Welcome to Reflexive Verbs (Los Verbos Reflexivos)
Have you ever wondered how to describe your morning routine in Spanish, like waking up, getting dressed, or brushing your teeth? Or maybe how to say who you get along with in your family? To talk about all these everyday actions, we use a special group of verbs called reflexive verbs.
Don't worry if this sounds a bit technical at first! In this guide, we will break everything down into easy, bite-sized steps so you can master them with confidence.
1. What is a Reflexive Verb?
Think of a reflexive verb like looking in a mirror. A verb is reflexive when the person doing the action (the subject) is doing that action to themselves (the object).
Real-World Example:
• Non-reflexive: "I wash the car." (You are doing the action to the car.)
• Reflexive: "I wash myself." (You are doing the action to yourself!)
How to Spot a Reflexive Verb in the Dictionary:
In Spanish, an infinitive (the basic "to..." form of a verb) always ends in -ar, -er, or -ir. When a verb is reflexive, it has the little pronoun -se stuck onto the very end of it.
• duchar (to shower someone else) \(\rightarrow\) ducharse (to shower oneself / have a shower)
• levantar (to lift something) \(\rightarrow\) levantarse (to get oneself up)
Did you know? You have probably been using a reflexive verb since your very first Spanish lesson without even knowing it! When you say "Me llamo..." (My name is...), you are literally saying "I call myself...". That comes from the reflexive verb llamarse.
Key Takeaway: If a verb ends in -se in its infinitive form, it is reflexive, meaning the action reflects back onto the person doing it.
2. The Reflexive Pronouns
To conjugate (change) a reflexive verb, you need two parts: the correct reflexive pronoun and the matching verb ending.
Here are the reflexive pronouns you must learn. Notice how they match each person:
• yo (I) \(\rightarrow\) me (myself)
• tú (you, singular informal) \(\rightarrow\) te (yourself)
• él / ella / usted (he / she / you polite) \(\rightarrow\) se (himself / herself / yourself)
• nosotros / nosotras (we) \(\rightarrow\) nos (ourselves)
• vosotros / vosotras (you all, plural informal) \(\rightarrow\) os (yourselves)
• ellos / ellas / ustedes (they / you all) \(\rightarrow\) se (themselves / yourselves)
Memory Trick: Notice that the third person forms (both singular él/ella and plural ellos/ellas) use the exact same pronoun: se!
3. How to Conjugate a Reflexive Verb (Step-by-Step)
Conjugating a regular reflexive verb in the present tense is as simple as 1, 2, 3!
Step 1: Take off the -se from the end of the infinitive.
Example: ducharse \(\rightarrow\) duchar
Step 2: Pick the correct reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) and place it in front of the verb.
Step 3: Conjugate the remaining verb stem just like any normal present tense verb by adding the correct ending (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for -ar verbs).
Full Example: ducharse (to shower / have a shower)
• yo me ducho = I shower / I have a shower
• tú te duchas = you shower
• él / ella se ducha = he / she showers
• nosotros nos duchamos = we shower
• vosotros os ducháis = you (plural) shower
• ellos / ellas se duchan = they shower
Key Takeaway: The reflexive pronoun always jumps to the front of the conjugated verb: me ducho (NOT ducho me).
4. Essential KS3 Reflexive Verbs Vocabulary
Here are the key reflexive verbs you will encounter in your KS3 topics.
A. Daily Routine & Personal Hygiene (Regular Verbs)
• levantarse — to get up
• lavarse (la cara / los dientes) — to wash (one's face / teeth)
• ducharse — to shower / have a shower
• bañarse — to bathe / take a bath
• peinarse — to comb / brush one's hair
• maquillarse — to put on makeup
• llamarse — to be called
B. Stem-Changing (Radical-Changing) Reflexive Verbs
Some reflexive verbs are stem-changing. This means that when you conjugate them in the present tense, a vowel inside the verb stem changes. However, remember the "Boot Rule": the stem does NOT change for nosotros and vosotros (the forms outside the boot!).
