Los Verbos Reflexivos

Avancemos 2 Unidad 2
Leccin 2

What is a Reflexive Verb?

A reflexive verb is a verb that uses a
reflexive pronoun.
The reflexive pronoun shows that the
subject receives the action of the
verb while at the same time
completing the action of the verb.
In other words, many reflexive verbs
are actions that a person does to or
for themselves.

To say that people do

something to or for
themselves you use reflexive
verbs.
Many personal care words
and daily routine words are
reflexive verbs.
Learning Goal #2 Describe
your daily routine.

For example, many personal care

words and daily routine words are
reflexive verbs

ashing ones hands

varse las manos
d brushing ones teeth
pillarse los dientes

are reflexive actions

because the person doing
the action ALSO receives

How do you know a verb is

reflexive?
In the infinitive form of
reflexive verbs, the
reflexive pronoun attaches
to the end.

ducharse

afeitarse

How is a Reflexive verb conjugated?

When you conjugate reflexive verbs,
you conjugate the verb normally and
place the reflexive pronoun before
the conjugated verb.
Examples:
(Yo) me bao I bathe myself
(Ella) se lava She washes herself
(T) te cepillas los dientes You
brush your
teeth.

When you conjugate reflexive verbs, you

should conjugate the verb normally and place
the pronoun BEFORE the conjugated verb.

Here are the reflexive pronouns:

me

nos

te

os

se

se

***You still conjugate the verb as you would

normally do, now you just add a reflexive pronoun
before it.
Baarse to take a bath/to bathe oneself.

Yo me bao
T te baas
l/ella/usted se
baa

Nosotros nos
baamos

Ellos/ellas/usted
es se baan

***You still conjugate the verb as you would

normally do, now you just add a reflexive pronoun
before it.
levantarse to get up/stand up.

Yo me levanto
T te levantas
l/ella/usted se
levanta

Nosotros nos
levantamos

Ellos/ellas/usted
es se levantan

***You still conjugate the verb as you would

normally do, now you just add a reflexive pronoun
before it.
ponerse to put on oneself. (clothing)

Yo me pongo
T te pones
l/ella/usted se
pone

Nosotros nos
ponemos

Ellos/ellas/usted
es se ponen

Many reflexive verbs are

translated
into English with the word
get
like
vestirse

to get
dressed
or

arreglarse
to get ready
(presentable)

Some verbs can be reflexive and nonreflexive. Examine the sentences:

Non-Reflexive

Reflexive

Ella se lava la
cara.

Ella lava al
perro.

She washes her face.

I wake (myself0 up at six.

She washes the dog.

Me despierto a Despierto a
Celia a las
las seis.

seis.

I wake up Celia at six.

REFLEXIVE vs NON-REFLEXIVE
As you can see, some verbs can be reflexive
AND non reflexive. However, they can have
small but important changes in meaning
NOT
Meaningreflexive.
REFLEXIV Meaning
when
they become
REFLEXIVE
E
dormir
to sleep
dormirse
to fall
asleep
quitar
to take away quitarse
to take of
acostar
to put to
acostarse to go to
bed
bed
levantar
to raise, lift levantarse to get up
llamar
to call
llamarse
to be
called

Here we are seeing the

difference between a
reflexive verb and a
non reflexive verb.
Ana

Juan
Claudia

NON REFLEXIVE

REFLEXIVE

Claudia is getting her hair cut BY

Ana. She is NOT doing the action
TO HERSELF so the non reflexive
verb cortar is used.

na corta el pelo.
Ana

Juan
Claudia

NON REFLEXIVE

REFLEXIVE

Juan is cutting HIS OWN hair.

He is doing the action TO
HIMSELF so the reflexive verb
cortarse is used.
na corta el pelo.
Juan se corta el pel
Ana

Juan
Claudia

NON REFLEXIVE

REFLEXIVE

Letter
A
is
reflexive
hoose which is reflexive
because
Julia
B her
A Ana is combing
own hair.
Ana se peina el pelo.
In letterB
Julia is combing Anas
hair.
Julia peina el pelo de
Ana

Ana

Letter
B is
hoose
which
isreflexive
reflexive
because
B her
A Lina is painting
Juana
own nails.
Lina se pinta las uas.
In letter A
Juana is painting
Lauras
nails.
Laura
Juana pinta
las
uas
Lina

Letter B is reflexive
hoose which is reflexive
because

Paco is washing his

(own) hands.

Paco se lava las

manos.
In letter A
Paco is washing
dishes. He is not doing
Paco
Paco
the action to
himself.

