How to Use Reflexive Verbs in Spanish – Easy-to-Follow Guide with Reflexive Verbs List
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Do you need help learning how to use reflexive verbs in Spanish? You’ve come to the right place.
In this post, you’ll find:
an explanation of what reflexive verbs are and how to use reflexive verbs in Spanisha list of common reflexive verbs in SpanishSpanish reflexive verbs conjugationexamples of Spanish sentences with reflexive verbsthe Spanish reflexive pronouns
Wait! Don’t run away just yet. Reflexive verbs aren’t some alien concept or the strange cousin of the subjunctive tense. In fact, if you know a few words in basic Spanish, you probably already know at least one reflexive verb.
Not convinced? Let me show you.
¡Hola! Me llamo Benny. (“Hi! I’m Benny.”)
You probably didn’t need the translation, did you? And if you already know the verb llamarse, then you already know a reflexive verb.
See? It’s not rocket science. And I’ll keep things simple with easy explanations like this through the whole post.
So, jump onto the spaceship! Direction: Planet “Reflexive Verbs, Spanish Version.”
¡Vamos! (“Let’s go!”)
Reflexive Verbs in Spanish: What Is a Reflexive Verb?
While we’re on our way to this foreign planet, let me explain what we’ll have to deal with once we land.
Reflexive verbs are those whose subject and direct object are the same person.
Let’s kick grammar out of the hatch for a second and translate that into everyday “earth person” language: with reflexive verbs, the doer of the action and the receiver of the action are the same.
Still sounds like Martian? Let’s simplify it even more with an example: “I wash myself.”
As you can see in this sentence, the subject (“I”) realizes the action (“wash”) which is received by “myself”... The same person who’s doing the action.
How would that look like in Spanish? Let’s use the same verb we used as the English example, Me lavo, for this explanation.
First thing, remember subject pronouns (like “I” or “you”) are rarely used in Spanish. They are implied in the tense of the verb. As you can see, there is no subject pronoun in the above sentence, but I’ll include it to make the explanation clearer. This leaves us with Yo me lavo.
In Yo me lavo, the subject pronoun is yo (“I”), the action is lavar (“wash”), and the reflexive pronoun is me (“myself”).
Can you spot the differences with the English verb phrase? I have a few to tell you about.
How to Use Reflexive Verbs in Spanish
Unlike English, the reflexive pronoun comes before the verb in Spanish. And this is not the only weird thing about reflexive pronouns.
Spanish reflexive verbs include a reflexive pronoun in infinitive mode: se.
Se works as a suffix and is attached to the verb. It’s the only way you have to identify a reflexive verb when it is in infinitive mode.
Many Spanish reflexive verbs become different verbs when used without their reflexive pronoun. Look at the example I gave you in the introduction: llamarse (“to be called”) becomes llamar (“to call”).
We have no time for more elaboration. One of the signals in the cockpit has just come to life, warning us that we’re getting close to our destination. We better speed things up and prepare for landing.
The first process we have to activate is the knowledge of Spanish reflexive pronouns.
Spanish Reflexive Pronouns
Can you remember the 13 Spanish subject pronouns from your first Spanish astronaut drills? There are almost twice as many of them as there are English subject pronouns.
yo
I
tú
you, informal singular
vos
you, informal singular in som Latin American countries
él / ella / usted
he / she / you, formal singular
nosotros / nosotras
we, masculine / we, feminine
vosotros / vosotras
you, informal plural only in Spain, masculine / you, feminine
ellos / ellas / ustedes
they, masculine / they, feminine / you, plural
But everything changes with reflexive pronouns. For once, English has the most. In fact, there are seven English reflexive pronouns while Spanish only has five of them.
