Spanish reflexive verbs: how and when to use them (10 real examples)

This topic is covered as part of our A1.2 curriculum – in week one of our intensive course, week two of our semi-intensive course, and week four of our evening course.

Not sure what level you're at? Take our free online level test – it takes about 10 minutes.

What is a reflexive verb?

A reflexive verb, simply put, is when both the subject and the object of a sentence are the same. Essentially, a person is performing the action on oneself.

Some examples of reflexive verbs are: cansarse, ducharse, despertarse, vestirse. In English, a reflexive verb can be demonstrated by the pronouns myself, yourself, herself etc, but that is not always the case.

What’s a subject and what’s an object? Well, the subject is the protagonist of the sentence – whether it's a person, place or thing – that is doing the action. The object is the person, place or thing that receives the action performed by the subject.

To understand better, let’s look at an example:

She washes the dishes
Subject: she
Verb: washes
Object: the dishes

In Spanish, you can translate this sentence the same way:

Ella lava los platos
Subject: ella
Verb: lava
Object: los platos

So where do these reflexive verbs come in? Take a look at this next example:

She washes herself
Subject: she
Verb: washes
Object: she (herself: same as the subject)

She is both the object and the subject of the sentence. In English, reflexive verbs are demonstrated with pronouns like myself, himself, ourselves. In Spanish, they already come packed into the verb: caerse, acordarse, mirarse.

In Spanish, we can make the same sentence as the one above:

Ella se lava
Subject: ella
Verb: lava
Object: ella (se: part of the reflexive verb lavarse)

Here, se shows that she is doing the action to herself.

Pronoun-driven verbs like this show up elsewhere in Spanish too – the same kind of logic is behind the verb gustar and the verbs that behave like it.

Sometimes, even in English, the object is not always evident. For example:

I get dressed
Subject: I
Verb: get dressed
Object: I (myself)

Although there is no pronoun myself, we still know that to get dressed implies that the action is done to oneself.

In Spanish, you have to memorise the verbs that imply the action is done to oneself. Vestirse translates to get dressed.

Yo me visto
Subject: yo
Verb: visto
Object: yo (me: part of the reflexive vestirse)

It makes quite a lot of sense to include the reflexive pronoun within the verb itself!

How do you conjugate a reflexive verb in Spanish?

Each pronoun (yo, tú, él, ella etc) has its own reflexive pronoun. If you need a refresher on regular present tense endings first, take a look at our guide to the present tense. The reflexive pronouns themselves are: me, te, se, nos, os, se.

The se you see at the end of the Spanish verb in the infinitive shows you immediately that it is a reflexive verb and must be conjugated accordingly.

When a verb is conjugated (as in the above table) the reflexive pronouns come before the verb:

Example 1:

Yo me acuesto después de un paseo por el Born.

I lie down after a walk around El Born.

Example 2:

Él se llama Marc y vive cerca de la Sagrada Família.

He is called Marc and lives near the Sagrada Família.

In instances where the verb is in the imperative form (an order, request or command), the reflexive pronoun will come attached to the end of the verb:

Example 3:

Báñate antes de que nos vayamos a pasear por la Barceloneta.

Take a shower before we go for a walk in Barceloneta.

Example 4:

Callaos!

Be quiet!

If a sentence already has a conjugated verb, you can either put it before the main conjugated verb verb or attach it to the end of the reflexive verb:

Example 5:

Marta va a dormirse pronto esta noche después de un día explorando el Barri Gòtic.

Marta se va a dormir pronto esta noche después de un día explorando el Barri Gòtic.

Marta is going to sleep early tonight after a day exploring the Barri Gòtic.

Example 6:

Deberíais callaros al entrar a la Catedral de Barcelona.

Os deberíais callar al entrar a la Catedral de Barcelona.

You should be quiet when entering Barcelona Cathedral.

In the first example, the main verb ir (va a) is already conjugated as “she is going to”. Just as in English, you leave the second verb in the infinitive form: she is going to sleep. You wouldn’t say “she is going to sleeps”. In this case, you can put se either before the conjugated verb (va a) OR attach it to the infinitive form as dormirse.

Common Reflexive Verbs in Spanish

There are many reflexive verbs in Spanish; some with different classifications in their meanings. There are some reflexive verbs that show that an action is done to oneself or by oneself:

• Cepillarse (brush one’s teeth or brush one’s hair)

• Levantarse (to get up)

• Vestirse (to get dressed)

Example 7:

Nos levantamos temprano para coger el metro a clase.

We get up early to catch the metro to class.

There are reflexive verbs that can show a change of physical, social, emotional or perceptive state:

• Bajarse: to go down (physical)

• Mojarse: to get wet (physical)

• Casarse: to get married (social)

• Graduarse: to graduate (social)

• Calmarse: to calm oneself (emotional)

• Divertirse: to have fun (emotional)

• Acostumbrarse: to get used to (perceptive/ mental)

• Darse cuenta: to realize (perceptive/ mental)

Example 8:

Nos mojamos bajo la lluvia en Passeig de Gràcia.

We got wet in the rain on Passeig de Gràcia.

Example 9:

Se casaron el año pasado cerca de la Sagrada Família.

They got married last year near the Sagrada Família.

Some show a reciprocal action that requires another person to take part in the action such as:

• Amarse (this one can be to love oneself or each other)

• Conocerse (to meet or know yourself or each other)

• Pelearse (to fight with each other).

Example 10:

Nos peleamos por elegir qué tapas pedir.

We argued over which tapas to order.

Ready to put this into practice?

The best way to get comfortable with reflexive verbs is to hear and use them constantly – which is exactly what happens in our A1.2 classes. Join our intensive course for fast-paced daily practice, our semi-intensive Course for a steadier part-time pace, or our evening course if you're studying around a working day. Not sure which fits? Find out with our level test.