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When to Use Reflexive Verbs in Spanish?

Let’s learn how and when to use reflexive verbs in the Spanish language.

Using Me, Te, Se, Nos, Os in Spanish

Note: A reflexive verb in Spanish is when the subject and the object are the same.

I clean myself.
subject: I
verb: clean
object: myself

Since the subject and object are the same, the verb is reflexive.

I clean the car.
subject: I
verb: clean
object: car

Since the subject and object are different, the verb is not reflexive.

Note: When a verb is reflexive, the infinitive ends in “se”

limpiar
to clean (non-reflexive)

limpiarse
to clean oneself (reflexive)

oler
to smell (non-reflexive)

olerse
to smell oneself (reflexive)

Note: When you learned to conjugate regular verbs, you needed to learn a set of pronouns called “subject pronouns.”

Limpiar (to clean) (Present Tense)

yo limpio
tú limpias
él, ella, usted limpia
nosotros(as) limpiamos
vosotros(as) limpiáis
ellos(as), ustedes limpian

Note: To learn to conjugate reflexive verbs, you need to learn a different set of pronouns called “reflexive pronouns.”
These pronouns are positioned before the verb, while the ending “se” is dropped and the verb is conjugated normally.

e.g.

limpiarse

yo me limpio – I clean (myself)

tú te limpias – you clean (yourself) (informal)

él se limpia – he cleans (himself)

ella se limpia – she cleans (herself)

usted se limpia – you clean (yourself) (formal)

nosotros nos limpiamos – we clean (ourselves)

nosotras nos limpiamos – we clean (ourselves) (feminine)

vosotros os limpiáis – you-all clean (yourselves) (informal)

vosotras os limpiáis – you-all clean (yourselves) (informal, feminine)

ustedes se limpian – you-all clean (yourselves)(formal)

ellos se limpian – they clean (themselves)

ellas se limpian – they clean (themselves) (feminine)

Note: The reflexive pronouns are not subject pronouns; rather they are object pronouns.

me (myself)
te (yourself)
se (himself, herself, yourself)
nos (ourselves)
os (yourselves)
se (themselves, yourselves)

Note: The purpose of the reflexive object pronouns is to show that the action of the verb remains with the subject.

Ana se prepara la sopa. (for herself)

Ana prepares the soup. (reflexive)

Ana prepara la sopa.  (for others)
Ana prepares the soup. (non-reflexive)

Tip: When referring to body parts, use the definite article, thus “la cara”, not “su cara”

When to Use Reflexive verbs | Spanish 2

Note: When the sentence has two verbs, the pronoun can be placed directly before the conjugated verb or attached to the end of the infinitive.

e.g.

Te quieres ver. – You want to see yourself.

Quieres verte.

Paola se necesita lavar el pelo – Paola needs to wash her hair.

Paola necesita lavarse el pelo.

Ahora Paola se puede cepillar los dientes – Paola can brush her teeth now.

Ahora Paola puede cepillarse los dientes

Note: Whenever a verb directly follows a preposition, it remains in the infinitive form. For reflexive verbs, the ending “-se” changes to agree with the subject.

e.g.

Antes de cepillarme, yo desayuno.- Before brushing, I have breakfast

Antes de cepillarte, tú desayunas- Before brushing, you have breakfast

Antes de cepillarse, la chica desayuna.- Before brushing, the girl has breakfast

Antes de cepillarnos, nosotros desayunamos.- Before brushing, we had breakfast

Antes de cepillaros, vosotros desayunáis – Before brushing, you have breakfast

Antes de cepillarse, los chicos desayunan.- Before brushing, the boys have breakfast

 

For some verbs, the meaning changes when they are used reflexively.

aburrir – to bore

aburrirse – to be bored

acordar – to agree

acordarse de – to remember

acostar – to put to bed

acostarse – to go to bed

casar – to perform a marriage ceremony

casarse con – to become married to someone

despedir – to fire

despedirse de – to say goodbye

dormir – to sleep

dormirse – to fall asleep

ir – to go

irse – to go away, to leave

morir – to die (abruptly, as of an accident, war, etc.)

morirse – to die (as from natural causes; also “to die” figuratively)

negar – to deny

negarse a – to refuse

parecer – to seem

parecerse a – to resemble

poner – to put

ponerse – to put on

probar – to try, to taste

probarse – to try on

quitar – to take away

quitarse – to take off

Note: A few verbs are always used reflexively.

arrepentirse (e:ie) – to repent

atreverse a – to dare

darse cuenta de – to realize

jactarse de – to boast

quejarse de – to complain about

suicidarse – to commit suicide

 Read more about the Spanish grammar