronoun marks mutuality, as in 'They hug each other' or 'The friends help each other.' Reciprocal interpretation depends on there being a plurality of subjects and typically appears with verbs that admit mutual action, in contrast to strictly reflexive value.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Dois sujeitos trocam a ação entre si.Two subjects exchange the action with one another.	Eles se abraçam no reencontro.They hug each other at the reunion.
Mais de dois sujeitos podem agir reciprocamente.More than two subjects can act reciprocally.	As amigas se ajudam sempre.The friends always help each other.
A reciprocidade exige pluralidade de participantes.Reciprocity requires plurality of participants.	Os vizinhos se cumprimentam na festa.The neighbors greet each other at the party.
O pronome indica ação mútua.The pronoun indicates mutual action.	Nós nos entendemos bem.We understand each other well.
O contexto decide entre reflexivo e recíproco.Context decides between reflexive and reciprocal.	Os irmãos se olham em silêncio.The siblings look at each other in silence.

The pronoun can reinforce the idea of the agent's identity, with the sense of to himself or to herself. In this function, the main value is emphatic rather than merely reflexive, because the sentence highlights that the subject acts directly on the subject itself. This reading appears frequently when one wants to intensify responsibility, care, or the interiority of the action.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
O pronome pode reforçar a ação do sujeito.The pronoun can reinforce the subject's action.	Ele mesmo se conhece bem.He himself knows himself well.
A forma si mesmo intensifica a referência ao sujeito.The form si mesmo intensifies the reference to the subject.	Ela pensa em si mesma com clareza.She thinks of herself clearly.
O reforço destaca a responsabilidade do agente.The reinforcement highlights the agent's responsibility.	O aluno resolveu o problema por si mesmo.The student solved the problem by himself.
O efeito enfático pode aparecer com preposição.The emphatic effect can appear with a preposition.	Falou de si mesmo com honestidade.Spoke of himself with honesty.
A ênfase não muda o referente do pronome.The emphasis does not change the pronoun's referent.	O diretor chamou para si a decisão.The director took the decision for himself.

With the infinitive and gerund, the position of the pronoun can vary depending on the construction and the variety of Portuguese. In Brazilian Portuguese, proclisis is very frequent, while European Portuguese preserves enclisis more strongly and, in certain contexts, mesoclisis. This distribution relates to pronominal placement, a central topic also for [Demonstrative Pronouns] when there are elements that attract or repel the pronoun.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Com infinitivo, o pronome pode aparecer antes do verbo.With infinitive, the pronoun can appear before the verb.	Quero me lembrar do nome.I want to remind myself of the name.
Com infinitivo, o pronome pode aparecer depois do verbo.With infinitive, the pronoun can appear after the verb.	Quero lembrar me do nome.I want to remember the name.
Com gerúndio, o pronome pode acompanhar a forma verbal.With gerund, the pronoun can accompany the verb form.	Está se afastando devagar.He is moving away slowly.
A variedade da língua influencia a colocação.The variety of the language influences placement.	Ele vai se encontrar amanhã.The person is going to meet themselves tomorrow.
A escolha depende do contexto sintático.The choice depends on the syntactic context.	Quero vê lo com atenção.I want to see it attentively.

In constructions like Vende se casa, the 'se' is not reflexive. In these cases, it marks impersonality or synthetic passive voice and does not refer back to any subject that practices the action on itself. The difference between this function and reflexive use is decisive for interpreting the sentence correctly, especially when the verb agreement suggests a passive reading.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
O se pode indicar voz passiva sintética.The 'se' can indicate synthetic passive voice.	Vende se casa.A house is sold.
O se pode indicar impessoalidade.The 'se' can indicate impersonality.	Precisa se de silêncio.Silence is required.
Nesses casos, não há reflexividade.In these cases, there is no reflexivity.	Aluga se apartamento novo.A new apartment is for rent.
A estrutura focaliza a ação ou o estado.The structure focuses on the action or state.	Procura se solução urgente.It seeks an urgent solution.
O sujeito lógico não aparece como agente reflexivo.The logical subject does not appear as a reflexive agent.	Confia se em documentos oficiais.He relies on official documents.

Pronominal placement organizes the position of the pronoun relative to the verb and can occur as proclisis, enclisis or mesoclisis. In Portuguese, the distribution depends on the type of clause, attracting words and regional variety, with Brazilian Portuguese favoring proclisis and European Portuguese more often preserving enclisis and mesoclisis. These differences also appear in the use of [Forms of Address], because the choice of form can alter agreement and discourse proximity.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Na próclise, o pronome vem antes do verbo.In proclisis, the pronoun comes before the verb.	Não me diga isso.Don't tell me that.
Na ênclise, o pronome vem depois do verbo.In enclisis, the pronoun comes after the verb.	Diga me isso.Tell me that.
Na mesóclise, o pronome surge no interior do verbo.In mesoclisis, the pronoun appears inside the verb.	Dir me ei amanhã.I will tell myself tomorrow.
Palavras atrativas favorecem a próclise.Attractive words favor proclisis.	Sempre se lembra do caminho.Always remember the path.
A variedade regional influencia a forma preferida.Regional variety influences the preferred form.	Me viu ontem.Me saw you yesterday.

Some verbs are intrinsically pronominal and require the pronoun as part of the fixed verbal form, such as 'queixar-se' and 'arrepender-se.' In these cases, the pronoun does not function only as an optional reflexive, but integrates with the verb and helps form its lexical meaning. Recognizing these verbs prevents interpretations in which the pronoun would seem to replace an object or an explicit subject.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
O pronome faz parte do verbo pronominal.The pronoun is part of the pronominal verb.	Ela queixa se do atraso.She complains about the delay.
O verbo pronominal mantém o pronome na forma estável.The pronominal verb keeps the pronoun in a fixed form.	Ele arrepende se da escolha.He regrets the choice.
O significado depende da combinação verbal.The meaning depends on the verbal combination.	Eles lembram se da data.They remember the date.
O pronome não é livremente removido.The pronoun cannot be freely removed.	A criança assusta se facilmente.The child scares himself easily.
O verbo pronominal pode ocorrer em diferentes pessoas.The pronominal verb can occur in different persons.	Nós nos queixamos com frequência.We complain frequently.

Reflexive pronouns cover clitic and tonic forms, reflexive, reciprocal and emphatic uses, as well as constructions in which 'se' does not indicate reflexivity. The correct interpretation depends on the relationship between the subject, the verb and pronominal placement, as well as the differences between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese. When these elements come together safely, the reading of reflexive and pronominal verbs becomes more precise and natural.