Spanish subject pronouns
Spanish reflexive pronouns
English reflexive pronouns
yo
me*
myself
tú / vos
te
yourself (informal)
él / ella / usted
se
himself/herself/yourself (formal)
nosotros / nosotras
nos
ourselves
vosotros / vosotras
os
yourselves (informal, exclusively used in Spain)
ellos / ellas / ustedes
se
themselves/yourselves (formal in Spain, standard in Latin America)
Which is good, because it’s easier for you to learn and remember them.
When Do You Use Reflexive Verbs in Spanish?
Successful landing! Before we open the hatch, let’s review the rules that apply in this new world.
Make sure you remember the following facts.
Spanish Direct Object Pronouns and Indirect Object Pronouns Aren’t the Same as Spanish Reflexive Pronouns
Some Spanish direct object and indirect object pronouns look and sound as the Spanish reflexive pronouns. Don’t let that confuse you!
Reflexive pronouns
Direct object pronouns
Indirect object pronouns
me
me ("me")
me ("me / to me / for me")
te
te ("you")
te ("you / to you / for you")
se
lo ("him / it / you") / *la ("her / it / you")
les ("him, her, you / to him, her, you / for him, her, you")
nos
nos ("us")
nos ("us / to us / for us")
os
os ("you")
os ("you / to you / for you")
se
los / las ("them / you")
les ("them, you / to them, you / for them, you")
Don’t mistake verb phrases that include a direct pronoun for reflexive verbs!
Examples:
Yo la llamo Ana porque es su nombre (“I call her Ana because it’s her name.”) → Verb phrase with a direct object pronounYo les llamo por teléfono todos los días (“I call them on the phone every day”) → Verb phrase with an indirect object pronounYo me llamo Benny → Reflexive verb
Remember: with reflexive verbs, the subject pronoun and the receiver of the action are the same person/thing.
I talk more about Spanish pronouns right here, so click away if you’d like more explanations.
English and Spanish Do Not Work the Same Way
Spanish reflexive verbs do not always translate to reflexive verbs in English. English reflexive verbs are not always an appropriate translation of Spanish reflexive verbs.
Examples:
Me llamo Benny - “My name is Benny.” There is no reflexive verb in this sentence.Me recuerdo - This phrase is generally used as “I remember” and not “I remember myself”.
To Be Reflexive or Not to Be Reflexive?
Some Spanish verbs have interchangeable reflexive and non-reflexive forms. They carry the same meaning.
Examples:
Yo recuerdo esto - “I remember that.”Yo me recuerdo esto - “I remember that.”
These are rare, but don’t be surprised if you come across one during future expeditions.
There Are Many Spanish Reflexive Verbs
There are many more reflexive verbs in Spanish than there are in English. Plus, many commonly used Spanish verbs are reflexive. Think of the verbs irse (“to go”), dormirse (“to sleep”), and vestirse (“to dress oneself”).
Alright, we’re ready to leave the spaceship for exploration! Before you jump down, remember to take your map: “Reflexive Verbs, Spanish List”.
A List of Common Reflexive Verbs in Spanish
Ready to navigate your way around common reflexive verbs terrain?? Great, let me hand you the map.
Spanish verb group
Spanish reflexive verb
English translation
3
aburrirse
to be bored, get bored
1
acercarse
to come closer
1
acordarse
to remember
1
alegrarse
to rejoice
2
atreverse
to dare
1
bañarse
to bath
1
casarse
to get married
1
comprarse
to buy (something) for oneself
2
creerse
to believe, to believe oneself
1
darse
to give oneself
3
decirse
to tell oneself
1
dedicarse
to dedicate oneself
1
despertarse
to wake up, to stand up
3
dormirse
to sleep, to fall asleep
1
ducharse
to take a shower
1
encontrarse
to find oneself
1
enfermarse
to get sick
1
enterarse
to learn, to find out
1
fijarse
to realize
1
hablarse
to talk to oneself
2
hacerse
to make oneself, to act
1
imaginarse
to imagine
3
irse
to go, to go away
1
lavarse
to wash oneself
1
levantarse
to wake up, to stand up
1
llamarse
to be named
2
meterse
to put oneself, to get, to mess around
1
olvidarse
to forget
1
peinarse
to brush or groom one's hair
2
ponerse
to put oneself, to become
1
preguntarse
to ask oneself
1
preocuparse
to be procupied
1
quedarse
to stay, to remain
3
referirse
to refer oneself
3
reirse
to laugh
1
sentarse
to sit
3
sentirse
to feel
2
verse
to see oneself, to look
3
vestirse
to dress oneself
As you can see, there are 39 different Spanish reflexive verbs in this list. Our next step is to explore their conjugation.