Where does the reflexive

pronoun
go?
In the present tense and other
simple (single word) tenses it
goes in front of the conjugated
verb.

Yopeino.
me

*A NOTE TO REMEMBER
*Since the reflexive pronoun tells what
a person is doing to himself, it is not
necessary to use a possessive
pronoun (my, yours, his, her, etc.)
when
body parts.
Yo mereferring
lavo LAS to
manos
NOT Yo me
lavo MIS manos
Since the ME in this sentence says
that I am washing myselfit is already
clear that I am washing MY hands.

Many reflexive
verbs are used to
talk about your
morning grooming
routine as you get
ready for the day
and at night when
you are getting
ready for bed.

Prctica del Paquete

1. She brushes her teeth.
2. We get ready.
3. I put on clothes.
4. He dries the plates.
5. They wash the
clothes.

1. (Ella) se cepilla los

dientes.
2. (Nosotros) nos
arreglamos.
3. (Yo) me pongo la ropa.
4. (l) seca los platos.
5. (Ellos) lavan la ropa.

Pronoun Placement with

infinitives and reflexive
verbs
Espaol 2 2.2

Where does the reflexive

pronoun go?
When a reflexive verb follows a conjugated
verb (I want to shower) (I am going to
shower), use the correct reflexive pronoun
with the infinitive.
You can ATTACH the pronoun to the
infinitive:
Ex: A que hora quieres despertarte?
(What time do you want to wake up?)
You can also place the reflexive pronoun

Where does the reflexive

pronoun go?

With infinitives it can go in

front of the helping verb,
or be tacked on to
the end of the
infinitive.

me
voy a vestir.
o voy a vestir
me.

Where does the reflexive

pronoun
go?with present
It is the same

participles
(ing
verbs
ending
in helping
ando,
can
go in
front
of the
iendo
or endo
). to the end of the
be
tacked
on

resent participle.

estoy duchando.
me
me.
stoy duchando

Prctica
con los
verbos
reflexivos

Luz)*despertarse

Luz se despierta a las

siete.

) levantarse (tempran

T te levantas

(Usted) ducharse
la ducha

Usted se ducha en la
ducha
.

Nosotros) baars

la baera
Nos baamos en la
baera.

Yo) lavarse el pel

el pelo

Yo me lavo el pelo

as)

lavarse las man

las manos

Ellas se lavan las

manos.

(Ana) afeitarse

las piernas

Ana se afeita las

stedes)

secars
la toalla

stedes se secan con la toalla

(Ellos)

afeitarse

la barba

Ellos se afeitan las

Nosotros)

cepillars

los dientes

Nosotros nos cepillamos

los dientes.

iego)

secarse el pe

el secador

Diego se seca el pelo con

el secador.

Usted)

arreglarse

el pelo
Usted se arregla el
pelo.

(l)

*ponerse

el desodorante

l se pone el desodorante
.

(Nosotros)
*vestirse

Nosotros nos vestimo

.

sotros)

ponerse la rop

la ropa

Nos ponemos la ropa.

.

(Yo ) maquillarse

el maquillaje

Me maquillo con el
maquillaje.
.

(Usted )

mirarse

el espejo

Usted se mira en el espejo

.

(Yo) *ponerse

el agua
de colonia

l perfume

Yo me pongo el perfume.
.

l) cortarse el pe

l se corta el

as)

pintarse

las u

las uas

Ellas se pintan las

uas.

(T)

prepararse

T te

s alumnos)*despedir

Los alumnos se
despiden.

stedes)

*acostarse

Ustedes se acuestan a las

once.

Finally, other common reflexive

verbs that do not have to do with
morning and evening (grooming)
routinesbe
are:
amarse-to
called (used to tell your na
enojarse-to get angry
quejarse-to complain
equivocarse-to be mistaken

jarse (en) -to notice, to pay attention (to

olvidarse (de)-to forget
*sentarse-to sit down
*sentirse-to feel
*divertirse -to have fun

REPASO DE
VOCABULARIO

Despertarse

Levantarse

Ducharse

la ducha

Baarse

la baera

Lavarse el pelo

Lavarse las manos.

Afeitarse las piernas

Secarse

la toalla

Afeitarse la barba

Cepillarse los
dientes

Secarse el pelo

el secador

.
onerse el desodorante

el desodorante

Vestirse/Ponerse la ropa
.

Maquillarse con. el maquillaje

el maquillaje

Mirarse en el espejo
.

el espejo

Ponerse el perfume

l perfume

el agua
de colonia

Cortarse el pelo

Pintarase las uas.

las uas

Prepararse/Arregl
arse

Despedirse

Acostarse

FI
N