Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs are used to tell that a person does something to or for him or herself.

In English, we really don’t identify with reflexive verbs In English, we really don’t identify with reflexive verbs. So these will seem strange to you.

In English, a sentence using a “so called” reflexive verb might be… I brush my teeth This means I brush my teeth myself. It is an action that I am doing to myself.

If the sentence is I brush my dog. It is not a reflexive action because I am not receiving the action, the dog is!

Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive María brushes her hair. Nicole brushes Ana’s hair

Reflexive vs. Non-reflexive Megan Fox puts on makeup. Wendy puts makeup on Sandra.

You know that a verb is reflexive if its infinitive form ends with the letters se. Here are some examples: ducharse peinarse bañarse cepillarse acostarse

a reflexive pronoun and a verb form. Reflexive verbs have two parts: (me, te, se, nos, se) and a verb form.

LAVARSE (to wash oneself) Verb Form Reflexive Pronoun

Reflexive Pronouns nos (to or for ourselves) me (to or for myself) X se (to or for themselves, you all, or each other) me (to or for myself) te (to or for yourself) se (to or for himself, herself, it)

How do I conjugate a reflexive verb? First, make sure it is reflexive. Second, find out if it is an –ar, -er, or –ir verb and conjugate as you would a regular verb. For example, let’s try peinarse Me peino Nos peinamos Te peinas X Se peina Se peinan

TO WASH ONESELF I wash myself You wash yourself He, She, It washes himelf, etc. We wash ourselves They wash themselves

LAVARSE me lavo te lavas se lava nos lavamos X se lavan

Reflexive Verbs Let’s do more verbs!

CEPILLARSE me cepillo te cepillas se cepilla nos cepillamos X

DUCHARSE me ducho te duchas se ducha nos duchamos X se duchan

IRREGULAR REFLEXIVE VERBS

Common irregular reflexive verbs ACOSTARSE (OUE) DESPERTARSE (EIE) DESVESTIRSE (EI) DORMIRSE (OUE) HACERSE (-GO IN THE YO FORM) IRSE (IRREGULAR) PONERSE (-GO IN THE YO FORM) PROBARSE (OUE) SENTARSE (EIE) SENTIRSE (E IE) VESTIRSE (EI)

Reflexive Verbs When using reflexive verbs to talk about parts of the body, use the definite article. (the el, la, los, las that mean “the”)

Te cepillas los dientes? Reflexive Verbs Nos lavamos el pelo. Te cepillas los dientes?

Reflexive Pronouns They can either go before a conjugated verb or after an infinitive.

Reflexive Pronouns Me voy a lavar el pelo. After the infinitive: Before the verb: Me voy a lavar el pelo. After the infinitive: Voy a lavarme el pelo.