Reflexive Verbs Verbos Reflexivos Una explicación Reflexive Verbs Verbos Reflexivos

What is a reflexive verb? A verb is reflexive when the subject and the object are the same. This means that the person doing the action also receives the action. When people do something to or for themselves, a reflexive verb is required in Spanish.

The same verb can be both reflexive and non-reflexive. lavarse – to wash oneself La mujer se lava la cara. The woman washes her face. lavar – to wash La mujer lava el carro. The woman washes the car.

Otro ejemplo…another example REFLEXIVE NON-REFLEXIVE mirarse – to look at oneself El bebé se mira en el espejo. The baby looks at himself in the mirror. mirar – to look at, watch El bebé mira la televisión. The baby watches TV.

Characteristics of a reflexive verb These verbs end with a reflexive pronoun (se) in the infinitive form bañarse = to bathe oneself afeitarse = to shave oneself maquillarse = to put makeup on oneself They are commonly (but not always) used when an action is performed to the body secarse el pelo = to dry one's hair lavarse las manos = to wash one's hands pintarse las uñas = to paint one's nails

How do they translate in English? Sometimes they translate well into English and you will see the reflexive pronoun in the sentence. Yo me miro en el espejo. = I look at myself in the mirror. Sometimes they do NOT translate well into English and the reflexive pronoun is not used in the translation (although it still appears in Spanish). Yo me cepillo los dientes. = I brush my teeth. *Notice I didn’t say, “I brush myself my teeth.” In English the reflexive pronoun is often implied.

¡Hablemos de la conjugación! Let’s talk about conjugation! levantarse – to get oneself up Pretend the se is not there for a moment and look at the verb in the infinitive form = levantar. Conjugate that verb. levantarse – to get oneself up yo nosotros tú vosotros él, ella, Ud. ellos, ellas, Uds. levanto levantamos levantas levantáis levanta levantan

¡Hablemos de la conjugación! Let’s talk about conjugation! levantarse – to get oneself up Now go back and add the reflexive pronoun in BEFORE the conjugated verb. The reflexive pronoun will need to change to match the subject. levantarse – to get oneself up yo nosotros tú vosotros él, ella, Ud. ellos, ellas, Uds. me levanto nos levantamos te levantas os levantáis se levanta se levantan

levantarse – to get oneself up What does that reflexive pronoun mean? *It shows who is receiving the action me = myself te = yourself se = himself, herself, itself nos = ourselves os = yourselves se = themselves, yourselves levantarse – to get oneself up yo nosotros tú vosotros él, ella, Ud. ellos, ellas, Uds. me levanto nos levantamos te levantas os levantáis se levanta se levantan

levantarse – to get oneself up In context… levantarse – to get oneself up yo nosotros tú vosotros él, ella, Ud. ellos, ellas, Uds. levanto levantas levanta me te se levantamos levantáis levantan nos os se Yo me levanto a las seis. I get (myself) up at six. Tú te levantas a las seis. You get (yourself) up at six. Pablo se levanta a las seis. Pablo gets (himself) up at six. Nosotros nos levantamos a las seis. We get (ourselves) up at six. Vosotros os levantáis a las seis. You all get (yourselves) up at six. Ellos se levantan a las seis. They gets (themselves) up at six.