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Reflexive Verbs A verb is reflexive if the subject and the object of a sentence are the same. In other words, if the subject of a sentence also receives the action of the verb, the verb will be reflexive. Consider these two sentences: Andrew lava el coche. Andrew washes the car. Andrew se lava. Andrew washes himself. Since Andrew is receiving the action of the verb in the second sentence, the verb is reflexive. In the first example, the verb lavar is used. In the second sentence the reflexive verb lavarse is used. To form a reflexive infinitive verb, you simply place the reflexive pronoun se at the end of the infinitive, like this: Llamar to call (not reflexive) Llamarse to call oneself (reflexive) Reflexive verbs are always accompanied by a reflexive pronoun. When the verb is conjugated, however, the pronoun will change to match the subject of the sentence. The reflexive pronouns in Spanish are: me (myself) nos (ourselves) te (yourself) os (yourselves) se (himself, herself, yourself [formal]) se (themselves, yourselves) Conjugating Reflexive Verbs When a reflexive verb is conjugated, the matching reflexive pronoun goes in front of the conjugated verb. Here are the present tense conjugations of the verb llamarse: me llamo (I call myself) nos llamamos (we call ourselves) te llamas (you call yourself) os llamáis (you guys call yourselves) se llama (he calls himself/ she calls herself/ you [formal] call yourself) se llaman (they call themselves/ you guys call yourselves) © 2012 Middlebury Interactive Languages. All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only. No portion of these materials may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express permission of Middlebury Interactive Languages. Reflexive Verbs Special Cases Body Parts In the case of body parts, reflexive verbs can be tricky. Consider the following sentence and its translation: Daniel se lava las manos. Daniel washes his hands. Even though the second sentence literally means “Daniel washes himself the hands,” it is correct. It is understood in Spanish that “the hands” are his, since the verb is reflexive. That is why instead of using the possessive adjective sus, you simply use the definite article. Remember that this is NOT the case when talking about an object that belongs to the subject, such as a car. Word Order Reflexive pronouns generally come before the verb. However, just like object pronouns, reflexive pronouns can be directly attached to the end of an infinitive verb. For example, the following sentence is acceptable: Daniel necesita lavarse las manos. Daniel needs to wash his hands. Change in Meaning Some verbs change slightly in meaning in their reflexive forms. Here are some examples: hacer to do, to make hacerse to become (literally to make oneself) volver to return volverse to become (literally to return oneself) ir to go irse to go away (literally to go oneself) Emphasis Sometimes verbs can be reflexive just to emphasize that the action is performed completely: Puedes comerte el helado. Reflexive Verbs You can eat the ice cream. © 2012 Middlebury Interactive Languages. Page 2 Reflexive Verbs Other uses of the plural pronouns nos, os and se Nos, os, and se can be used to express reciprocity, or doing something to each other. You can know if the meaning is reflexive or reciprocal by the context. Here are some examples: Juan y Ana se conocen muy bien. Juan and Ana know each other very well. Nos abrazamos por mucho tiempo. We hugged each other for a long time (we can hug ourselves, but the most probable meaning is ‘each other’). Reflexive Verbs © 2012 Middlebury Interactive Languages. Page 3