Purpose

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to conjugate reflexive verbs correctly and distinguish genuinely reflexive from non-reflexive uses of the same verb.

Lesson Explanation

Building on the reflexive se introduced in Part 2, Lesson 5: reflexive verbs use a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject, going before the conjugated verb, following the object pronoun placement rules from Part 2, Lessons 3-4: me lavo, te lavas, se lava, nos lavamos, os laváis, se lavan.

Many Spanish verbs are genuinely reflexive only in certain meanings, but not in others — a subtlety that requires attention to context: Me acuesto a las diez. (I go to bed at ten — reflexive, “acostarse”) versus Acuesto al niño. (I put the child to bed — non-reflexive “acostar,” acting on someone else, not oneself).

A genuinely important detail affecting the compound past tense: reflexive verbs always use haber as their auxiliary, never a different verb: Me he levantado temprano. (I got up early.) With an infinitive, the reflexive pronoun must agree with the subject of the main verb, not stay fixed as “se”: Voy a levantarme. (I’m going to get up — “me,” not “se,” since the subject is “yo.”)

Some verbs genuinely change meaning when made reflexive, beyond the expected “on oneself” sense: ir (to go) versus irse (to leave/go away, with a sense of departure): Me voy. (I’m leaving.) dormir (to sleep) versus dormirse (to fall asleep, emphasizing the transition into sleep): Me duermo a las once. (I fall asleep at eleven.)

Practice Questions