SPANISH REFLEXIVE VERBS

Reflexive verbs in Spanish belong to the category of Pronominal verbs, so all reflexive verbs are pronominal, although not all pronominal verbs are reflexive.

In simpler terms, reflexive verbs indicate that the subject is performing the action onto itself, like in the example below, using the inherently reflexive verb lavarse (to wash oneself).

Let’s have a look in more details.

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish: When the Doer Becomes the Receiver

👉 Reflexive verbs in Spanish belong to the category of Pronominal verbs, so all reflexive verbs are pronominal, although not all pronominal verbs are reflexive.

Pronominal verbs (in reference to the necessary accompanying pronouns) are those that are conjugated with their corresponding pronominal form (also referred to as reflexive pronouns): me, te, se, nos, os, se.

Within the pronominal category, we have the ‘inherently reflexive verbs’, characterized by both the direct complement and the subject of the action in a given sentence having the same reference. 

In simpler terms, reflexive verbs indicate that the subject is performing the action onto itself, like in the example below, using the inherently reflexive verb lavarse (to wash oneself): 

Grammar review: A direct complement is the noun/pronoun or noun phrase that directly receives the action of the verb in a given sentence. 

👉 Like in the example, ‘He eats cake’, cake would be the direct complement, as it answers the question ‘what (does he eat)?’ or ‘whom?’

Let’s break it down!

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish || Inherently Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish || Matching Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish || Main Categories of Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish || How to Conjugate Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish || The most Characteristic examples

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish || The Most Common groups of Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish || FAQs

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish ||
Inherently Reflexive Verbs

👉 In Spanish, inherently reflexive verbs (or, for the sake of brevity, ‘reflexive verbs’) indicate that the subject performs the action onto itself, like in the example below: 

Play Cuidarse (to take care of oneself).

Play Yo me cuido mucho. (I take good care of myself).

In the example above note how the verb reflects back the action on the subject.

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish ||
Matching Reflexive Pronouns

👉 The particularity of the reflexive verbs is that they are used in conjunction with the reflexive pronoun that corresponds and agrees with in number and gender.

Like in the example below with the use of the reflexive verb lavarse (to wash oneself):

❌ Incorrect: Yo lavo 

✅ Correct: Play Yo me lavo. (I wash myself)

❌ Incorrect: Él lava 

✅ Correct: Play Él se lava. (He washes himself)

Note how the subject is both the doer and the receiver of the action.

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish ||
Main Categories of Reflexive Verbs

👉 Reflexive verbs can be categorized in many different forms, although these are the most common groups:

a) Reflexive verbs that express a change, in the broader sense, like in these frequently used examples:

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b) Reflexive verbs that indicate a change of place or position, like in these commonly used examples: 

c) Reflexive verbs that express a change in form, presence, appearance, constitution or external aspect, like in the commonly used examples below:

d) Reflexive verbs that indicate a change in the consistency or wholeness/integrity of something, usually with some degree of loss or damage, like in these frequently used examples:

e) Reflexive verbs that express a change in mood or emotion:  or emotional change, like in these frequently used examples:

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish ||
How to Conjugate Reflexive Verbs

Prior to conjugating a reflexive verb, we have to identify the correct subject pronoun that corresponds to the reflexive pronoun. See the correspondence chart below so you can’t go wrong.

Next steps…

Let’s use the reflexive verb levantarse as an example, using the phrase ‘I get up in the mornings’. In the case of the example, me (myself) is the reflexive pronoun that would correspond to the subject pronoun yo (I).

After you’ve identified the corresponding subject pronoun and reflexive pronoun, we remove the ending ‘se’ from the verb (levantar) and conjugate as per the general rules of the specific verb tense. 

Once we have the conjugated verb, in the case of the example, we place the corresponding reflexive pronoun me before the verb, like so:

If in the case of infinitive, the reflexive pronoun me is attached to the end of the verb (levantar), like in this example:

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Reflexive Verbs in Spanish ||
The Most Characteristic Examples

According to the Real Academia Española (the foremost authority in the Spanish language), these are the most characteristic examples of reflexive verbs. The list of course is not fully comprehensive, although does cover a wide range.

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Reflexive Verbs in Spanish ||
The Most Common Groups of Reflexive Verbs

These are the most common groups of reflexive verbs, each expressing different categories of actions:

Change in a Broader Sense

Change of Place or Position

Change in Form, Presence, or Appearance

Change in Consistency or Integrity

Change in Mood or Emotion

If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out the following posts:

👉 Different Ways to Say No in Spanish

👉 Is It Por or Para in Spanish?

🌍 For a more global challenge, take a look at Verbs in Chinese and How to Conjugate Korean Verbs

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish || FAQs

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MORE FREE LESSONS

• Reflexive Pronouns in Spanish

  Me, te, se, nos, os

• Past tense in Spanish

  Remove ending -ar/-er/-ir + add conjugated ending

• Asking questions in Spanish

  Qué, Cómo, Quién, Dónde, Cuándo...

• Prepositions in Spanish

  Preposition + Object