levantarse
to get up| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me levanto |
| tú | te levantas |
| él | se levanta |
| nosotros | nos levantamos |
| vosotros | os levantáis |
| ellos | se levantan |
Yo me levanto antes de que hierva el café. — I get up before the coffee starts boiling.
Level 16 of 60 · Tense System · Presente
Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive pronouns and actions in Presente
When to use it
What Reflexive Verbs Do
Reflexive verbs describe actions where the subject performs the action on itself.
- Me levanto. = I get up
- Te duchas. = You shower yourself
- Se viste. = He/She gets dressed
Core Concept
The subject and the object are the same person.
This is different from normal verbs:
- Lavo el coche. = I wash the car
- Me lavo. = I wash myself
Most Common Use Cases
1. Daily routines
- levantarse (to get up)
- ducharse (to shower)
- acostarse (to go to bed)
2. Personal care
- lavarse (to wash)
- peinarse (to comb one’s hair)
- afeitarse (to shave)
3. Emotional or internal states
- sentirse (to feel)
- preocuparse (to worry)
4. Change of state
- ponerse (to become / to put on)
- volverse (to become)
Not Always Literal
Some verbs are reflexive in Spanish but not in English:
- llamarse = to be called
- quedarse = to stay
- irse = to leave
Meaning Changes with Reflexive
Some verbs change meaning when reflexive:
| Non-reflexive | Reflexive |
|---|---|
| comer = to eat | comerse = to eat completely |
| ir = to go | irse = to leave |
| llevar = to carry | llevarse = to take away |
Important Insight
Reflexive is not a tense. It is a structural layer added to verbs.
How to form it
AR
Example: levantarse (to get up)
Remove -se -> levantar Then conjugate normally and add reflexive pronoun.
| Pronoun | Reflexive | Verb | Full Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me | levanto | me levanto |
| tú | te | levantas | te levantas |
| él / ella / usted | se | levanta | se levanta |
| nosotros / nosotras | nos | levantamos | nos levantamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | os | levantáis | os levantáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se | levantan | se levantan |
ER
Example: ponerse (to put on / to become)
| Pronoun | Reflexive | Verb | Full Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me | pongo | me pongo |
| tú | te | pones | te pones |
| él / ella / usted | se | pone | se pone |
| nosotros / nosotras | nos | ponemos | nos ponemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | os | ponéis | os ponéis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se | ponen | se ponen |
Note: ponerse keeps its irregular yo form (pongo).
IR
Example: dormirse (to fall asleep)
| Pronoun | Reflexive | Verb | Full Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me | duermo | me duermo |
| tú | te | duermes | te duermes |
| él / ella / usted | se | duerme | se duerme |
| nosotros / nosotras | nos | dormimos | nos dormimos |
| vosotros / vosotras | os | dormís | os dormís |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se | duermen | se duermen |
Note: stem changes still apply (o -> ue).
Grammar in detail
Reflexive Pronouns
| Subject | Reflexive Pronoun |
|---|---|
| yo | me |
| tú | te |
| él / ella / usted | se |
| nosotros / nosotras | nos |
| vosotros / vosotras | os |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se |
Basic Structure
reflexive pronoun + conjugated verb
- me levanto
- te duchas
- se viste
Verb + Object vs Reflexive
| Structure | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| normal | lavo el coche | I wash the car |
| reflexive | me lavo | I wash myself |
Position Rules
1. Before conjugated verb (present tense)
- me levanto
- te duchas
- se acuesta
2. With infinitives (optional placement)
- voy a levantarme
- me voy a levantar
3. With gerund (two positions)
- estoy levantándome
- me estoy levantando
Stem Changes Still Apply
Reflexive verbs follow all normal conjugation rules:
- me siento (e -> ie)
- me duermo (o -> ue)
- me visto (e -> i)
Reflexive does NOT change the verb pattern.
Double Reflexive with Objects
When using body parts, Spanish prefers:
- Me lavo las manos (not: mis manos)
Structure: reflexive pronoun + verb + definite article
Key Concept
Spanish avoids possessives with body parts when reflexive is used.
Common Mistakes
- Missing pronoun -> *levanto* ❌ instead of me levanto
- Wrong pronoun -> *te levanto* ❌ when subject is yo
- Mixing positions incorrectly
Cognitive Model
Verb = action Reflexive pronoun = direction of action
-> Action returns to subject
Quick Pattern Check
| Verb | yo | tú | él |
|---|---|---|---|
| levantarse | me levanto | te levantas | se levanta |
| ducharse | me ducho | te duchas | se ducha |
| dormirse | me duermo | te duermes | se duerme |
Summary Rules
1. Reflexive verbs use a pronoun matching the subject 2. Pronoun comes before the verb in present tense 3. Conjugation rules remain unchanged 4. Many verbs change meaning when reflexive 5. Used heavily in daily Spanish
This is one of the most important structures for natural communication.
The 10 verbs in this level
ducharse
to shower| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me ducho |
| tú | te duchas |
| él | se ducha |
| nosotros | nos duchamos |
| vosotros | os ducháis |
| ellos | se duchan |
Yo me ducho antes de salir de casa. — I shower before leaving home.
vestirse
to get dressed| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me visto |
| tú | te vistes |
| él | se viste |
| nosotros | nos vestimos |
| vosotros | os vestís |
| ellos | se visten |
Yo me visto rápido para no perder el tren. — I dress quickly so as not to miss the train.
sentirse
to feel| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me siento |
| tú | te sientes |
| él | se siente |
| nosotros | nos sentimos |
| vosotros | os sentís |
| ellos | se sienten |
Yo me siento más tranquilo después de apagar el móvil. — I feel calmer after switching off the phone.
dormirse
to fall asleep| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me duermo |
| tú | te duermes |
| él | se duerme |
| nosotros | nos dormimos |
| vosotros | os dormís |
| ellos | se duermen |
Yo me duermo en el sofá con la tele encendida. — I fall asleep on the couch with the TV on.
ponerse
to put on / to become| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me pongo |
| tú | te pones |
| él | se pone |
| nosotros | nos ponemos |
| vosotros | os ponéis |
| ellos | se ponen |
Yo me pongo la chaqueta al salir al patio. — I put on the jacket before stepping into the yard.
irse
to leave| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me voy |
| tú | te vas |
| él | se va |
| nosotros | nos vamos |
| vosotros | os vais |
| ellos | se van |
Yo me voy sin hacer ruido después de cenar. — I leave without making noise after dinner.
quedarse
to stay| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me quedo |
| tú | te quedas |
| él | se queda |
| nosotros | nos quedamos |
| vosotros | os quedáis |
| ellos | se quedan |
Yo me quedo en casa. — I stay at home.
lavarse
to wash oneself| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me lavo |
| tú | te lavas |
| él | se lava |
| nosotros | nos lavamos |
| vosotros | os laváis |
| ellos | se lavan |
Yo me lavo con agua fría al volver del mercado. — I wash with cold water after coming back from the market.
peinarse
to comb one’s hair| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me peino |
| tú | te peinas |
| él | se peina |
| nosotros | nos peinamos |
| vosotros | os peináis |
| ellos | se peinan |
Yo me peino frente al espejo del pasillo. — I fix the hair in front of the mirror in the hallway.