The thing is... They don’t all conjugate in the same way. But don’t worry! The Fluent in 3 Months team thought of everything before sending our mission to this planet. I know how to make the conjugation easier for you to grasp.
Reflexive Conjugation, Spanish Edition
First of all, let me reassure you: we are not going to meddle with fancy tenses (subjunctive who?). As this is our first exploration mission on this planet, we’ll take it slow and only talk about the present tense.
Now let’s get on with it.
There are three groups of verbs in Spanish:
first group, with verbs that end in -arsecond group, with verbs that end in -erthird group, with verbs that end in -ir
The purpose of a group is to gather all the verbs that conjugate in the same way: verb root + defined group conjugation.
But some verbs do not follow this pattern: they either change their root or the whole verb altogether. I will point them out and conjugate them.
Present Tense Conjugation of Spanish Reflexive Verbs, -ar Verbs
All the -ar verbs marked conjugate like acercarse...
Acercarse - "to get closer"
me acerco
I get closer
(with tú) *te acercas
you get closer
(with *vos*) *te acercás
you get closer
se acerca
he / she / it gets closer / you get closer
nos acercamos
we get closer
os acercáis
you get closer
se acercan
they / you get closer
… except:
Acordarse - "to remember"
me acuerdo
I remember
(with tú) te acuerdas
you remember
(with vos) te acordás
you remember
se acuerda
he / she / it remembers / you remember
nos acordamos
we remember
os acordáis
you remember
se acuerdan
they / you remember
Darse - "to give oneself"
Note: Darse is usually used in darse cuenta (“to realize”). Cuenta is a noun and doesn’t need conjugation.
me doy
I give myself
te das
you give yourself
se da
he gives himself / she gives herself / it gives itself / you give yourself
nos damos
we give ourselves
os dais
you give yourselves
se dan
they give themselves / you give yourselves
Despertarse - “to wake up”
me despierto
I wake up
(with tú) te despiertas
you wake up
(with vos) te despertás
you wake up
se despierta
he / she / it wakes up / you wake up
nos despertamos
we wake up
os despertáis
you wake up
se despiertan
they wake up / you wake up
Encontrarse - “to find oneself”
me encuentro
I find myself
(with tú) te encuentras
you find yourself
(with vos) te encontrás
you find yourself
se encuentra
he finds himself / she finds herself / it finds itself / you find yourself
nos encontramos
we find ourselves
os encontráis
you find yourselves
se encuentran
they find themselves / you find yourselves
Sentarse - “to sit”
me siento
I sit
(with *tú*) *te sientas
you sit
(with *vos*) *te sentás
you sit
se sienta
he / she / it sits / you sit
nos sentamos
we sit
os sentáis
you sit
se sientan
they / you sit
Present Tense Conjugation of Spanish Reflexive Verbs, -er Verbs
All the verbs marked as belonging to the -er group of Spanish verbs conjugate like atreverse...