1. \(e \rightarrow ie\) change: despertarse (to wake up)
• me diesperto (I wake up)
• te diespertas (you wake up)
• se diesperta (he/she wakes up)
• nos despertamos (we wake up — no change!)
• os despertáis (you all wake up — no change!)
• se diespertan (they wake up)
2. \(o \rightarrow ue\) change: acostarse (to go to bed)
• me acuesto (I go to bed)
• te acuestas (you go to bed)
• se acuesta (he/she goes to bed)
• nos acostamos (we go to bed — no change!)
• os acostáis (you all go to bed — no change!)
• se acuestan (they go to bed)
Other important stem-changing verbs:
• vestirse (\(e \rightarrow i\)) — to get dressed (e.g., me visto, te vistes, se viste, nos vestimos, os vestís, se visten)
• dormirse (\(o \rightarrow ue\)) — to fall asleep (e.g., me duermo)
• sentarse (\(e \rightarrow ie\)) — to sit down (e.g., me siento)
C. Relationships & Feelings
• llevarse bien / mal con — to get along well / badly with
Example: Me llevo bien con mi hermano. (I get along well with my brother.)
5. Word Order and Double Verbs
Where does the pronoun go when you have more than one verb working together?
Single Conjugated Verb
When you have just one verb, the reflexive pronoun must go directly before it:
• Me levanto a las siete. (I get up at seven o'clock.)
Two Verbs Together (Near Future & Modals)
When using the near future (ir a + infinitive) or modal structures like tener que + infinitive (having to do something), you have two choices for where to put the pronoun:
Option 1: Attach it to the end of the infinitive.
• Voy a ducharme. (I am going to shower.)
• Tengo que levantarme temprano. (I have to get up early.)
Option 2: Place it right in front of the first conjugated verb.
• Me voy a duchar. (I am going to shower.)
• Me tengo que levantar temprano. (I have to get up early.)
Both options mean the exact same thing and are 100% correct!
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid (Pitfalls)
Look out for these common traps that trip up KS3 students:
Mistake 1: Forgetting the pronoun entirely.
In English, we say "I wake up" or "I shower" without adding "myself". In Spanish, you must include the pronoun.
• Incorrect: Ducho a las ocho.
• Correct: Me ducho a las ocho.
Mistake 2: Confusing subject pronouns with reflexive pronouns.
Do not write yo when you mean me.
• Incorrect: Yo levanto temprano.
• Correct: Me levanto temprano OR Yo me levanto temprano.
Mistake 3: Putting the pronoun after a single conjugated verb.
• Incorrect: Ducho me.
• Correct: Me ducho.
Mistake 4: Stem-changing nosotros and vosotros.
Remember: nosotros and vosotros never stem-change in the present tense!
• Incorrect: Nos despiertamos / Nos acuestamos.
• Correct: Nos despertamos / Nos acostamos.
Mistake 5: Using "my/your" instead of "the" with body parts and clothing.
In Spanish, because the reflexive pronoun (me, te, etc.) already shows whose body it is, you use el / la / los / las (the) instead of mi / tu / su (my / your / his).
• Incorrect: Me lavo mi cara.
• Correct: Me lavo la cara. (I wash my face.)
• Incorrect: Me cepillo mis dientes.
• Correct: Me cepillo los dientes. (I brush my teeth.)
Quick Review Summary
• What: Reflexive verbs show the subject is doing the action to themselves.
• Pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se.
• Position: Put the pronoun before a conjugated verb (me peino) OR attach it to an infinitive (voy a peinarme).
• Watch out: Stem changes (\(e \rightarrow ie\), \(o \rightarrow ue\), \(e \rightarrow i\)) apply to all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
• Body parts: Use la / el / las / los instead of mi / tu / su (Me lavo las manos).