Spanish Reflexive Verbs: Pronouns, Conjugation & Practice

SPANISH GRAMMAR · LEVEL A1–A2

Learn how Spanish reflexive verbs work, which pronoun to use and where to place it. Clear examples, everyday vocabulary and free exercises will help you use forms such as me llamo, te levantas and se acuesta with confidence.

Quick answer: A verb is reflexive when the subject performs an action on itself. In the infinitive it ends in -se, and when conjugated it uses a matching reflexive pronoun.

Reviewed and updated August 2026 · SAY ZONTE! Teaching Team

What Is a Reflexive Verb in Spanish?

A Spanish verb is reflexive when the person doing the action and the person receiving it are the same.

Ana se peina.
Ana combs her hair / Ana combs herself.

The infinitive ends in -se:

• lavar → lavarse
• vestir → vestirse
• levantar → levantarse

To conjugate the verb, remove -se, choose the reflexive pronoun that matches the subject and conjugate the verb normally.

Me lavo las manos. — I wash my hands.
Nos levantamos temprano. — We get up early.

Watch: Spanish Reflexive Verbs Explained

Mónica, one of our Spanish teachers, introduces the central idea in this short lesson. Use the explanations below to review each rule at your own pace.

Reflexive or Pronominal?

Learners often call every verb ending in -se a reflexive verb. That is useful at beginner level, but there is a small grammatical difference.

• With a truly reflexive action, the action returns to the subject: Carlos se mira en el espejo.
• Some verbs always or commonly use a pronoun without describing a literal action on oneself: arrepentirse, quejarse, irse.
• Some verbs change meaning when the pronoun is added: dormir means to sleep, while dormirse means to fall asleep.

You do not need to memorize every label immediately. Learn each verb together with its pronoun and meaning.

Spanish Reflexive Pronouns

The reflexive pronoun changes with the subject.

Spanish in El Salvador

In El Salvador, vos is common in informal conversation. The reflexive pronoun is still te, but the verb form may change:

tú te levantas → vos te levantás
tú te sientes → vos te sentís

Across most of Latin America, including El Salvador, ustedes is used for plural you. In Spain you will also hear vosotros os levantáis.

How to Conjugate Spanish Reflexive Verbs

1. Identify the subject.
2. Choose the matching reflexive pronoun.
3. Remove -se and conjugate the verb.

Example: levantarse in the present tense

Me levanto a las siete. — I get up at seven.
¿A qué hora te levantás? — What time do you get up? (common in El Salvador)
Los estudiantes se levantan temprano. — The students get up early.

Irregular and stem-changing verbs keep their normal changes: me visto, se acuesta, nos sentimos.

Where Does the Reflexive Pronoun Go?

1. Before a conjugated verb

Place the pronoun immediately before a conjugated verb.

Me ducho por la mañana.
Elena se prepara para la clase.
No me acuesto tarde.

2. Attached to an infinitive

With an infinitive, you normally have two correct options:

Me voy a levantar temprano.
Voy a levantarme temprano.

3. Attached to a gerund

With a gerund, both positions are also possible:

Me estoy poniendo los zapatos.
Estoy poniéndome los zapatos.

When the pronoun is attached, a written accent is often needed to preserve the original stress.

4. Commands

Attach the pronoun to an affirmative command, but place it before a negative command.

Levántate. — Get up. (tú)
Levantate. — Get up. (vos)
No te levantes. — Don’t get up. (tú)
No te levantés. — Don’t get up. (vos)

Common Spanish Reflexive Verbs

Daily routine

Feelings and everyday actions

When the pronoun changes the meaning

Five Common Mistakes

1. Forgetting the reflexive pronoun

Incorrect: Yo levanto a las siete.
Correct: Yo me levanto a las siete.

2. Using a pronoun that does not match the subject

Incorrect: Nos se levantamos.
Correct: Nos levantamos.

3. Leaving -se on the infinitive

Incorrect: Me levantarse.
Correct: Me levanto.

4. Putting the pronoun after every verb

Incorrect: Levanto me temprano.
Correct: Me levanto temprano.

5. Forgetting an accent after attaching the pronoun

Incorrect: Estoy poniendome los zapatos.
Correct: Estoy poniéndome los zapatos.

Free Practice: Spanish Reflexive Verbs

Complete each sentence with the correct present-tense form of the verb in brackets.

1. Yo ________ a las siete. (levantarse)
2. Ana ________ antes de la clase. (prepararse)
3. Nosotros ________ las manos. (lavarse)
4. ¿Cómo ________ tú? (llamarse)
5. En El Salvador: ¿A qué hora ________ vos? (acostarse)
6. Mis amigos ________ mucho en la playa. (divertirse)
7. Ustedes ________ aquí. (sentarse)
8. Marta está ________ la chaqueta. (ponerse)

Choose the correct pronoun

1. Carlos ___ afeita por la mañana. (me / se / nos)
2. Yo ___ siento cansado. (me / te / se)
3. ¿___ acordás de la palabra? (vos: te / se / os)
4. Nosotros ___ quedamos en El Zonte. (nos / se / os)
5. In Spain: vosotros ___ levantáis temprano. (os / se / nos)

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I recognize a Spanish reflexive verb?

In the infinitive, it normally ends in -se, as in levantarse or vestirse. When conjugated, it uses a matching pronoun.

What are the five Spanish reflexive pronouns?

The five forms are me, te, se, nos and os. The form se is used with él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas and ustedes. The form os is used with vosotros/as in Spain.

Does vos use a different reflexive pronoun?

No. Vos uses te, just like tú. The verb form often changes: tú te levantas becomes vos te levantás in El Salvador.

Are all verbs ending in -se truly reflexive?

Not in the strict grammatical sense. Some are pronominal verbs, and others change meaning when used with a pronoun. For learners, it is practical to study them as verb-and-pronoun combinations.

Can the pronoun go before or after the verb?

Place it before a conjugated verb: me levanto. With an infinitive or gerund, both positions are often possible: me voy a levantar / voy a levantarme and me estoy vistiendo / estoy vistiéndome.

What is the difference between lavarse and lavar?

Lavarse means to wash oneself or a part of one’s own body: Me lavo las manos. Lavar usually takes another object: Lavo la ropa.