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Your Comprehensive Guide to 159 Reflexive Verbs in Spanish

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): 

Example

Yo me lavo las manos antes de comer.

I wash my hands before eating.

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: 

Cuidarse (to take care of oneself).

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: Yo me lavo. (I wash myself)

❌ Incorrect: Él lava 

✅ Correct: 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:

spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
alterarseto find oneself agitated
cambiarseto change clothes
convertirseto turn or convert into
transformarseto transform oneself
volverseto turn around or to go back
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b) Reflexive verbs that indicate a change of place or position, like in these commonly used examples: 

spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
acercarseto come closer
acostarseto lie down
agacharseto bend down
alejarseto go further, distance oneself
desviarseto stray, go off course
sentarseto sit down
moverseto move oneself
levantarseto get up
tumbarseto lie down
separarseto remove or separate oneself

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

spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
ablandarseto soften up
calentarseto heat/warm up
congelarseto freeze, to be frozen
estrecharseto become narrower
llenarseto fill up
mostrarseto show oneself
ocultarseto hide oneself
rizarseto curl up
secarseto dry up

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:

spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
agriarseto turn sour
apagarseto switch off
arrugarseto wrinkle or crumple up
averiarseto break down
corromperseto become corrupt
desteñirseto fade
fraccionarseto divide or fraction into
mancharseto stain
oscurecerseto darken
oxidarseto rust or oxidize
romperseto get broken
vaciarseto empty up

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

spanish reflexive verbsEnglish
aburrirseto get bored
aficionarseto take interest in
alegrarseto cheer up or to be glad
cansarseto become tired
confundirseto get confused
enojarseto get upset
entristecerseto be saddened
escandalizarseto be scandalized
indignarseto be outraged
interesarseto be interested in
molestarseto bother with or to take offense
preocuparseto worry
sorprenderseto be surprised

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.

Subject PronounReflexive Pronoun
yo (I) me (myself)
(you, informal singular) te (yourself)
usted (you, formal singular) se (yourself)
él (he) se (himself)
ella (she) se (herself)
ello (it) se (itself)
nosotros (we, masculine or when both male and female) nos (ourselves)
nosotras (we, feminine) nos (ourselves)
Subject PronounReflexive Pronoun
vosotros (you, plural and informal masculine or when both male and female) os (yourselves)
vosotras (you, plural and informal feminine) os (yourselves)
Ustedes (you, plural and formal masculine or when both male and female) se (yourselves)
ellos (they, masculine or when both male and female) se (themselves)
ellas (they, feminine) se (themselves)

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:

Example

Yo me levanto por las mañanas.

(I get up in the mornings.)

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

Example

Me gusta levantarme temprano.

(I like waking up early.)
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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.

spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
abalanzarseto rush or to thrust oneself at
aborregarseto become sheep-like or to conform blindly
abstenerseto abstain
aburguesarseto become bourgeois
acartonarseto become stiff
acurrucarseto curl up
adentrarseto go deep into
adormilarseto doze off
adueñarseto take control
agolparseto crowd together
agusanarseto become filled with worms or worm-eaten
antojarseto feel like or to crave something
arracimarseto cluster
arremolinarseto swirl
arrepentirseto repent or be remorseful
arrogarseto claim
atenerseto adhere
atreverseto dare
bifurcarseto fork or split into two
condolerseto sympathize
contonearseto sway or to strut
demudarseto change expression
desdibujarseto become blurred
desentenderseto ignore
desgañitarseto shout at the top of one’s lungs
despelotarseto strip, to undress
desquitarseto get even
desternillarseto crack up laughing
desvivirseto go out of one’s way
dignarseto deign
empecinarseto insist stubbornly
enamoriscarseto have a crush
endeudarseto get into debt
enfrascarseto immerse oneself
enfurruñarseto sulk or to become moody
enlozanarseto become glossy
ensañarseto be merciless or to show excessive cruelty
ensimismarseto become lost in thought
esforzarseto make an effort
fugarseto escape
grillarseto go crazy
guasearseto joke around
herniarseto get herniated
indisciplinarseto become undisciplined
inmiscuirseto meddle
jactarseto boast excessively
mofarseto mock
obstinarseto persist
pavonearseto strut or to swagger in a showy way
pitorrearseto make fun of
portarseto behave
querellarseto file a complaint
rebelarseto rebel
regodearseto gloat
repanchigarse/repantigarseto sprawl
resentirseto feel resentful
sincerarseto open up
suicidarseto commit suicide
transparentarseto become transparent
ufanarseto boast
vanagloriarseto brag or to take excessive pride in oneself
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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
spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
alterarseto find oneself agitated
cambiarseto change clothes
convertirseto turn or convert into
transformarseto transform oneself
volverseto turn around or to go back
Change of Place or Position
spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
acercarseto come closer
acostarseto lie down
agacharseto bend down
alejarseto go further, distance oneself
desviarseto stray, go off course
sentarseto sit down
moverseto move oneself
levantarseto get up
tumbarseto lie down
separarseto remove or separate oneself
Change in Form, Presence, or Appearance
spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
ablandarseto soften up
calentarseto heat/warm up
congelarseto freeze, to be frozen
estrecharseto become narrower
llenarseto fill up
mostrarseto show oneself
ocultarseto hide oneself
rizarseto curl up
secarseto dry up
Change in Consistency or Integrity
spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
agriarseto turn sour
apagarseto switch off
arrugarseto wrinkle or crumple up
averiarseto break down
corromperseto become corrupt
desteñirseto fade
fraccionarseto divide or fraction into
mancharseto stain
oscurecerseto darken
oxidarseto rust or oxidize
romperseto get broken
vaciarseto empty up
Change in Mood or Emotion
spanish reflexive verbsMeaning
aburrirseto get bored
aficionarseto take interest in
alegrarseto cheer up or to be glad
cansarseto become tired
confundirseto get confused
enojarseto get upset
entristecerseto be saddened
escandalizarseto be scandalized
indignarseto be outraged
interesarseto be interested in
molestarseto bother with or take offense
preocuparseto worry
sorprenderseto be surprised

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Reflexive Verbs in Spanish || FAQs

What is a reflexive verb in Spanish?

A reflexive verb is one wherein the subject of the verb performs the action onto itself, like in the example:

Yo me caliento el té por las mañanas. (I warm up my tea in the mornings).

In the example above, note how the verb reflects back the action on the subject, as the subject (yo) is both the doer and the receiver of the action.

How to conjugate reflexive verbs in Spanish?

First, we have to identify the reflexive verb, like for example, levantarse (to get up), used in the sentence:

Yo me levanto temprano por las mañanas. (I get up early in the mornings.)

Once the reflexive verb is identified, then we have to make sure that the subject pronoun used in the sentence corresponds with the matching reflexive pronoun. 

In the case of the example, me (myself) is the reflexive pronoun that would correspond to the subject pronoun yo (I).

Once we have a match between the corresponding subject and reflexive pronouns, we then remove the ending ‘se’ from the verb (levantar) and conjugate as per the general rules of the specific verb tense. 

In the case of the example, the conjugated verb would be levanto, so we then place the corresponding reflexive pronoun me before the verb, like so:

Yo me levanto por las mañanas. (I get up in the mornings.)

If in the case of infinitive, like in the example below, the reflexive pronoun me would be attached to the end of the verb (levantar), like so:

Me gusta levantarme temprano. (I like waking up early.)

Are reflexive pronouns the same as subject pronouns?

Subject pronouns – used as the subject of a sentence in the place of a noun – are different from reflexive pronouns that are used to refer back to the subject of the sentence.

Basically, when the subject of the (reflexive) verb performs the action onto itself, we use a reflexive pronoun usually before the verb, like in the example below:

Yo me levanto temprano. (I get up early.)

When using reflexive pronouns (that refer back to the subject of the sentence), we have to make sure to identify and use the correct corresponding subject pronoun. See the correspondence chart below so you can’t go wrong.

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