Spanish grammar
Reflexive verbs
Reflexive verbs come with a small pronoun like me or se, often because the action falls back on the person doing it. Learn how llamarse and levantarse work and where the pronoun goes.
A reflexive verb often describes something the subject does to itself. In the dictionary, it ends in -se: levantarse (to get up, literally "to raise oneself"), llamarse (to be called, literally "to call oneself").
The Reflexive Pronouns
When you conjugate a reflexive verb, the -se becomes a pronoun that matches the person, placed before the verb:
| Person | Pronoun | llamarse | levantarse |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me | me llamo | me levanto |
| tú | te | te llamas | te levantas |
| él / ella / usted | se | se llama | se levanta |
| nosotros | nos | nos llamamos | nos levantamos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se | se llaman | se levantan |
Llamarse: Saying Your Name
Llamarse is how you give and ask names:
- Me llamo Ana. - My name is Ana.
- ¿Cómo te llamas? - What’s your name?
- ¿Cómo se llama usted? - What’s your name? (formal)
- Mi perro se llama Max. - My dog’s name is Max.
- ¿Cómo se llama esto en español? - What is this called in Spanish?
The Daily Routine
Many everyday routine verbs are reflexive:
- despertarse - to wake up: Me despierto a las seis. - I wake up at six.
- levantarse - to get up: Nos levantamos temprano. - We get up early.
- bañarse - to take a bath or shower: Me baño por la mañana. - I shower in the morning. Ducharse also means "to shower".
- sentarse - to sit down: Siempre me siento aquí. - I always sit here.
- acostarse - to go to bed: ¿A qué hora te acuestas? - What time do you go to bed?
Stem Changes and Body Parts
Stem Changes
Some routine verbs change their stem: despertarse (me despierto), sentarse (me siento), acostarse (me acuesto). Careful: me siento can mean "I sit down" (sentarse) or "I feel" (sentirse). Context makes it clear: Me siento bien. - I feel good.
The Article, Not "My"
With body parts or clothes, Spanish uses the article instead of "my", because the reflexive pronoun already shows whose they are: Me lavo las manos. - I wash my hands. Te pones los zapatos. - You put on your shoes.
Where the Pronoun Goes
Before a Conjugated Verb
Normally, the pronoun goes right before the verb: Me levanto a las siete. - I get up at seven. In the negative, no goes before the pronoun: No me levanto temprano. - I don’t get up early.
With an Infinitive
With an infinitive, the pronoun can attach to its end or go before the conjugated verb. Both are correct and equally common:
- Voy a levantarme. - I’m going to get up.
- Me voy a levantar. - I’m going to get up.
The pronoun still matches the person: Tienes que acostarte. - You have to go to bed.
With a Command
With a positive command, the pronoun attaches to the end: Siéntate. - Sit down. Levántate. - Get up. The written accent keeps the stress in the right place.
Reflexive Changes the Meaning
Some verbs exist in both forms with different meanings:
| Plain verb | Reflexive verb |
|---|---|
| llamar - to call: Llamo a mi madre. - I call my mother. | llamarse - to be named: Me llamo Luis. - My name is Luis. |
| ir - to go: Voy a la escuela. - I go to school. | irse - to leave: Me voy. - I’m leaving. |
| quedar - to be located: El banco queda cerca. - The bank is nearby. | quedarse - to stay: Me quedo en casa. - I’m staying home. |
| dormir - to sleep: Duermo ocho horas. - I sleep eight hours. | dormirse - to fall asleep: Me dormí en el cine. - I fell asleep at the movies. |
Reflexive Verbs in Other Tenses
The pronoun stays the same in every tense; only the verb changes:
- Ayer me levanté tarde. - Yesterday I got up late. (preterite)
- De niños, nos acostábamos a las nueve. - As kids, we used to go to bed at nine. (imperfect)
- Mañana te vas a despertar temprano. - Tomorrow you’re going to wake up early. (ir a + infinitive)
- Me di cuenta del problema. - I noticed the problem. (darse cuenta de, preterite)