Atreverse - "to dare"
me atrevo
I dare
(with *tú*) *te atreves
you dare
(with *vos*) *te atrevés
you dare
se atreve
he / she / it dares / you dare
nos atrevemos
we dare
os atrevéis
you dare
se atreven
they / you dare
… except:
Hacerse - “to make oneself, to act”
Note: The only irregularity with hacerse is the root of the verb at the first person singular. The rest of the conjugation follows the normal second group pattern.
me hago
I make myself
(with tú) te haces
you make yourself
(with vos) te hacés
you make yourself
se hace
he makes himself / she makes herself / it makes itself / you make yourself
nos hacemos
we make ourselves
os hacéis
you make yourselves
se hacen
they make themselves / you make yourselves
Ponerse - “to become, to put oneself, to put on, to start”
me pongo
I become
(with tú) te pones
you become
(with vos) te ponés
you become
se pone
he / she / it becomes / you become
nos ponemos
we become
os ponéis
you become
se ponen
they / you become
Present Tense Conjugation of Spanish Reflexive Verbs, -ir Verbs
Funnily enough, almost none of the third group of verbs follow the verb root + defined group conjugation formula. Here are their different conjugations for -ir verbs.
Aburrirse - “to be bored, to get bored”
me aburro
I am bored
(with tú) te aburres
you are bored
(with vos) te aburrís
you are bored
se aburre
he / she / it is bored / you are bored
nos aburrimos
we are bored
os aburrís
you are bored
se aburren
they / you are bored
Decirse - "to tell oneself"
me digo
I tell myself
(with tú) te dices
I tell myself
(with vos) te decís
you tell yourself
se dice
he tells himself / she tells herself / it tells itself / you tell yourself
nos decimos
we tell ourselves
os decís
you tell yourselves
se dicen
they tell themselves / you tell yourselves
Dormirse - “to sleep, to fall asleep”
me duermo
I fall asleep
(with tú) te duermes
you fall asleep
(with vos) te dormís
you fall asleep
se duerme
he / she / it falls asleep / you fall asleep
nos dormimos
we fall asleep
os dormís
you fall asleep
se duermen
they / you fall asleep
Irse - “to leave, to go”
irse ("to go")
me voy
I go
te vas
you go
se va
he / she / it goes / you go
nos vamos
we go
os vais
you go
se van
they / you go
Referirse (a) - “to refer (to)”
me refiero
I refer
(with *tú*) *te refieres
you refer
(with *vos*) *te referís
you refer
se refiere
he / she / it refers / you refer
nos referimos
we refer
os referís
you refer
se refieren
they / you refer
Reírse - “to laugh, to make fun”
me río
I laugh'
(with tú) te ríes
you laugh
(with vos) te reís
you laugh
se ríe
he / she / it laughs / you laugh
nos reímos
we laugh
os reís
you laugh
se ríen
they / you laugh
Sentirse - “to feel”
me siento
I feel
(with tú) te sientes
you feel
(with vos) te sentís
you feel
se siente
he / she / it feels / you feel
nos sentimos
we feel
os sentís
you feel
se sienten
they / you feel
Vestirse - “to dress”
me visto
I dress myself
(with tú) te vistes
you dress yourself
(with vos) te vestís
you dress yourself
se viste
he dresses himself / she dresses herself / it dresses itself / you dress yourself
nos vestimos
we dress ourselves
os vestís
you dress yourselves
se visten
they dress themselves / you dress yourselves
If You Still Need Help With Reflexive Verbs in Spanish
Mission accomplished! We have samples to take home for further study. Time to reactivate the reactors and enjoy the ride back.
However... Are you serious about becoming fluent in Spanish? Then you will need more expeditions to the Spanish reflexive verbs planet. Let me tell you about the best spaceships to board.
The first is the Spanish Uncovered course. My fellow language-adventurer Olly Richards leads your journey to an intermediate Spanish-speaker level. To do so, he explores the world of reflexive verbs and much more. Find more information about the course in Elizabeth's review.
Secondly, check my list of the best resources for Spanish learning. They’re galactically good and will help you improve your Spanish on many levels.
Ahora Nos Decimos “Hasta Pronto” - “Now, We Tell Each Other See You Soon”
Smooth landing on Earth!
It’s time for you to run to your friends and boast about the discoveries you made. Be kind though, not everyone had the chance to go on spacial Spanish adventures
