Notes:
A verb is reflexive when the subject and the object are the same.
I wash myself.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: myself
Since the subject and object are the same, the verb is reflexive.
I wash the car.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: car
Since the subject and object are different, the verb is not reflexive.
Here's another example of how a verb can be either reflexive or non-reflexive.
I scratch myself.
subject: I
verb: scratch
object: myself
Since the subject and object are the same, the verb is reflexive.
I scratch the dog.
subject: I
verb: scratch
object: dog
Since the subject and object are different, the verb is not reflexive.
When a verb is reflexive, the infinitive ends in "se."
lavar
to wash (non-reflexive)
lavarse
to wash oneself (reflexive)
rascar
to scratch (non-reflexive)
rascarse
to scratch oneself (reflexive)
There is one reflexive verb you have been using since you began studying Spanish.
llamarse - to call oneself
¿Cómo se llama usted?
What do you call yourself?
Me llamo Juan.
I call myself Juan.
Note: A more "natural" translation would be "What is your name?" and "My name is Juan."
When you learned to conjugate regular verbs, you needed to learn a set of pronouns called "subject pronouns."
lavar
yo lavo
tú lavas
él, ella, usted lava
nosotros/as lavamos
vosotros/as laváis
ellos, ellas, ustedes lavan
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.
lavarse
yo me lavo
I wash (myself)
tú te lavas
you wash (yourself) (informal)
él se lava
he washes (himself)
ella se lava
she washes (herself)
usted se lava
you wash (yourself) (formal)
nosotros nos lavamos
we wash (ourselves)
nosotras nos lavamos
we wash (ourselves) (feminine)
vosotros os laváis
you-all wash (yourselves) (informal)
vosotras os laváis
you-all wash (yourselves) (informal, feminine)
ustedes se lavan
you-all wash (yourselves)(formal)
ellos se lavan
they wash (themselves)
ellas se lavan
they wash (themselves) (feminine)
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)
The purpose of the reflexive object pronouns is to show that the action of the verb remains with the subject.
Juan se lava la cara.
Juan washes his face. (reflexive)
Juan lava su carro. (non-reflexive)
Juan washes his car.
Note: When referring to body parts, use the definite article, thus "la cara" not "su cara."
Note that many, many verbs can be made reflexive. All it means when a verb is reflexive is that the action remains with the subject.
wash the dog (non-reflexive)
wash your face (reflexive)
raise the book (non-reflexive)
raise your arm (reflexive)
put the baby to bed (non-reflexive)
go to bed (reflexive)
wake up your son (non-reflexive)
wake up yourself (reflexive)
...and so on
Now add a flashcard for reflexive verbs:
lavarse to wash oneself
yo me lavo
tú te lavas
él se lava
ella se lava
usted se lava
nosotros nos lavamos
nosotras nos lavamos
vosotros os laváis
vosotras os laváis
ustedes se lavan
ellos se lavan
ellas se lavan
http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/reflexive1.htm
A verb is used reflexively when the subject of the verb is also its object. As you will soon see, verbs are often used the same way in English. What can make reflexive verbs (sometimes called pronominal verbs) frustrating for beginning Spanish students is that a reflexive verb is often called for in Spanish when a different way of wording things is used in English.
An example of a simple sentence using a reflexive verb is "Pedro se lava" (Pedro is washing himself). In that sentence Pedro is both the subject (the one doing the washing) and the object (the person begin washed). Note that the reflexive pronoun (in this case se) typically precedes the verb (although it can be attached to infinitives).
A full explanation of all the uses of reflexive verbs is beyond the scope of this lesson. However, as a beginner you should have at least a basic understanding of the ways reflexive verbs are used so you can understand them when you see or hear them. Here are the main ways such verbs are used:
The verb's subject is acting on itself: As in the example above, this is the most straightforward use of reflexive verbs, and it is certainly the most common way they are used in English. As explained in the lesson on reflexive pronouns, in plural form the pronoun can often be translated as "themselves" or "each other," depending on the context. Some examples:
Verbs used only in the reflexive form: Some verbs in Spanish are used only in the reflexive form, and they may or may not be translated to English using a reflexive construction. In dictionaries, such verbs traditionally are listed with a se at the end of the infinitive, as in abstenerse, which means "to abstain."
Reflexive usages commonly translated in a nonreflexive way: Some Spanish verbs make perfect sense when understood in a reflexive way, but we typically don't translate them that way into English. For example, levantar means "to lift," while its reflexive counterpart, levantarse, could be understood to mean "to lift oneself," but is usually translated as "to get up."
Verbs used reflexively with a change in meaning: Making a verb reflexive can change its meaning in ways that aren't always predictable. Sometimes the difference in meaning is subtle. Following are some common examples; not all possible meanings of the verbs are included.
Adding emphasis with reflexive verbs: Some verbs can be used reflexively to add emphasis. The distinction isn't always readily translated to English. For example, "comí la hamburguesa," means "I ate the hamburger," but the reflexive form, "me comí la hamburguesa," could be translated the same way, or perhaps as "I ate up the hamburger" or "I ate the whole hamburger." Similarly, "piénsalo" might be translated as "think about it," whereas "piénsatelo" might be translated the same way or as "think about it thoroughly."
The "reflexive passive": Often, particularly with inanimate objects, the reflexive form is used to indicate an occurrence without indicating the person or thing responsible for that occurrence. Such uses of the reflexive are typically the equivalent of passive verb forms in English, as in the following examples:
Reflexive forms to indicate emotional reaction: Emotional reactions are often indicated by reflexive verb forms. For example, enojar means "to anger." In the reflexive form, enojarse means "to become angry" or "to be angry." Thus, "se enoja contra su amigo" could be used to say, "he gets angry at his friend." Among the many verbs used in such a way are aburrirse, "to be bored"; alegrarse, "to be happy"; dolerse, "to be hurt"; emocionarse, "to be excited"; horrizarse, "to be horrified"; and sorprenderse, "to be surprised."
More About the Reflexive
Reflexive Verbs and PronounsReflexive PronounsSe
Related Lessons
Verbs That Change Meaning in the Reflexive Form'Reír' and 'Reírse'Reflexive Verbs With an Indirect Object
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