Reflexive verbs (Viva 2 M4.3)

Reflexive verbs in Spanish

What are reflexive verbs?

Reflexive verbs describe an action that we do towards ourselves.

meaning:

the person DOING the action
is also RECEIVING the action

ex: I brush my hair

• subject: I

• verb: brush

• object: my hair

Since the subject and the person receiving the action are the same, the verb is a reflexive

Ejemplos:

• I wash my face

• She brushed her teeth

• He showered (himself)

• Me lavo la cara

• Se lava los dientes

• Se ducha

Multiple Choice

Which statement is REFLEXIVE?

• Ana walks her dog

• I wash my face

• They ate cake

• My cat woke me up

"I put on hair gel", why?

Subject: I
Object: my face

The person doing the action is also receiving the action. Therefore, it is a reflexive statement.

Multiple Choice

Is this a REFLEXIVE statement?

"I WASH MY CAR"

• Yes

• No

Why?

Subject: I
Object: my car


The subject and the object are completely different entities.
The person doing the action is NOT receiving the action, the car is the one being washed. Therefore, it is not a reflexive statement.

How to recognise a reflexive verb in Spanish?

• In the INFINITIVE form, we can recognise them for the "-se" at the end

  Example: lavarse, peinarse, levantarse

• When a verb is CONJUGATED, they consist of a reflexive pronoun at the front and the verb

  Example: Juan se levanta a las ocho

How do they work?

Reflexive verbs follow the same steps as regular present tense verbs, but they include a reflexive pronoun.

1. Move the "-se" before the verb

2. Change the "se" (pronoun) according to the person doing the action (subject)

3. Chop the ending of the infinitive ("-ar", "-er", "-ir") and add the correct ending according to the subject

Again, but by steps

STEP 1
Take off the "se" at the end of the verb.

STEP 2
Think WHO is doing the action.
Find the matching reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) on the table.
Put it BEFORE the verb.

Again, but by steps

STEP 3
Conjugate the verb like you would normally do in the present tense:
1. Chop the endings of the infinitive ("-ar", "-er", "-ir")
2. Check the person
3. Add the right ending

Multiple Choice

Fill in the missing reflexive pronoun:

Yo _______ baño.

• nos

• os

• me

• te

Multiple Choice

Fill in the missing reflexive pronoun:

María ______ lava el pelo.

• nos

• se

• te

• te

Multiple Choice

Fill in the missing reflexive pronoun:

Nosotros ____ cepillamos los dientes.

• nos

• se

• os

• te

Multiple Choice

Fill in the missing reflexive pronoun:

_____ duchas en el baño.

• nos

• se

• os

• te

Multiple Choice

Fill in the missing reflexive pronoun:

Ellos _____ levantan temprano.

• se

• nos

• te

• me

Multiple Choice

Fill in the missing reflexive pronoun:

_____ peino.

• se

• nos

• te

• me

Multiple Choice

Translate: I have a bath

• se baña

• nos bañamos

• te bañas

• me baño

Multiple Choice

Translate: you wash your face

• te lavas la cara

• 
  nos lavamos la cara

• me lavo la cara

• os laváis la cara

Multiple Choice

Translate: he has a shower

• te duchas

• 
  nos duchamos

• me ducho

• se ducha

Multiple Choice

Translate: they get dressed

• se visten

• 
  te vistes

• os vestís

• me visto

Multiple Choice

Translate: we put on make up

• me maquillo

• 
  nos maquillamos

• te maquillas

• se maquillan

Multiple Choice

Translate: I brush my hair

• nos peinamos

• 
  se peinan

• te peinas

• me peino

Multiple Choice

Translate: you straighten your hair

• se alisan el pelo

• 
  te alisas el pelo

• nos alisamos el pelo

• os alisáis el pelo

Multiple Choice

Translate: I put on gel on my hair

• me pongo gomina

• 
  te me pones gomina

• se pone gomina

• se ponen gomina