REFLEXIVO/ REFLEXIVE

Reflexive verbs express that the subject of the sentence does the action to himself/herself (e.g., I introduced myself to the class.) In Spanish, -se at the end of an infinitive indicates that the verb is reflexive (levantarse/ to get up). When conjugated, the verb is followed by a reflexive pronoun.

Note that each subject of the verb has a corresponding reflexive pronoun as follows:

VESTIRSE/ TO GET DRESSED

Yo me visto./I get dressed, I dress myself.

Tú te vistes./ You get dressed, you dress yourself.

Usted se viste./ You get dressed, you dress yourself.

Él se viste./ He gets dressed, he dresses himself.

Ella se viste./ She gets dressed, she dresses herself.

Nosotros nos vestimos./ We get dressed, we dress ourselves.

Vosotros os vestís./ You get dressed, you dress yourselves.

Ellos se visten./ They get dressed, they dress themselves.

Uds. se visten./ You get dressed, you dress yourselves.

I. Reflexive pronouns are positioned in a sentence in the following manners; keep in mind that in English, many verbs have reflexive meanings that are not expressed, but understood:

1. Before a conjugated verb

·         Juan se queda en la reunión./ Juan stays in the meeting.

2. Before a verb in negative command

·         No te quedes en la reunión./ Don't stay in the meeting.

3. After a gerund or before the verb estar

·         Juan está comiéndose una manzana./ Juan is eating an apple.

·         Juan se está comiendo una manzana./ Juan is eating an apple.

4. After an infinitive or before the main verb

·         No quería levantarme esta mañana./ I didn't want to get up this morning.

·         No me quería levantar esta mañana./ I didn't want to get up this morning.

5. At the end of the verb in an affirmative command

·         Siéntense, niños./ Children, sit down.

NOTE: In commands addressed to nosotros, the final -s is omitted and -nos is added.

·         Alegrémonos./ Let's rejoice.

·         No nos alegremos./ Let's not rejoice.

6. Before a direct object pronoun:

·         Te lavaste las manos? Sí, me las lavé./ Did you wash your hands? Yes, I did wash them.

 

II. In a reflexive construction, since the reflexive pronoun identifies who does the action, possession is understood; therefore, the definitive article is used rather than the possessive adjective, which is the case in English.

EXAMPLES

·         Tienes que cortarte el pelo./ You need to get cut your hair (You need a haircut).

·         Mi esposo se baña y se lave la cara./ My husband bathes (himself) and washes his face.

 

III. Sentir (se)/ to feel is reflexive when used with an adjective and non-reflexive when used with a noun.

EXAMPLES

·         Mi madre se siente aburrida./ My mother feels bored.

·         Mi madre siente aburrimiento./ My mother feel boredom.

 

IV. The following verbs are typically used in a reflexive construction:

REFLEXIVE

Acostarse/ to go to bed

Afeitarse o rasurarse/ to shave

Bañarse/ to bathe

Callarse/ to stop talking

Despertarse/ to wake up

Ducharse/ to take a shower

Levantarse/ to get up

Peinarse/ to comb one's hair

Ponerse/ to put on

Probarse/ to try on

Quedarse/ to remain, to stay

Quitarse o sacarse/ to take off

Sentarse/ to sit down

V. The following verbs have slightly different meanings when used in their reflexive form:

NON-REFLEXIVE	REFLEXIVE
Abonar/ to pay	abonarse/to subscribe
Acordar/ to agree to	acordarse/ to remember
Acostar/ to put, to bed	acostarse/ to go to bed
Alegrar/ to cheer up	alegrarse/ to be glad, to rejoice
Burlar/ to deceive	burlarse/ to make fun of
Casar/ to marry	casarse/ to get married
Conducir/ to drive	conducirse/ to behave
Despedir/ to dismiss	despedirse/ to say goodbye
Detener/ to detain	detenerse/ to stop
Dirigir/ to direct	dirigirse/ to address
Dormir/ to sleep	dormirse/ to fall asleep
Encontrar/ to find	encontrarse/ to be located, to meet
Hacer/ to make	hacerse/ to be
Ir/ to go	irse/ to leave
Levantar/ to lift	levantarse/ to get up
Llamar/ to call	llamarse/ to be named
Llevar/ to carry, take	llevarse/ to take away
Negar/ to deny	negarse/ to refuse
Parecer/ to seem, appear	parecerse/ to look like
Poner/ to place, to put	ponerse/ to wear, to put on, to become
Probar/ to taste	probarse/ to try on
Quitar/ to take away	quitarse/ to take off
Volver/ to return	volverse/ to become, to turn around

 

VI. The following verbs are used with a reflexive pronoun but do not have a reflexive meaning:

NON-REFLEXIVE MEANING

Arrepentirse (de)/ to repent

Asomarse / to look out of

Atreverse (a)/ to dare

Darse cuenta (de)/ to realize

Empeñarse (en)/ to insist on

Enterarse (de)/ to find out (about)

Equivocarse/ to make a mistake

Portarse bien/ to behave

Portarse mal/ to misbehave

Quejarse (de)/ to complain

Tratarse (de)/ to be related to an issue (This is only for the 3rd person)

Resignarse/ to resign

VII. In Spanish there are 3 different ways of expressing the English to become or to be.

1. Volverse/ to become is used to refer to a change in physical or emotional state, but it denotes a sudden change.

EXAMPLES

·         La madre se volvió loca cuando el hijo fue asesinado./ The mother (became) went crazy when her son was killed.

·         El cielo se volvió negro antes de llover./ The sky (became dark) darkened before raining.

2. Ponerse / to be, to become is used refer to physical or emotional changes.

EXAMPLES

·         Nos pusimos contentos cuando ganamos el partido./ We (became) were happy when we won the game.

·         Sofía se puso triste cuando el novio se fue a la Argentina./ Sofía (became) was sad when her boyfriend left to Argentina.

3. Hacerse/ to be, become is used to indicate personal effort.

EXAMPLES

·         Me haré famoso después de esta película./ I'll become famous after this movie.

·         Liliana se hará doctora después de tanto estudiar./ Liliana will (become) be a doctor after so much studying.