Grammar
Reflexive Verbs in Spanish: A Clear Guide (With List)
Reflexive verbs look strange at first because of that extra little pronoun. The idea behind them is simple: the subject does the action to itself.
You look up “to get up” and the dictionary says levantarse, with that -se stuck on the end. Conjugate it and a second little word appears: me levanto. That extra word is a reflexive pronoun, and it’s the only thing that makes reflexive verbs different.
A verb is reflexive when the subject and the object are the same: you wash yourself, you get yourself up. Spanish marks that with a pronoun that matches the subject.
The reflexive pronouns
There are six, one for each subject:
| Subject | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | me levanto |
| tú | te | te levantas |
| él / ella / usted | se | se levanta |
| nosotros/as | nos | nos levantamos |
| vosotros/as | os | os levantáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se | se levantan |
Notice the verb itself (levanto, levantas, levanta) conjugates exactly like the normal verb levantar. The only addition is the pronoun. So if you can conjugate a regular verb, you can conjugate its reflexive version.
Where the pronoun goes
This is the part worth practicing, because the pronoun moves depending on the sentence.
- Before a conjugated verb: Me ducho por la mañana.
- Attached to an infinitive: Voy a ducharme. (You can also say Me voy a duchar. Both are correct.)
- Attached to a gerund: Estoy duchándome. (Again, Me estoy duchando also works.)
- Attached to an affirmative command: Dúchate. But with a negative command it goes before: No te duches todavía.
The most common reflexive verbs
A large share of reflexive verbs describe daily routine, your body, and changes in mood or state. These are the ones to learn first:
| Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| levantarse | to get up |
| despertarse | to wake up |
| ducharse | to shower |
| bañarse | to take a bath |
| lavarse | to wash (up) |
| cepillarse | to brush (teeth, hair) |
| afeitarse | to shave |
| vestirse | to get dressed |
| peinarse | to comb one’s hair |
| acostarse | to go to bed |
| dormirse | to fall asleep |
| sentarse | to sit down |
| ponerse | to put on (clothes); to become |
| quitarse | to take off |
| llamarse | to be called / named |
| sentirse | to feel |
| divertirse | to have fun |
| aburrirse | to get bored |
| enojarse | to get angry |
| preocuparse | to worry |
| acordarse | to remember |
| irse | to leave, go away |
| quedarse | to stay |
| quejarse | to complain |
Reflexive can change the meaning
Some verbs shift meaning when you make them reflexive. This is where reflexives stop being about literal “self” actions and start carrying their own sense.
| Plain verb | Reflexive | Shift |
|---|---|---|
| ir (to go) | irse (to leave) | Voy al trabajo vs Me voy (I’m leaving) |
| dormir (to sleep) | dormirse (to fall asleep) | the moment of falling asleep |
| poner (to put) | ponerse (to put on / become) | se puso el abrigo; se puso triste |
| acordar (to agree) | acordarse (to remember) | acordarse de algo |
| parecer (to seem) | parecerse (to resemble) | se parece a su madre |
If a plain verb looks familiar but the reflexive meaning surprises you, that’s normal. Treat the reflexive form as its own vocabulary item.
Practice the placement, not just the list
Reading the rule for pronoun placement is easy. Producing acuéstate temprano or me estoy preparando under your own steam is the hard part, and it only comes from doing it.
Conjugo drills verbs in every tense so the conjugation underneath the reflexive becomes automatic. Once the verb is automatic, the pronoun is the easy part.