Reflexive verbs
Reflexive verbs are a tool for expressing actions that a person performs on him/herself. These verbs appear in many languages, such as German. However, learning them is difficult because, in addition to the need to learn the verb conjugation, it is important to use the appropriate pronoun, since pronouns indicate the gender and number of the subject performing the reflexive action.
Introduction
To indicate that the person or thing that performs the action is also the one that receives it, reflexive verbs are used in Spanish. These verbs are formed by adding a pronoun before the conjugated verb. The choice of pronoun will depend on the person performing the action, so the use of the pronoun will vary. Learn them all with Sprachcaffe!
Spanish language trip
Improve your Spanish and have a wonderful holiday!
Conjugation of reflexive pronouns
These reflexive pronouns are essential to indicate that the action of the verb is being performed by the same person who receives it. They are placed before the verb and agree in person and number with the subject performing the action.
List of reflexive verbs
| Reflexive verbs in Spanish | Translation | Reflexive verbs in Spanish | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Aburrirse | to get bored | 16. Equivocarse | to make a mistake |
| 2. Acostarse | to go to bed | 17. Lavarse | to wash oneself |
| 3. Acostumbrarse | to get used to | 18. Levantarse | to get up |
| 4. Afeitarse | to shave | 19. Llamarse | to be called (for names) |
| 5. Alegrarse | to be happy, to rejoice | 20. Maquillarse | to put on makeup |
| 6. Arrepentirse | to regret | 21. Peinarse | to comb one's hair |
| 7. Bañarse | to bathe | 22. Pelearse | to fight with oneself or others |
| 8. Casarse | to get married | 23. Ponerse | to put on (clothes, accessories) |
| 9. Cepillarse los dientes | to brush one's teeth | 24. Prepararse | to get ready |
| 10. Cortarse el pelo | to cut one's hair | 25. Quejarse | to complain |
| 11. Despedirse | to say goodbye | 26. Reírse | to laugh |
| 12. Despertarse | to wake up | 27. Secarse | to dry oneself |
| 13. Divertirse | to have fun | 28. Sentarse | to sit down |
| 14. Ducharse | to take a shower | 29. Soprenderse | to be surprised |
| 15. Enamorarse | to fall in love | 30. Vestirse | to dress oneself |
Remember: when using these verbs you have to conjugate the reflexive pronoun in agreement with the subject!
Conclusion
Despite their grammatical difficulty, since you must also pay attention to the pronoun, these reflexive verbs are fundamental in Spanish because they not only indicate who performs the action, but also who receives it. At Sprachcaffe we recommend that you practice telling your daily routine to learn these verbs, since you will use many of these verbs when describing your daily routine. In addition, it is important that you practice reflexive verbs to memorize them more easily. And remember, it is common to make mistakes! Write them down so that you can keep improving.