Download Reflexive Verbs

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