Reflexive verbs: what the "se" really does
By Tarek Sahyoun ·
A reflexive verb is one where the subject does the action to itself. In the dictionary it ends in -se: levantarse, to get up (literally, to raise oneself).
| levantarse | vestirse | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me levanto | me visto |
| tú | te levantas | te vistes |
| él / ella | se levanta | se viste |
| nosotros | nos levantamos | nos vestimos |
| vosotros | os levantáis | os vestís |
| ellos | se levantan | se visten |
The pronouns
Each person gets its own reflexive pronoun: me, te, se, nos, os, se. It goes before the conjugated verb.
Me levanto a las siete.I get up at seven.
¿Cómo te llamas?What's your name?
Nos acostamos tarde.We go to bed late.
Se ducha por la mañana.She showers in the morning.
Where the pronoun goes
- Before a conjugated verb: "Me visto."
- Attached to an infinitive or gerund, or before the helper verb: "Voy a vestirme" or "Me voy a vestir."
- Attached to a positive command: "¡Levántate!"
- Before a negative command: "No te levantes."
When the pronoun is attached, an accent is often added to keep the stress in place: levanta + te = levántate.
What se changes
Adding se often changes the meaning, not just who receives the action.
- llamar (to call) → llamarse (to be called)
- dormir (to sleep) → dormirse (to fall asleep)
- ir (to go) → irse (to leave)
- poner (to put) → ponerse (to put on, or to become)
- acostar (to put to bed) → acostarse (to go to bed)
Llamo a mi madre.I call my mother.
Me llamo Ana.My name is Ana.
The pairs that tripped me up most:
- dormir / dormirse (sleep / fall asleep)
- ir / irse (go / leave)
- llamar / llamarse (call / be called)
Body parts and clothes
With reflexive verbs Spanish uses "the", not "my", for body parts and clothes: "Me lavo las manos" (I wash my hands), "Se puso el abrigo" (he put on his coat).
Me lavo las manos, not mis manos. It felt wrong to me for ages. Now English "I wash my hands" sounds over-explained.
In the past
Ayer me levanté tarde.Yesterday I got up late.
Se vistieron rápido.They got dressed quickly.
A daily routine, in reflexive verbs
Daily routines are where reflexive verbs show up most. Here's a typical morning:
Me despierto a las siete, me levanto, me ducho y me visto.I wake up at seven, get up, shower and get dressed.
Por la noche me lavo los dientes y me acuesto a las once.At night I brush my teeth and go to bed at eleven.
Reciprocal: each other
In the plural, the same pronouns can mean "each other": "Nos vemos mañana" (we'll see each other tomorrow), "Se quieren mucho" (they love each other very much).
Verbs that are always reflexive
A few verbs are almost only used with se, with no non-reflexive version in everyday speech: quejarse (to complain), arrepentirse (to regret), atreverse (to dare), darse cuenta (to realize).
Me di cuenta de mi error.I realized my mistake.
Becoming: ponerse, volverse, hacerse
Spanish has no single verb for "to become". Ponerse is for quick changes of mood or appearance ("se puso rojo", he went red), hacerse for changes you work towards ("se hizo médico", she became a doctor), and volverse for deeper, often sudden changes in character ("se volvió muy serio", he became very serious).
Commands with two pronouns
When a reflexive pronoun meets another pronoun, the reflexive goes first: "Lávatelas" (wash them, your hands), "No te las laves" (don't wash them). With nosotros commands, the final -s drops before nos: levantemos + nos = levantémonos.
Common mistakes
Levanto a las siete.→ Me levanto a las siete.Without me, it means "I lift (something) at seven".
Me lavo mis manos.→ Me lavo las manos.With body parts, use the article, not the possessive.
Voy a me duchar.→ Voy a ducharme. / Me voy a duchar.The pronoun attaches to the infinitive or goes before the helper verb, never between.
¡Te levanta!→ ¡Levántate!In positive commands, the pronoun attaches to the end of the verb.
Me llamo es Ana.→ Me llamo Ana."Me llamo" already means "my name is", so no es.
More examples
¿Te acuerdas de mí?Do you remember me?
Me siento mucho mejor.I feel much better.
Se casaron en mayo.They got married in May.
No te preocupes.Don't worry.
Nos vamos ya.We're leaving now.
Test yourself
- Yo ___ (llamarse) Carlos.
Show answer
me llamo - ¿A qué hora ___ (acostarse, tú)?
Show answer
te acuestas - Ayer nosotros ___ (levantarse) tarde.
Show answer
nos levantamos - ¡___ (ducharse, tú) ya!
Show answer
Dúchate - Ellos ___ (vestirse) rápido. (present)
Show answer
se visten - Mi hermano ___ (afeitarse) cada mañana.
Show answer
se afeita - No ___ (preocuparse, tú).
Show answer
te preocupes - Ayer ellos ___ (acostarse) muy tarde.
Show answer
se acostaron
Keep going
Verb tables: levantarse, llamarse, acostarse, ducharse, vestirse
Tense lessons: Present, Preterite, Imperative
Practice levantarse