Reflexive Pronouns in Spanish
This section explains Reflexive Pronouns in Spanish. Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object of a verb are the same—that is, when someone does an action to themselves.
Spanish Reflexive Pronouns
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Myself | Me | Me despierto temprano. → I wake up early. |
| Yourself (informal) | Te | Te lavas las manos. → You wash your hands. |
| Himself / Herself / Itself / Yourself (formal) | Se | Juan se afeita. → Juan shaves (himself). |
| Ourselves | Nos | Nosotros nos levantamos a las ocho. → We get up at eight. |
| Yourselves (plural, Spain) | Os | ¿A qué hora os acostáis? → What time do you (all) go to bed? |
| Themselves / Yourselves (plural, Latin America & formal Spain) | Se | Ellos se visten rápido. → They get dressed quickly. |
✅ Reflexive pronouns always match the subject of the verb.
Common Reflexive Verbs
Many verbs in Spanish must be used with reflexive pronouns because they describe actions done to oneself.
| Spanish Verb | English Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Levantarse | To get up | Me levanto temprano. → I get up early. |
| Despertarse (e→ie) | To wake up | ¿A qué hora te despiertas? → What time do you wake up? |
| Vestirse (e→i) | To get dressed | Nos vestimos rápidamente. → We get dressed quickly. |
| Ducharse | To shower | Juan se ducha por la mañana. → Juan showers in the morning. |
| Peinarse | To comb one's hair | Me peino antes de salir. → I comb my hair before leaving. |
| Afeitarse | To shave | ¿Te afeitas todos los días? → Do you shave every day? |
| Maquillarse | To put on makeup | Ella se maquilla para la fiesta. → She puts on makeup for the party. |
| Acostarse (o→ue) | To go to bed | Me acuesto tarde los fines de semana. → I go to bed late on weekends. |
| Sentarse (e→ie) | To sit down | Nos sentamos en la mesa. → We sit at the table. |
| Sentirse (e→ie) | To feel | Me siento cansado. → I feel tired. |
Position of Reflexive Pronouns
Before the conjugated verb (Simple Tenses)
Reflexive pronouns always come before the verb when it is conjugated in a simple tense (e.g. present, past).
- Me lavo la cara. → I wash my face.
- Te despiertas temprano. → You wake up early.
- Nos acostamos a las once. → We go to bed at eleven.
Attached to the infinitive or gerund
When using infinitives or gerunds, the reflexive pronoun can go before the first verb or attached to the second verb.
| Before the first verb | Attached to the infinitive/gerund |
|---|---|
| Me quiero duchar. → I want to shower. | Quiero ducharme. → I want to shower. |
| Nos vamos a vestir. → We are going to get dressed. | Vamos a vestirnos. → We are going to get dressed. |
| Se está peinando. → He is combing his hair. | Está peinándose. → He is combing his hair. |
✅ When attaching a pronoun to a gerund, an accent is added to maintain pronunciation.
Reflexive Verbs in Different Tenses
Present Tense (Foundation)
- Me levanto temprano. → I get up early.
- Te duchas todos los días. → You shower every day.
- Se viste antes del desayuno. → He gets dressed before breakfast.
- Nos acostamos tarde. → We go to bed late.
Preterite Tense (Foundation)
- Me desperté a las siete. → I woke up at seven.
- Te acostaste tarde. → You went to bed late.
- Se duchó antes de salir. → He showered before leaving.
- Nos vestimos rápidamente. → We got dressed quickly.
Higher Tier Examples (Imperfect, Future, Conditional, Subjunctive)
Imperfect (Describing past habits)
- Me levantaba temprano cuando era niño. → I used to get up early when I was a child.
- Se acostaban tarde los fines de semana. → They used to go to bed late on weekends.
Future (Describing future plans)
- Me acostaré temprano mañana. → I will go to bed early tomorrow.
- Te sentirás mejor después del descanso. → You will feel better after resting.
Conditional (Describing hypothetical situations)
- Me ducharía por la mañana si tuviera tiempo. → I would shower in the morning if I had time.
- Nos levantaríamos más tarde si no tuviéramos que trabajar. → We would get up later if we didn’t have to work.
Present Subjunctive (Giving advice or expressing doubt)
- Espero que te sientas mejor pronto. → I hope you feel better soon.
- Es importante que nos acostemos temprano. → It’s important that we go to bed early.
Reflexive Pronouns vs. Non-Reflexive Pronouns
Some verbs can be reflexive or non-reflexive, depending on whether the action is done to oneself or someone else.
| Reflexive (Action on oneself) | Non-Reflexive (Action on someone else) |
|---|---|
| Me lavo las manos. → I wash my hands. | Lavo el coche. → I wash the car. |
| Te despiertas temprano. → You wake up early. | Despierto a mi hermano. → I wake up my brother. |
| Nos sentamos en la mesa. → We sit at the table. | Sentamos a los niños. → We seat the children. |
✅ If the action is done to another person or object, the verb is NOT reflexive.
Reflexive Pronouns with Commands
Affirmative Commands (Attach to Verb)
- ¡Lávate las manos! → Wash your hands!
- ¡Dúchate rápido! → Shower quickly!
- ¡Acuéstate temprano! → Go to bed early!
✅ Add an accent when attaching pronouns to commands.
Negative Commands (Pronouns Before the Verb)
- No te levantes tarde. → Don’t get up late.
- No se preocupen. → Don’t worry (you all).
- No nos sentemos aquí. → Let’s not sit here.
Practice Exercises
- Translate into Spanish:
- I get up at seven o’clock.
- She washes her hair every morning.
- They went to bed late yesterday.
- We will get dressed quickly.
- Don’t worry!
- Fill in the blanks with the correct reflexive pronoun:
- Yo ___ levanto temprano.
- ¿A qué hora ___ acuestas?
- Nosotros ___ peinamos antes de salir.
- Ellos ___ visten rápidamente.
- Mi hermana ___ ducha por la mañana.
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