This Spanish Grammar lesson covers Reflexive Verbs and Reflexive Pronouns. In Spanish, a verb is considered reflexive if the subject (the performer of the action) and the object (the receiver of the action) are the same.
Heres an example of a reflexive verb being used in English:
I wash myself.
In the above sentence the verb wash is considered reflexive because the subject or the one performing the action (I) and the object or the one receiving the action (myself) are the same. On the other hand, if I said I wash the baby, the verb wash is no longer reflexive because the subject or the one performing the action (I) and the object or the one receiving the action (baby) are not the same.
Spanish reflexive verbs consist of a verb and a reflexive pronoun. The following are reflexive pronouns or objects of reflexive verbs.
me myself
teyourself (tú form)
seyourself (usted form)
nosourselves
sethemselves, yourselves
When there is just one verb in the sentence, the reflexive pronoun must come before the reflexive verb.
Me baņo.
I wash myself
However, when there are two verbs in the sentence, the reflexive pronoun either comes right before the first verb or follows the second verb.
Quiero baņarme.
I want to wash myself.
Me quiero baņar.
I want to wash myself.
Here are some examples using reflexive verbs.
Me afeito
I shave myself
Te duchas
You take a shower
Se llama Juan
He calls himself John
Nos dormimos
We fall asleep
No nos sentamos
We dont sit down
Se enojan
They get mad
Se levantan
All of you get up
Te cepillas los dientes
You brush your teeth.
Literally, los dientes means the teeth and not your teeth. Since we are using the reflexive pronoun te it is obvious whose teeth we are talking about.
Here some common reflexive verbs in Spanish.
acostarse to go to bed
afeitarseto shave oneself
baņarseto bathe oneself
casarse (con alguien)to get married, to marry someone
cepillarseto brush oneself
despertarse (ie) to wake up
desvestirse (i)to get undressed
divertirse (ie)to enjoy oneself
dormirse (ue)to fall asleep
ducharseto take a shower
enfermarse to get sick
lavarseto wash oneself
levantarseto get up
llamarseto be named, to be called
mirarseto look at oneself
peinarseto comb (ones hair)
quitarse (la ropa)to takeoff (ones clothes)
secarseto dry ones self
sentarse (ie)to sit down
sentirse (ie)to feel
vestirse (i)to get dressed
Now lets try a few exercises. Translate the following into Spanish.
The answers follow the questions.
1.My title
is Patrick
2.You brush your hair every evening. (Use tu form)
3.You might
wash your feet. (Use tú form)
4.Do you take a shower or do you take a bath in the morning? (Use the usted form)
5.He takes off his pants.
6.We wash our hands before dinner.
7. The wake up very late.
Answers.
1.Me llamo Patrick.
2.Te cepillas el pelo cada noche.
3.Te puedes lavar los pies. Puedes lavarte los pies.
4.Se ducha o se baņa en la maņana?
5.Se quita los pantalones.
6.Nos lavamos las manos antes de la cena.
7.Se despiertan muy tarde.
