🌿 A1–A2 · Spanish Grammar · Reflexive Verbs
Verbos
Reflexivos
Verbs where the subject acts upon itself — daily routines, changes of state, emotional reactions, and reciprocal actions.
What are they?
Reflexive Verbs — when you act on yourself
A reflexive verb is one where the subject performs the action on themselves. In Spanish, they’re identified by the ending -se attached to the infinitive: lavarse, llamarse, levantarse.
When conjugated, the -se changes into a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject: me, te, se, nos, os, se. The pronoun goes before the conjugated verb.
The structure
Reflexive pronoun
+
Conjugated verb
=
me lavo ✓
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The mirror test: If you can add “myself/yourself/himself…” in English and it makes sense, it’s probably reflexive. “I wash myself” → me lavo. “She gets up herself” → se levanta.
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Spot them in the dictionary: Reflexive verbs appear with -se at the end: levantarse, ducharse, llamarse. If the -se is removable and changes meaning, the verb can be used both ways!
The reflexive pronouns
Me, Te, Se, Nos, Os, Se
The reflexive pronoun must match the subject. Note that se covers he/she/you(formal)/they.
| Subject | Reflexive Pronoun | Example: lavarse | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me | me lavo | I wash myself |
| tú | te | te lavas | you wash yourself |
| él/ella/ud. | se | se lava | he/she washes himself/herself |
| nosotros | nos | nos lavamos | we wash ourselves |
| vosotros | os | os laváis | you all wash yourselves |
| ellos/uds. | se | se lavan | they wash themselves |
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The verb still conjugates normally! The reflexive pronoun is just added in front. The verb itself conjugates as usual for its type (-ar/-er/-ir), including any stem changes.
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se is the most common: In real Spanish conversations, se lava, se llama, se levanta appear constantly — especially in daily routines, descriptions, and instructions.
Two full conjugations
Levantarse & Llamarse — Regular reflexive verbs
Both follow regular conjugation patterns with their reflexive pronouns in front. Levantarse (-AR) and llamarse (-AR) are two of the most common reflexive verbs.
levantarse
to get up
yomelevanto
tútelevantas
él/ellaselevanta
nosotrosnoslevantamos
vosotrososlevantáis
ellosselevantan
llamarse
to be called
yomellamo
tútellamas
él/ellasellama
nosotrosnosllamamos
vosotrososllamáis
ellossellaman
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Stem-changing reflexives: Stem-changing verbs behave the same way reflexively — the stem changes in the usual boot patterns: despertarse (e→ie): me despierto, te despiertas, se despierta…
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¿Cómo te llamas? One of the first phrases you learned! It literally means “How do you call yourself?” — the most classic reflexive in action. Response: “Me llamo…”
The most common use — daily routines
🌅 La Rutina Diaria — Daily Routine Reflexive Verbs
The vast majority of reflexive verbs describe what you do to yourself each day.
6:30
⏰despertarse
to wake up
6:45
🛏️levantarse
to get up
7:00
🚿ducharse
to shower
7:15
🪥lavarse
to wash (oneself)
7:20
🪒afeitarse
to shave
7:25
💄maquillarse
to put on makeup
7:30
👔vestirse
to get dressed
7:45
🍳desayunarse*
to have breakfast
23:00
👗quitarse
to take off (clothes)
23:15
🛁bañarse
to have a bath
23:30
😴acostarse
to go to bed
23:45
💤dormirse
to fall asleep
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Body part clarification: With body parts, Spanish uses the definite article (not a possessive) alongside the reflexive pronoun: “Me lavo las manos” (I wash my hands), NOT “mis manos”. The me already shows it’s your hands.
Uses 1–3
When verbs are reflexive
Use 1
True reflexive — action on oneself
myself, yourself…
lavarse
to wash oneself
Me lavo las manos.
most common use
peinarse
to comb one’s hair
Se peina cada mañana.
Use 2
Change of state — becoming
getting + adj.
aburrirse
to get bored
Me aburro en clase.
change of state
cansarse
to get tired
Se cansa muy rápido.
becoming tired
enamorarse
to fall in love
Se enamoró de ella.
emotional change
ponerse
to become (emotion)
Se pone nervioso.
ponerse + adj.
Use 3
Reciprocal — doing to each other
each other
quererse
to love each other
Se quieren mucho.
reciprocal
escribirse
to write to each other
Nos escribimos mucho.
plural only
conocerse
to know each other
¿Os conocéis ya?
reciprocal
Uses 4–5 + Reflexive vs Non-reflexive
More uses & key contrasts
Use 4
Inherently reflexive — always reflexive
no non-reflexive form
quejarse
to complain
Se queja siempre.
always reflexive
atreverse
to dare
No me atrevo.
always reflexive
arrepentirse
to regret
Me arrepiento.
always reflexive
darse cuenta
to realise
Me di cuenta tarde.
set phrase
Use 5
Change of location / position
movement + self
sentarse
to sit down
Siéntate aquí.
position change
acercarse
to approach
Se acercó a mí.
movement toward
irse
to leave / go away
Me voy ya.
departure
Reflexive vs Non-reflexive pairs
Same verb — different meaning depending on the reflexive pronoun:
Me levanto a las 7.
