Reflexive Verbs
Daily routine, feelings, and movement — these verbs always come with a pronoun.
Reflexive verbs are one of the features of Spanish that English speakers find most unfamiliar. In English, reflexive constructions ("I woke myself up", "she introduced herself") are optional and fairly rare. In Spanish, reflexive verbs form a large and important category — and the reflexive pronoun is mandatory.
The concept is simpler than it sounds: a reflexive verb describes an action the subject performs on themselves. Llamarse (to call oneself → to be called), ducharse (to shower oneself → to shower), acostarse (to put oneself to bed → to go to bed). The pronoun changes with the subject: me (yo), te (tú), se (él/ella), nos (nosotros), os (vosotros).
Beyond daily routine, reflexive verbs also express emotional reactions (preocuparse — to worry), changes of state (quedarse — to stay), and departures (irse — to leave). Key rule: The reflexive pronoun always comes before the conjugated verb: me levanto, te duchas, se llama.
| Verb | English | me · te · se forms | Real-life Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llamarse | to be called | me llamo · te llamas · se llama The first verb every Spanish learner uses — to introduce yourself. | Me llamo Carlos. ¿Y tú? My name is Carlos. And you? |
| Levantarse | to get up | me levanto · te levantas · se levanta Part of daily routine. Used to describe waking up and getting out of bed. | Me levanto a las siete. I get up at seven. |
| Acostarse | to go to bed | me acuesto · te acuestas · se acuesta Stem-changing (o→ue). Used for bedtime routines. | Me acuesto tarde los fines de semana. I go to bed late on weekends. |
| Ducharse | to shower | me ducho · te duchas · se ducha Regular -ar reflexive. Very common in daily routine descriptions. | Me ducho por la mañana. I shower in the morning. |
| Vestirse | to get dressed | me visto · te vistes · se viste Stem-changing (e→i). Used when talking about getting ready. | Me visto rápido para el trabajo. I get dressed quickly for work. |
| Despertarse | to wake up | me despierto · te despiertas · se despierta Stem-changing (e→ie). Different from levantarse: waking up vs. getting out of bed. | Me despierto a las seis. I wake up at six. |
| Sentarse | to sit down | me siento · te sientas · se sienta Stem-changing (e→ie). Used at restaurants, waiting rooms, and transport. | Siéntese aquí, por favor. Please sit here. |
| Quedarse | to stay | me quedo · te quedas · se queda Used to say you're staying somewhere, or keeping something. | Me quedo en el hotel esta noche. I'm staying at the hotel tonight. |
| Irse | to leave / go away | me voy · te vas · se va More emphatic than 'ir'. Signals a definite departure. | Me voy ahora, hasta luego. I'm leaving now, see you later. |
| Olvidarse | to forget | me olvido · te olvidas · se olvida Often followed by 'de'. Use it to admit you forgot something. | Me olvidé de mi pasaporte. I forgot my passport. |
| Encontrarse | to feel / to meet | me encuentro · te encuentras · se encuentra Used to describe how you feel, or to say you ran into someone. | ¿Cómo te encuentras hoy? How are you feeling today? |
| Preocuparse | to worry | me preocupo · te preocupas · se preocupa Followed by 'por'. The go-to phrase for 'don't worry' is 'no te preocupes'. | No te preocupes, todo está bien. Don't worry, everything is fine. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a reflexive verb in Spanish?
A reflexive verb is a verb where the subject performs the action on themselves. In Spanish, reflexive verbs are identified by the pronoun -se attached to the infinitive (llamarse, ducharse, levantarse). When conjugated, the -se changes to match the subject: me (yo), te (tú), se (él/ella), nos (nosotros), os (vosotros), se (ellos). Example: Me llamo Ana means 'I call myself Ana' — or in natural English, 'My name is Ana'.
What is the difference between ir and irse in Spanish?
Ir means 'to go' and describes movement towards a destination: Voy a la tienda (I'm going to the shop). Irse means 'to leave' or 'to go away' and emphasises the act of departure from where you currently are: Me voy ahora (I'm leaving now). The reflexive form adds a sense of finality. Similarly, quedarse (to stay) is the reflexive counterpart — it implies remaining behind while others leave.
How do reflexive pronouns work in Spanish?
Reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) always come directly before a conjugated verb in a normal sentence: Me ducho, te levantas, se llama. When used with an infinitive or gerund, the pronoun can either stay before the conjugated verb or attach to the end: Quiero ducharme or Me quiero duchar (both correct). With a negative imperative, the pronoun goes before the verb: No te preocupes. With an affirmative imperative, it attaches to the end: Siéntate (Sit down).
Are reflexive verbs only used for daily routines?
No — while daily routine verbs are the most common introduction, reflexive verbs appear in many other contexts. They express emotional reactions (preocuparse — to worry, alegrarse — to be happy), changes of state (ponerse — to become, quedarse — to end up), and reciprocal actions where two people act on each other (Se conocieron en Madrid — They met each other in Madrid). Some verbs also exist only in reflexive form, like quejarse (to complain) and arrepentirse (to regret).
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