GRAMÁTICA A2
Verbos Reflexivos
Cómo expresar rutinas, emociones y acciones personales.
(Talking about daily routines and yourself)
¿Qué es un Verbo Reflexivo?
The "Mirror" Effect
Un verbo es reflexivo cuando el sujeto y el objeto son la misma persona.
Normal Verb
Yo lavo el auto.
(I wash the car)
Reflexive Verb
Yo me lavo.
(I wash myself)
Los Pronombres Reflexivos
How do I know?
Look at the Infinitive form in the dictionary. If it ends in -se, it is reflexive.
Why are they mandatory?
They indicate the direction of the action. Without the pronoun, the verb becomes "transitive" (action goes outwards to someone else).
Singular
| Yo | ME | myself |
| Tú | TE | yourself |
| Él / Ella | SE | him/herself |
Plural
| Nosotros | NOS | ourselves |
| Vosotros | OS | yourselves |
| Ellos / Uds. | SE | themselves |
How to Conjugate?
Identify & Drop
Identify the reflexive verb and drop the ending.
Move to Front
Move the pronoun before the verb.
Conjugate
Change the pronoun and conjugate the verb.
Model: BAÑARSE (Regular -AR) To bathe oneself
Pronoun Placement
One Conjugated Verb
The pronoun MUST go BEFORE the conjugated verb. It never goes after.
Ella se levanta.
"She gets up."
Infinitive / Gerund
When you have two verbs (Helper + Infinitive), you have TWO OPTIONS. Both are 100% correct!
Option A: Before
Me quiero bañar.
Option B: Attached
Quiero bañarme.
Teacher's Tip
Don't stress! Choose the option that feels easiest for you. Most English speakers prefer Option B because the pronoun goes at the end, similar to English.
Reflexive vs. Normal Verbs
The difference is the OBJECT. Who receives the action?
Normal Verb
The action goes OUT to another person/object.
Ana despierta al niño.
Ana wakes the child up.
Yo lavo la ropa.
I wash the clothes.
Reflexive Verb
The action comes BACK to the subject.
Ana se despierta.
Ana wakes (herself) up.
Yo me lavo.
I wash (myself).
Rutina Diaria
"These are the most common verbs we use to describe our daily routine. Notice how they all end in -se!"
Despertarse
To wake up
e > ieLevantarse
To get up
Ducharse
To shower
Vestirse
To get dressed
e > iCepillarse
To brush
Arreglarse
To get ready
Acostarse
To go to bed
o > ueAfeitarse
To shave
Important Rule: Body & Clothes
The "English" Trap
In English, you say "I wash MY face".
But in Spanish, using possessives (mi, tu, su) here is redundant.
Yo me lavo MI cara.
Incorrect
The Spanish Way
Since the reflexive pronoun (me) already shows it happens to YOU, we just point to the object using articles (el, la, los, las).
Yo me lavo LA cara.
Correct
THE FORMULA
Change of Meaning
IR
To go (destination)
IRSE
To leave / To go away
"¡Me voy!" (I'm leaving!)
DORMIR
To sleep (action)
DORMIRSE
To fall asleep
"Me duermo en clase" (I fall asleep)
PONER
To put / place
PONERSE
To put on (clothes)
"Me pongo la camisa"
PARECER
To seem
PARECERSE (a)
To look like someone
"Me parezco a mi padre"
Practice 1: Manuel's Routine
Challenge Instructions
Complete Manuel's story. Conjugate the verb in ORANGE. Watch out for the subject (Yo, Ella, Nosotros...).
Hola, soy Manuel. Esta es nuestra rutina diaria...
Practice 2: Who is the Target?
Detective Mission
Look at the icon and the English context. Is the action for the person (Reflexive) or for something else? Select the correct phrase.
"Ana washes the car."
"Pedro shaves (himself)."
"I brush the dog."
"We get up at 7:00."
"Mom wakes the baby."
"You put on the shirt."
Practice 3: The Transformers
Mission Instructions
1. Select the option you think is correct (It will turn blue).
2. Click CHECK MISSION to see if you survived!
¡Chao! Yo ________ a mi casa.
La clase es aburrida. Yo ________.
Tú ________ mucho a tu madre.
Mmm... yo ________ la sopa.
Nosotros ________ en el hotel.
¡Ay no! Yo ________ mis llaves.
¡Felicitaciones!
You have mastered the art of "Self-Action".
Has dominado los verbos reflexivos.
Key Takeaways
- Pronoun goes before conjugated verb (Me lavo).
- Use Articles (el/la), not Possessives (mi/tu) for body parts.
- Watch out for "Transformers" (Ir vs. Irse).
Homework / Tarea
Write a short paragraph (8-12 lines) about your Ideal Sunday Routine.