What makes a verb reflexive
A reflexive verb describes an action the subject does to itself. In English we often skip that part (“I get up,” “she showers”), but Spanish always shows it with a pronoun: me levanto, se ducha. In dictionaries these verbs end in -se: levantarse, ducharse, llamarse.
The pronouns
| Subject | Pronoun | Example (levantarse) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | me levanto |
| tú | te | te levantas |
| él / ella / usted | se | se levanta |
| nosotros / nosotras | nos | nos levantamos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se | se levantan |
The pronoun goes right before a conjugated verb: Me ducho. With an infinitive or a command, it attaches to the end: Voy a ducharme. ¡Levántate!
Common reflexive verbs
Daily routine
- despertarse — to wake up
- levantarse — to get up
- ducharse — to shower
- vestirse — to get dressed
- acostarse — to go to bed
Feelings and changes
- sentirse — to feel
- preocuparse — to worry
- divertirse — to have fun
- enojarse — to get angry
- ponerse nervioso — to get nervous
Verbs that change meaning
Adding se can change the meaning, not just the grammar. Ir means “to go,” but irse means “to leave.” Dormir is “to sleep,” while dormirse is “to fall asleep.” Llamar is “to call,” but llamarse is “to be called”: Me llamo Carlos. Watch for these in the drill.