Some verbs in Spanish are always used with a pronoun. Spanish reflexive verbs are those where the subject and the object are the same. They are used to express actions that one does to oneself. These verbs, in their infinitive form, have the reflexive pronoun –
Spanish Reflexive Verbs
The reflexive pronouns express that the subject does an action on or to itself. You need to choose which reflexive pronoun to use according to the person (subject).
| Subject Pronouns | Reflexive Pronouns |
| yo | |
| tú | |
| él, ella, usted | |
| nosotros, nosotras | |
| vosotros, vosotras | |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes |
Unlike in English, in Spanish you need to use the pronoun before the verb.
Yo me afeito por la noche.
I shave at night.
¿Tú te duchas con agua fría?
Do you take a shower with cold water?
Nuria tiene diez años y se viste sin ayuda.
Nuria is ten years old and she gets dressed by herself.
Juan y yo nos miramos en el espejo.
Juan and I look at ourselves in the mirror.
Vosotras no os cepilláis el pelo cada día.
You don’t brush your hair every day.
Ellas se maquillan en la habitación.
They do their make-up in the room.
Reflexive or Non-reflexive?
Some verbs may be both reflexive or non-reflexive. On the contrary, other verbs only exist in their reflexive form. Let’s see some examples.
Similar Meaning
Some verbs have their reflexive and non-reflexive form. When they are reflexive, the infinitive ends in –
Mi hermana me maquilla para la fiesta.
My sister makes me up for the party.
Yo no me maquillo todas las mañanas.
I don’t put on make-up every morning.
Manuela limpia la mesa después de comer.
Manuela cleans the table after eating.
Manuela se limpia los pies después de estar en la playa.
Manuela cleans her feet after being at the beach.
Different Meaning
Some Spanish reflexive verbs may not mean the same as the verb without the pronoun. Compare the following examples and notice that these Spanish reflexive verbs change their meaning when used with the pronoun.
Los trabajadores acuerdan empezar a trabajar más duro.
The workers agree to start working harder.
¿Te acuerdas de Miguel, el amigo de mi prima?
Do you remember Miguel, my cousin’s friend?
Mi abuelo llama a mi padre todos los días.
My grandfather calls my father every day.
Mi abuelo se llama Ignacio y mi abuela se llama Julia.
My grandfather is called Ignacio and my grandmother is called Julia.
Los obreros encontraron hierro debajo del puente.
The workers found iron under the bridge.
El acuario de Valencia se encuentra cerca de la playa.
The aquarium in Valencia is located near the beach.
Not Reflexive Meaning
There are many verbs that end in –
Look at these examples and see how they are used. You will find out the subject is not the recipient of the action. These are only three Spanish reflexive verbs that do not exist in a non-reflexive form. Therefore, they are are always used with the reflexive pronouns.
Yo me quejo del hotel.
I complain about the hotel.
El vecino se queja del ruido.
The neighbor complains about the noise.
Yo me arrepiento de no cenar con vosotros.
I regret not having dinner with you.
Él no se arrepiente de su pasado.
He doesn’t regret his past.
Yo no me atrevo a cantar.
I don’t dare to sing.
Pedro no se atreve a saltar.
Pedro doesn’t dare to jump.
Exercises
Here are some exercises to practice Spanish reflexive verbs.