What are reflexive verbs in Spanish?
By Mert Yerekapan · Updated
A reflexive verb is one where the subject does the action to itself. In Spanish you mark that with a small pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) before the verb. Me lavo means "I wash myself", and Se levanta a las siete means "He gets up at seven". The infinitive ends in -se, as in lavarse or levantarse.
The pronouns
The reflexive pronoun matches the subject and goes right before the conjugated verb:
| Subject | Pronoun | Example with lavarse |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | Me lavo las manos (I wash my hands) |
| tú | te | Te lavas las manos |
| él / ella / usted | se | Se lava las manos |
| nosotros | nos | Nos lavamos las manos |
| vosotros | os | Os laváis las manos |
| ellos / ustedes | se | Se lavan las manos |
Notice that Spanish says las manos, not mis manos. With body parts and clothes, the reflexive already tells you whose they are.
Common reflexive verbs
Most of these relate to your body, your routine or your feelings:
- levantarse (to get up): Me levanto temprano. (I get up early.)
- ducharse (to shower): Se ducha por la noche. (He showers at night.)
- acostarse (to go to bed): Nos acostamos tarde. (We go to bed late.)
- vestirse (to get dressed): Me visto rápido. (I get dressed fast.)
- llamarse (to be called): Me llamo Sara. (My name is Sara.)
- sentirse (to feel): Me siento bien. (I feel fine.)
- quedarse (to stay): Me quedo en casa. (I'm staying home.)
Reflexive vs non-reflexive
The same verb can change meaning when the pronoun is added, or when it isn't:
- Lavo el coche (I wash the car) vs Me lavo (I wash myself)
- Duermo ocho horas (I sleep eight hours) vs Me duermo en el sofá (I fall asleep on the sofa)
- Voy al trabajo (I go to work) vs Me voy (I'm leaving)
- Pongo la mesa (I set the table) vs Me pongo nervioso (I get nervous)
The pronoun often turns an ordinary action into something that happens to or within the subject. It can also emphasize completion or change, like in Se comió toda la pizza (He ate the entire pizza).
Where does the pronoun go?
Before the conjugated verb: Me levanto. But with an infinitive, command or -ando/-iendo form, you can attach it:
- Quiero levantarme or Me quiero levantar (I want to get up)
- Estoy duchándome or Me estoy duchando (I'm showering)
- ¡Levántate! (Get up!)
Both placements are correct when there's a choice. Use whichever sounds natural.
Other uses of "se"
The pronoun se also appears in reciprocal actions (Se quieren mucho - They love each other), in impersonal sentences (Se habla español - Spanish is spoken) and in accidental events (Se me cayó el vaso - I dropped the glass, literally "the glass fell on me"). Those are separate topics, but they all use the same little word, so don't be surprised. For the full pronoun picture, see object pronouns like lo, la, le and se.
How to learn them
I'd learn reflexives as a daily routine set: me despierto, me levanto, me ducho, me visto, me acuesto. Say it about your own day. It's the most natural way to get the pronoun in front of the verb without thinking. A lot of these also show up in the early lessons of any decent course, so you'll meet them quickly. They also turn up constantly in everyday stories, and I'm biased, but that's one reason I like the format in Langtok, the app I built: you hear se despierta and se ducha in a scene and can tap a word if you're not sure.