Reflexive Verbs

What is a reflexive verb?

This lesson will teach you general information about the reflexive verbs.  Reflexive verbs describe actions when the subject of the sentence performs an action on him or herself.

For example; "Yo limpio la mesa", means ."I clean the table", it is not reflexive because the action is performed upon the table.  "Yo me limpio las manos", means, "I clean my hands".  This is a case of reflexive verb use (cleaning my hands).  In the reflexive case we use "me limpio" where me is the reflexive pronoun.

Spanish has a large type of verbs called reflexive verbs.

A reflexive verb shows a moment when the person or subject doing the action, receives the action as well.
In other words, a reflexive verb is carried out when the subject of the sentence performs an action on itself.
Therefore, the subject and the object of the sentence are the same.

These types of verbs always have a reflexive pronoun in front, (me, te, se, nos, os, se), that refer to the same person or thing as the subject.


Despertarse e>ie to wake up

Yo	me	despierto	(I wake up)
Tú	te	despiertas	(you informal- wake up)
Él	se	despierta	(he wakes up)
Ella	se	despierta	(she wakes up)
Usted	se	despierta	(you-formal- wake up)
Nosotros	nos	despertamos	(we wake up)
Vosotros	os	depertáis	(all of you-informal-wake up)
Ellos	se	despiertan	(they wake up)
Ellas	se	despiertan	(they feminine- wake up)
Ustedes	se	despiertan	(all of you wake up)

Some common reflexive verbs are the following:

Levantarse	To get up
Bañarse	to bathe, to take a bath
Despertarse e>ie	to wake up
Acostarse o>ue	to go to bed
Cepillarse	to brush oneself
Vestirse e>i	to get dress
Ponerse	to put on
Quitarse	to take off
Lavarse	to wash (a part of the body)
Afeitarse	to shave

 

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