I get up at 7. (myself)
vs
Levanto la mano.
I raise my hand. (not self)
Ella se llama Ana.
She is called Ana. (reflexive)
vs
Llama a su madre.
She calls her mother. (not reflexive)
El niño se duerme.
The child falls asleep.
vs
Duerme ocho horas.
He/She sleeps eight hours.
Pronoun position rules
Where does the reflexive pronoun go?
Same rules as object pronouns — position depends on the verb form.
Me levanto / Se ducha / Nos lavamos
Before conjugated verb — the most common position.
pronoun BEFORE main verb
Quiero levantarme / Voy a ducharme
Attached to end of infinitive — equally correct.
pronoun ATTACHED to infinitive
Me quiero levantar / Me voy a duchar
Before the whole verb chain — equally correct!
pronoun BEFORE verb chain
Estoy duchándome / Me estoy duchando
With gerund — attach OR place before estar.
with progressive — two valid options
¡Levántate! / ¡Siéntate!
Affirmative imperative — always attached to end!
affirmative commands — ALWAYS attached
No te levantes / No se siente
Negative imperative — BEFORE the verb!
negative commands — BEFORE verb
Emotional & state-change reflexives
Feelings, reactions & becoming
A huge group of reflexive verbs describe emotional reactions and changes of state.
Me alegro de verte.
I’m glad to see you. (alegrarse = to be glad)
Se enfada muy fácilmente.
He/she gets angry very easily. (enfadarse)
Me asusto con los truenos.
I get scared of thunder. (asustarse)
Se sorprendió al verme.
He/she was surprised to see me. (sorprenderse)
Me preocupo por mis notas.
I worry about my grades. (preocuparse)
Se enamoró de María.
He fell in love with María. (enamorarse de)
Me llevo bien con todos.
I get along well with everyone. (llevarse bien)
Se pone rojo cuando le hablas.
He turns red when you talk to him. (ponerse + adj.)
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Ponerse + adjective is extremely common for sudden emotional changes: ponerse nervioso/rojo/contento/triste/furioso. It implies a sudden shift in state.
1
Conjugate the reflexive verb
– Write the full form: reflexive pronoun + conjugated verb.
yo / levantarse
tú / ducharse
ella / llamarse
nosotros / acostarse (o→ue)
vosotros / vestirse (e→i)
ellos / despertarse (e→ie)
yo / ponerse nervioso
tú / irse
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2
Complete the sentence
– Fill in the correct reflexive pronoun or full reflexive form.
¿A qué hora tú normalmente? despertarse · tú
El bebé muy tarde todas las noches. acostarse · él (o→ue)
Nosotros mucho cuando estamos juntos. reírse · nos
de veros a todos. alegrarse · yo
¿Cómo tu nueva profesora? llamarse · ella
Los niños no quieren . dormirse (infinitive attached)
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3
Correct or Incorrect?
– Is the reflexive verb used correctly?
Todos los días me levanto a las siete.
✔ Correct! Me levanto = I get up (myself). Reflexive pronoun before conjugated verb ✓
Voy a levantarme temprano mañana.
✔ Correct! With ir a + infinitive, the reflexive pronoun can attach to the infinitive: levantarme ✓. Alternatively: Me voy a levantar.
¡Te sientas! — le dijo el profesor.
✘ Incorrect! In an affirmative command (imperative), the reflexive pronoun must be ATTACHED to the end: “¡Siéntate!” You cannot use the regular conjugation for affirmative commands here.
Ella se lava el pelo cada dos días.
✔ Correct! Se lava el pelo — reflexive with a body part. Note: el pelo (with definite article), not su pelo ✓
Se enamoró de ella la primera vez que la vio.
✔ Correct! Enamorarse de = to fall in love with. Reflexive verb takes de before the person ✓. Preterite of reflexive ✓.
Ellos quererse mucho hace años.
✘ Incorrect! You cannot use the infinitive form as a conjugated verb. Conjugate properly: “Ellos se quieren mucho.”
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4
Put the words in order
– Build the reflexive sentence. Click the answer area to undo.
Sentence 1 — daily routine, pronoun before verb:
Por
la
mañana
me
ducho
y
me
visto.
Click words above…
Sentence 2 — reflexive pronoun attached to infinitive:
Tengo
que
acostarme
pronto
esta
noche.
Click words above…
Sentence 3 — emotional change + ponerse:
Siempre
me
pongo
nervioso
antes
de
los
exámenes.
Click words above…
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