Lesson for Spanish Reflexive Verbs. Gives detailed instructions on how to conjugate these verbs in the Present Tense along with pictures, vocabulary, and some practice opportunities along the way.

1. Los Verbos Reflexivos

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.

3. To say that people
do something to or
for themselves you
use reflexive verbs.

4. For example
washing one’s hands
lavarse las manos
and brushing one’s teeth
cepillarse los dientes
are reflexive actions because the
person doing the action ALSO
receives the action.

5. How do you know a verb is reflexive?
It ends in “se” in the infinitive form.
 ducharse
 cepillarse
 afeitarse

6. 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

7. Subject
Reflexive
Pronoun
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
me
tú
myself
nosotros
ellos/ellas ustedes
te
se
nos
se
yourself
himself/herself/
itself/yourself
ourselves
themselves, yourselves,
each other

8. 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:

9. ***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 se
bañan

10. Many reflexive verbs are translated
into English with the word “get” like
vestirse
to get dressed
or
arreglarse
to get ready (presentable)

11. REFLEXIVE vs NON-REFLEXIVE
Some verbs can be reflexive AND non reflexive. However,
they can have small but important changes in meaning
when 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,

12. Here we are seeing the difference
between a reflexive verb and a
non reflexive verb.
Ana Juan
Claudia
NON REFLEXIVE REFLEXIVE

13. 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.

14. Juan is cutting HIS OWN hair. He is doing
the action TO HIMSELF so the reflexive
verb “cortarse” is used.
Ana Juan
Claudia
NON REFLEXIVE REFLEXIVE
Ana corta el pelo. Juan se corta el pelo.

15. Julia
Choose which is reflexive?
A B
Ana
Ana
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.

16. 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.

17. 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 .

18. 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.

19. 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.)

20. 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.

21. 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 the
present participle.

22. *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.

23. 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.

24. Práctica
con los
verbos reflexivos

25. (Pablo)*despertarse
Luz se despierta a las siete.

26. (Tú) levantarse (temprano)
Tú te levantas temprano .

27. (Usted) ducharse
Usted se ducha en la ducha.
la ducha

28. (Nosotros) bañarse
Nos bañamos en la
bañadera.
la bañadera

29. (Yo) lavarse el pelo
Yo me lavo el pelo.
el pelo

30. (Ellas) lavarse las manos
Ellas se lavan las manos.
las manos

31. (Ana) afeitarse
Ana se afeita las piernas.
las piernas

32. (Ustedes) secarse
la toalla
Ustedes se secan con la toalla.

33. (Ellos) afeitarse
Ellos se afeitan la barba.
la barba

34. (Nosotros) cepillarse
los dientes
Nosotros nos cepillamos
los dientes.

35. (Diego) secarse el pelo
el secador
Diego se seca el pelo con
el secador.

36. (Usted) arreglarse
Usted se arregla el pelo.
el pelo

37. (Él) *ponerse
el desodorante
.
Él se pone el desodorante.

38. (Nosotros) *vestirse
.
Nosotros nos vestimos.

39. (Nosotros) ponerse la ropa
la ropa
.
Nos ponemos la ropa.

40. (Yo ) maquillarse
el maquillaje
.
Me maquillo con el
maquillaje.

41. (Usted ) mirarse
el espejo
.
Usted se mira en el espejo.

42. (Yo) *ponerse
el perfume
.
Yo me pongo el perfume.
el agua
de colonia

43. (Él) cortarse el pelo
Él se corta el pelo.

44. (Ellas) pintarse las uñas
Ellas se pintan las uñas.
las uñas

45. (Tú) prepararse
Tú te preparas.

46. (los alumnos)*despedirse
Los alumnos se despiden.

47. (Ustedes) *acostarse
Ustedes se acuestan a las once.

48. 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

49. REPASO DE
VOCABULARIO

50. Despertarse

51. Levantarse

52. Ducharse.
la ducha

53. Bañarse
la bañadera

54. Lavarse el pelo.

55. Lavarse las manos.

56. Afeitarse las piernas.

57. la toalla
Secarse

58. Afeitarse la barba.

59. Cepillarse los dientes

60. el secador
Secarse el pelo

61. el desodorante
.
Ponerse el desodorante.

62. .
Vestirse/Ponerse la ropa

63. el maquillaje
.
Maquillarse con el maquillaje

64. el espejo
.
Mirarse en el espejo

65. el perfume
.
Ponerse el perfume
el agua
de colonia

66. Cortarse el pelo

67. Pintarase las uñas.
las uñas

68. Prepararse/Arreglarse

69. Despedirse

70. Acostarse

71. FIN