ITALIAN REFLEXIVE VERBS

In addition to verbs in active and passive forms, there are also reflexive verbs in Italian. What are they?

A verb takes the reflexive form when the subject performs an action directed at the subject itself.

Therefore, the subject both performs and undergoes the action (we can also say that it’s both the subject and the object of the action).

PRONOMINAL PARTICLES

To form reflexive verbs in Italian, you’ll need pronominal particles mi, ti, si, ci, vi, meaning myself, yourself, him/his/itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves.

HOW TO USE REFLEXIVE VERBS

Reflexive verbs in Italian require the reflexive pronoun to precede the indicative form of the verb when conjugated.

Although reflexive verbs follow the same conjugation patterns as regular verbs, they do not allow for the omission of pronouns. Therefore, within a sentence, reflexive pronouns (pronominal particles) always come before the verb.

Let’s now look at an example:

Let’s now look at some of the most used Italian tenses (almost all tenses follow this pattern, see exeptions after the table):

Notice how reflexive verbs always use the verb essere, and not avere, to form complex tenses.

In the infinitive form, the last letter “-e” is substituted by “-si”, so we have, for example, the active verb “lavare” (to wash) and the reflexive verb “lavarsi” (to wash oneself).

In the negative imperative form, the pronominal particles can either be placed before the verb, as usual, or after, becoming one with the verb. Look at the examples:

The particle and the verb become one also in other sentences with the infinitive form, for example:

In the affirmative imperative form, the pronominal particles are not placed in front of the verb, but after, and they become one with the verb. See some examples:

In the gerund tense, the particles also become one with the verb.

IMPROPER REFLEXIVE VERBS

There are also verbs similar to reflexives but not properly reflexive. These are divided into apparent, reciprocal, and pronominal reflexive verbs.

Apparent reflexive verbs: with these verbs, the subject does not undergo the action, and we have another object after the verb.

Reciprocal reflexive verbs: in these cases, pronominal particles indicate a reciprocal action, performed by two subjects reciprocally.

Reflexive pronominal verbs: with these verbs, pronominal particles are part of the verb as suffixes, without any reflexive value.

THE MAIN REFLEXIVE VERBS + EXAMPLES

Many verbs that are reflexive in English are also reflexive in Italian, but not all are reflexive in both languages. Here are the most common Italian reflexive verbs, along with a real-life example and its translation:

REFLEXIVE VERBS FOR EMPHASIS

Many transitive verbs can also be used as reflexives simply to give emphasis to the expression:

In all the examples, it would have been perfectly fine to use the non-reflexive form (mangerei, hai comprato, ho bevuto, ho fatto), but the reflexive form gives these sentences some kind of emphatic, colloquial and native-like tone.

Here’s everything you need to know about reflexive verbs. They’re quite frequent in Italian and, as usual, the best way to learn them isn’t to repeat a list, but to listen and practice.

Reflexive verbs can be found everywhere! For example, in the catchy chorus of this song from the 90s:

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