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Reflexive verbs describe actions someone does to themselves, like grooming, emotions, routines, and changes. They always use reflexive pronouns that match the subject.

Formation

A reflexive verb in Spanish ends with -se in its infinitive form, signaling it takes a reflexive pronoun. You attach this pronoun to the verb or place it before a conjugated form.

Which of these infinitives are reflexive verbs?

vivir

maquillarse

comer

levantarse

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Reflexive Pronouns

The reflexive pronoun changes to match the subject: me, te, se, nos, os, se. This pronoun shows who receives the action.

	Spanish Pronoun	English Pronoun
	me	myself
	te	yourself (sing.)
	se	himself / herself / yourself (form.)
	nos	ourselves
	os	yourselves (Spain)
	se	themselves / yourselves (form.)

Which reflexive pronoun matches the subject 'nosotros'?

nos

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Common Reflexive Verbs

Many daily verbs are reflexive, especially for routines, personal care, and emotions. Learning these typical examples helps you describe everyday actions.

Spanish Verb	English Verb	Spanish Verb	English Verb
bañarse	to bathe oneself	ducharse	to shower oneself
levantarse	to get up	acostarse	to go to bed
vestirse	to dress oneself	maquillarse	to put on makeup
lavarse	to wash oneself	peinarse	to comb one's hair
afeitarse	to shave oneself	cepillarse	to brush (hair/teeth)
ponerse	to put on (clothes)	quitarse	to take off (clothes)
sentarse	to sit down	despertarse	to wake up
divertirse	to have fun	sentirse	to feel (emotion/physical)

Fill in the BlankEllos(reflexive verb) antes de salir.

Ellos se peinan antes de salir.

Choose the correct reflexive verb: Ellos ____ (combing own hair) antes de salir.

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Meaning Changes

Some verbs change meaning when reflexive. The reflexive version can signal a different action, an internal process, or that the action is done to oneself rather than to someone else.

Non-Reflexive Verb	Reflexive Verb	Non-Reflexive Meaning	Reflexive Meaning
ir	irse	to go	to leave
llamar	llamarse	to call	to be called / to name oneself
sentir	sentirse	to feel (external)	to feel (internal)
poner	ponerse	to put	to put on oneself / to become
quedar	quedarse	to stay	to remain / to keep
llevar	llevarse	to carry / to wear	to take away / to get along
morir	morirse	to die	to die (more emphatic)

Which sentence shows a different meaning because the verb is reflexive?

Llamo a mi amigo.

Me llamo Ana.

Voy a la tienda.

Juan se va de la casa.

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Double Object Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns can interact with indirect and direct object pronouns in sentences describing actions toward oneself or others. When both pronouns would be se, you replace the indirect pronoun with le or les and keep the reflexive se.

Summary

Reflexive verbs signal that the subject acts on itself and always use matching pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se. Many common daily actions are reflexive, and some verbs change meaning when you add -se. Practice typical routine verbs and pay attention to pronoun placement to sound natural.