Los Verbos Reflexivos

Avancemos 2 – Unidad 2 Lección 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.

For examplewashing one’s handslavarse las manos

and brushing one’s teethcepillarse los dientes

are reflexive actions because the person doing the action ALSOreceives the action.

How do you know a verb is reflexive?

It ends in “se” in the infinitive form.

ducharse

cepillarse

afeitarse

How is a Reflexive verb conjugated?

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

• Examples:

bañarse – to bathe oneself

lavarse – to wash oneself

cepillarse los dientes – to brush one’s teeth

SubjectReflexivePronoun

Translation

All reflexive verbs are used with a reflexive pronoun.

Each reflexive pronoun matches up with the subject pronoun that it “reflects”

yo

él/ella/usted

metú

myself

nosotros

ellos/ellas ustedes

te

se

nos

se

yourselfhimself/herself/itself/yourself

ourselves

themselves, yourselves,each other

When you conjugate reflexive verbs, you should conjugate the verb normally and place the pronoun BEFORE the conjugated verb.

me

te

se

nos

os

se

Here are the reflexive pronouns:

***You still conjugate the verb as you would normally do, now you just add a reflexive pronoun before it.Bañarse – to take a bath/to bathe oneself.

Yo me baño

Tú te bañas

Él/ella/usted se baña

Nosotros nos bañamos

Ellos/ellas/ustedes sebañan

Many reflexive verbs are translatedinto English with the word “get” like

vestirseto get dressed

or

arreglarseto get ready (presentable)

REFLEXIVE vs NON-REFLEXIVESome verbs can be reflexive AND non reflexive. However, they can have small but important changes in meaningwhen they become reflexive. NOT REFLEXIVE Meaning REFLEXIVE Meaning

dormir to sleep dormirse to fall asleep

quitar to take away quitarse to take off

acostar to put to bed acostarse to go to bed

levantar to raise, lift levantarse to get up

llamar to call llamarse to be called

poner to put ponerse to put on

quedar to be left over quedarse to remain, to stay

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.

Ana Juan

Claudia

NON REFLEXIVE REFLEXIVE

Ana corta el pelo.

Juan is cutting HIS OWN hair. He is doing the action TO HIMSELF so the reflexiveverb “cortarse” is used.

Ana Juan

Claudia

NON REFLEXIVE REFLEXIVE

Ana corta el pelo. Juan se corta el pelo.

Julia

Choose which is reflexive?

A B

AnaAna

Letter “A” is reflexive because Ana is combing her own hair.

Ana se peina el pelo.In letter”B”

Julia is combing Ana’s hair.Julia peina el pelo de Ana.

A B

Laura

Juana

Lina

Choose which is reflexive?

Letter “B” is reflexive because Lina is painting her own nails.

Lina se pinta las uñas.In letter ”A”

Juana is painting Laura’s nails.Juana pinta las uñas de Laura.

A B

Paco Paco

Choose which is reflexive?

Letter “B” 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 the action to himself.

Paco lava los platos .

Where does the reflexive pronoun go?

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

Yo me peino.

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 BEFORE the conjugated verb.Ex: Me quiero despertar a las siete.

(I want to wake up at seven.)

Where does the reflexive pronoun go?

With infinitives it can go in front of the conjugated verb,

Yo voy a vestir.

Yo voy a vestir

me

me.

or attached to the end of the infinitive.

Where does the reflexive pronoun go?

It is the same with present participles (“ing” verbs ending in ando, iendo or endo ).

Yo estoy duchando.

Estoy duchando

me

me.

It can go in front of the conjugated verb,

or attached to the end of thepresent participle.

*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 referring to body parts.

Yo me lavo LAS manos NOT Yo me lavo MIS manos

Since the ME in this sentence says that I am washing myself…it 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.

Prácticacon los

verbos reflexivos

(Pablo)*despertarse

Luz se despierta a las siete.

(Tú) levantarse (temprano)

Tú te levantas temprano .

(Usted) ducharse

Usted se ducha en la ducha.

la ducha

(Nosotros) bañarse

Nos bañamos en la

bañadera.

la bañadera

(Yo) lavarse el pelo

Yo me lavo el pelo.

el pelo

(Ellas) lavarse las manos

Ellas se lavan las manos.

las manos

(Ana) afeitarse

Ana se afeita las piernas.

las piernas

(Ustedes) secarse

la toalla

Ustedes se secan con la toalla.

(Ellos) afeitarse

Ellos se afeitan la barba.

la barba

(Nosotros) cepillarse

los dientes

Nosotros nos cepillamoslos dientes.

(Diego) secarse el pelo

el secador

Diego se seca el pelo conel secador.

(Usted) arreglarse

Usted se arregla el pelo.

el pelo

(Él) *ponerse

el desodorante

.Él se pone el desodorante.

(Nosotros) *vestirse

.Nosotros nos vestimos.

(Nosotros) ponerse la ropa

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 perfume

.Yo me pongo el perfume.

el aguade colonia

(Él) cortarse el pelo

Él se corta el pelo.

(Ellas) pintarse las uñas

Ellas se pintan las uñas.

las uñas

(Tú) prepararse

Tú te preparas.

(los alumnos)*despedirse

Los alumnos se despiden.

(Ustedes) *acostarse

Ustedes se acuestan a las once.

Finally, other common reflexive verbs that do not have to do with morning and evening (grooming) routines are:

llamarse-to be called (used to tell your name)

*divertirse -to have fun

enojarse-to get angry

equivocarse-to be mistaken

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

olvidarse (de)-to forget

quejarse-to complain

*sentarse-to sit down

*sentirse-to feel

REPASO DEVOCABULARIO

Despertarse

Levantarse

Ducharse.

la ducha

Bañarse

la bañadera

Lavarse el pelo.

Lavarse las manos.

Afeitarse las piernas.

la toalla

Secarse

Afeitarse la barba.

Cepillarse los dientes

el secador

Secarse el pelo

el desodorante

.Ponerse el desodorante.

.Vestirse/Ponerse la ropa

el maquillaje

.Maquillarse con el maquillaje

el espejo

.Mirarse en el espejo

el perfume

.Ponerse el perfume

el aguade colonia

Cortarse el pelo

Pintarase las uñas.

las uñas

Prepararse/Arreglarse

Despedirse

Acostarse

FIN