Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive Verbs The subject and the verb both perform and receive the action. The subject is doing the action for him/herself. Many of the daily routine verbs are reflexive Reflexive verbs always use a reflexive object pronoun

Reflexive Object Pronouns The placement of Reflexive Object Pronouns is the same as for Indirect and Direct Object Pronouns: Before the conjugated verb Attached to the end of an infinitive Attached to the end of a present participle Attached to the end of an affirmative command.

Reflexive Object Pronouns me nos te se

Some Common Reflexive Daily Routine Verbs: Reflexive Verbs Some Common Reflexive Daily Routine Verbs: despertarse (e:ie) ponerse levantarse quitarse lavarse vestirse (e:i) ducharse irse bañarse desayunarse secarse almorzarse (o:ue) cepillarse cenarse peinarse acostarse (o:ue) maquillarse dormirse (o:ue) afeitarse

Reflexive Verbs Ejemplos: Me seco el cabello. Te cepillas los dientes. Nos lavamos las manos. Ella se levanta temprano. Uds. se duermen tarde.

Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive A reflexive verb is only used if the action is being done to/for oneself. If the action is done for someone else, the verb is non-reflexive. Juan se afeita la barba. John is shaving his (own) beard. Marta baña al bebé. Martha is bathing the baby.

Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive Besides daily routines, most verbs have a non-reflexive counterpart. Often these verbs change meaning depending on whether or not they are used with a reflexive object pronoun.

Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive aburrir to bore aburrirse to be/get bored acordar to agree acordarse to remember comer to eat comerse to eat up dormir to sleep dormirse to fall asleep ir to go irse to go away llevar to carry llevarse to carry away mudar to change mudarse to move (residence) poner to put ponerse to put on (clothes) quitar to take away quitarse to take off “

Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive Some Spanish verbs/expressions are always reflexive, even if they are not so in English. These verbs frequently are followed by a preposition.

Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive acercarse de to approach fijarse en to take notice of arrepentirse de to repent of morirse de to die of atreverse de to dare to olvidarse de to forget about convertirse en to become preocuparse de to worry about darse cuenta de to realize quejarse de to complain about enterarse se to find out about sorprenderse de to be surprised about

Marta y yo nos encontramos al centro comercial. Reciprocal “se” In the plural, reflexive verbs can express reciprocal actions (each other) Marta y yo nos encontramos al centro comercial. Martha and I met each other at the mall. Juan y María no se conocen ya. John and Mary don’t know each other yet.

Impersonal “se” used to express one should/must (not) do or what is (not) done Se habla español. Spanish is spoken here. No se fuma. No smoking.

Reflexive verbs: to get/become The idea of to get or to become can be expressed through use of the reflexive verbs in Spanish and by the following constructions: ponerse + adjective hacerse + adjective (e.g. professions)

Reflexive verbs: to get/become Lola se enferma. Lola is getting sick. Jorge se pone enojado. George is getting angry. Ellos se hacen médicos. They are becoming doctors.