Description

Exercises (Click on the dot to go directly to related exercises)

Verb List (Click on the dot to go directly to a (partial) list of reflexive verbs)

Verbs are basically "action words", right? There is generally a subject, which is the person who does the action. Sometimes there is a recipient (either another person or an object) that receives the action.

Judy reads.
Judy = the subject/the "do-er"
read = the verb/the action

also:

Judy reads the book.
Judy = the subject/the "do-er"
read = the verb/the action
the book = the receiver of the action (in this case, it gets read)

Need another example?

Felipe washed.
Felip= the subject/the "do-er"
washed = the verb/the action

also:

Felipe washed his car.
Felipe = the subject/the "do-er"
washed = the verb/the action
his car= the receiver of the action (in this case, the car gets washed)

Pretty straightforward, huh? And so far we haven't even used any fancy words!

Sometimes the subject (do-er) does an action that doesn't involve anyone or anything else, but does involve the very same do-er. In other words, the do-er is also the recipient. Can't see how that's possible? I'll bet you can:

Felipe washed.
Felip= the subject/the "do-er"
washed = the verb/the action

also:

Felipe washed his face.
Felipe = the subject/the "do-er"
washed = the verb/the action
his face= the receiver of the action (in this case, Felipe is also the recipient.
Sure, it's just his face, but Felipe did the washing,
AND Felipe's own face receives the cleaning!)

When the do-er of an action is also the recipient of that same action, you can imagine that the action is being "reflected" back onto the do-er. No one and nothing else is involved. The same person (subject) who is doing something is also getting that very same action done to them . . . by themselves!

"Reflexive" is just a grammatical term to indicate that: do-er = receiver

This is not a VERB TENSE.
(It's not a "Time")

Just like the examples above, actions can be done in the past, present, or future. If something can be done in all those times, then the subject can also receive the action in all those same time periods. When an action is reflexive, it doesn't matter when it happens, just that the do-er = receiver.

Because this is not a VERB TENSE, there are no new endings to learn.

To indicate the do-er, just put the verb in the appropriate form, just like you've done since you started learning Spanish.

Present tense:

• Carlos y Elena levantan. Carlosy Elena levantan los libros.
• Yo lavo. Yo lavo los platos
• Tú secas. Tú secas la ropa.
  

Pretérito tense:

• Nosotros vimos. Nosotros vimos la película.
• Ellas prepararon. Ellas prepararon la cena.
• Mi amigo escribió. Mi amigo escribió la carta.

Progresivos:

• Estamos bebiendo. Estamos bebiendo la limonada.
• Uds. no están escuchando. No están escuchando la canción.
• Yo estoy llamando. Estoy llamando a mi amiga.

Notice that these examples involve several tenses, and the verb is used first with just a subject (do-er), and also with something/someone receiving the action (Prepararon la cena. They are preparing (do-ers) and the dinner gets prepared (recipient).

To indicate that the do-er and the receiver are the same, don't forget everything you already know about verbs. Just add ONE LITTLE WORD IN FRONT OF THE VERB, and we'll all know that the same person is both doing the action as well as receiving it, OK?

Check out our little list of little words that we use to indicate the receiver is the same as the do-er. When you throw this word in front of the verb, you tell your listener/reader that whoever is doing the action is also getting the action.

me	verb
te
se
nos
se

Let's compare the sentences on the left and right:

Yo miro la tele.	VS.	Yo  me  miro en el espejo.
WHO is looking?  (yo)		WHO is looking?  (yo)
WHAT am I looking at?  (la tele)		WHAT am I looking at? "myself"
IS the WHO the same as the WHAT?		IS the WHO the same as the WHAT?
NO!		¡Sí, Sí, SÍ!
Ella cepilla el perro.		Ella se cepilla el pelo.
WHO is brushing?  (ella)		WHO is brushing?  (ella)
WHAT is she brushing?  (el perro)		WHAT is she brushing?  "herself
IS the WHO the same as the WHAT?	VS	IS the WHO the same as the WHAT?
NO!		¡Sí, Sí, SÍ!

Some verbs are always reflexive, NO MATTER HOW THEY ARE USED!

 ALWAYS!   ALWAYS!   ALWAYS!  ALWAYS!  ALWAYS!  ALWAYS!  ALWAYS!

Check out the Reflexive Verb List for more examples of these verbs.