The main rule
A reflexive verb has a pronoun that changes with the person: me (yo), te (tú), se (él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas, ustedes), nos (nosotros), os (vosotros). The pronoun goes right before the conjugated verb, and no goes before the pronoun: Me levanto. No me levanto. Never leave the pronoun out: *Levanto temprano is wrong.
The pronoun changes with the person
| Person | Pronoun + verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me levanto | I get up |
| tú | te levantas | you get up |
| él, ella, usted | se levanta | he, she gets up; you (formal) get up |
| nosotros, nosotras | nos levantamos | we get up |
| vosotros, vosotras (Spain) | os levantáis | you (plural) get up |
| ustedes, ellos, ellas | se levantan | you (plural), they get up |
In Spain, vosotros is the plural "you" for friends and family, so it takes os. In Latin America everyone says ustedes and uses se: Ustedes se levantan. The verb ending is the ending of any regular verb; only the pronoun is new.
The routine verbs
| Infinitive | Yo form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| levantarse | me levanto | I get up |
| despertarse (e > ie) | me despierto | I wake up |
| ducharse | me ducho | I take a shower |
| lavarse | me lavo la cara | I wash my face |
| peinarse | me peino | I comb my hair |
| vestirse (e > i) | me visto | I get dressed |
| acostarse (o > ue) | me acuesto | I go to bed |
| llamarse | me llamo | my name is |
Three verbs change their stem in the present, just like other stem-changing verbs: despertarse (me despierto), acostarse (me acuesto) and vestirse (me visto). The change happens in every person except nosotros and vosotros: nos acostamos, nos despertamos, os vestís. Levantarse, ducharse, lavarse, peinarse and llamarse are regular.
Negative and question
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| affirmative | Me levanto a las siete. | I get up at seven. |
| negative | No me levanto temprano. | I don't get up early. |
| question | ¿Te duchas por la mañana? | Do you shower in the morning? |
| question with a word | ¿A qué hora te acuestas? | What time do you go to bed? |
No always comes before the pronoun, never between the pronoun and the verb: No me levanto, not *Me no levanto. A question keeps the same order and only adds the question marks or a question word.
With and without the pronoun
With the pronoun, the action comes back to the subject: I wash myself. Without it, the action goes to someone or something else. The sentence usually makes it clear which one you mean.
| Reflexive | Not reflexive |
|---|---|
| Me lavo las manos. (I wash my hands.) | Lavo el coche. (I wash the car.) |
| Me despierto a las siete. (I wake up.) | Despierto a mis hijos. (I wake my children.) |
| Me llamo Ana. (My name is Ana.) | Llamo a mi madre. (I call my mother.) |
| Me visto. (I get dressed.) | Visto a mi hija. (I dress my daughter.) |
English hides this difference. "I wash" means "I wash myself", and "I get up" or "I shower" have no "myself" at all. So an English speaker drops the pronoun and says *Levanto temprano or *Ducho por la mañana. In Spanish these verbs always carry the pronoun, even when English has no word for it. Your own body parts take the article, not "my": Me lavo los dientes, Se lava las manos.
Examples
- Me levanto a las siete. I get up at seven.
- ¿Te duchas por la mañana? Do you shower in the morning?
- Mi padre se acuesta tarde. My father goes to bed late.
- Nos despertamos temprano los lunes. We wake up early on Mondays.
- No me peino por la mañana. I don't comb my hair in the morning.
- Carmen se lava los dientes. Carmen brushes her teeth.
- ¿Cómo te llamas? What's your name?
- Me llamo Oksana. My name is Oksana.
- ¿Cómo se llama usted? What's your name? (formal)
- Vosotros os vestís rápido. You get dressed quickly. (Spain)
Say your name
To give your name, use Me llamo + name: Me llamo Oksana. To ask, use ¿Cómo te llamas? with friends and ¿Cómo se llama usted? with someone you address formally. Mi nombre es Ana and Soy Ana are also correct. English says "brush my teeth"; Spanish says me lavo los dientes, with the article.
Common mistakes
Ducho por la mañana.Me ducho por la mañana. Ducharse always needs its pronoun.Mi padre acuesta tarde.Mi padre se acuesta tarde. Acostarse needs se for él.Me no levanto.No me levanto. No goes before the pronoun.Nosotros se levantamos.Nosotros nos levantamos. The pronoun must match the subject.Me acosto a las once.Me acuesto a las once. Acostarse changes o to ue.Me desperto temprano.Me despierto temprano. Despertarse changes e to ie.Nos acuestamos tarde.Nos acostamos tarde. Nosotros keeps the regular stem.Yo llamo Carmen.Me llamo Carmen. To give your name, use llamarse with me.
Frequently asked questions
What are reflexive verbs in Spanish?
They are verbs used with a pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os) that points back to the subject, like levantarse or ducharse. In the dictionary they end in -se.
Where does the reflexive pronoun go?
Right before the conjugated verb: me levanto. In a negative sentence no goes first: no me levanto. In a question it stays there too: ¿te levantas?
Why is it me levanto and not levanto?
Spanish marks that you do the action to yourself, even when English says only "I get up". Without the pronoun, levanto would mean you lift something or someone else.
What is the difference between lavar and lavarse?
Lavo el coche means you wash something else, and me lavo las manos means you wash yourself. The same pair works for despertar and despertarse, and for llamar (to call) and llamarse (to be called).
How do I say "my name is" in Spanish?
Say me llamo and your name: Me llamo Oksana. To ask someone, use ¿Cómo te llamas?, or ¿Cómo se llama usted? to be formal.
When do I use os?
Use os with vosotros, the plural "you" in Spain: vosotros os levantáis. In Latin America people use ustedes with se: ustedes se levantan.