Spanish Reflexive Pronouns
The Spanish Obsessive
Reflexive pronouns are a group of pronouns which are used with reflexive verbs – verbs in which the subject performs an action to itself. Reflexive pronouns are very similar to other pronouns, both in their form and their use.
In a nutshell
The Spanish reflexive pronouns are me, te, se, nos and os. They’re used when the subject and the object are the same – “Me lavo” (I wash myself) – and, in the plural, for “each other”: “Nos hablamos” (we talk to each other).
They go before a conjugated verb, are attached to a positive command (“¡Levántate!”), and go before or after an infinitive or gerund: “Me tengo que afeitar” or “Tengo que afeitarme”.
metesenosos
Reflexive Pronouns Forms
| REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS | |
|---|---|
| Me | Nos |
| Te | Os |
| Se | |
Singular
| SPANISH | ENGLISH TRANSLATION |
|---|---|
| Me | Me, myself |
| Te | You, yourself |
| Se | Himself, herself, itself, yourself (formal – usted) |
Plural
| SPANISH | ENGLISH TRANSLATION |
|---|---|
| Nos | Ourselves, each other |
| Os | Yourselves (informal – vosotros) |
| Se | Themselves, yourselves (formal – ustedes) |
As you can see, “se” is used both in the singular and plural. We’ve translated these pronouns as “themselves, myself”, etc, but this is not necessarily the correct translation. Depending on the context, it could also mean “to each other”:
(Nosotros) nos hablamos → We talk to each other
Reflexive pronouns are only used when the subject is also the object. So, in the above sentence, “nos”, the object, refers to “nosotros”, the subject. By bearing this in mind, you’ll be able to find the correct translation.
Pronoun Placement
Before the verbConjugated verbs · negative commands
Meacuestotarde
¡Nosevayan!
Attached to the endPositive commands
¡Levántate!
Before, or attached to the endInfinitives · gerunds
Metengo que afeitarorTengo que afeitarme
Seestán lavandoorEstán lavándose
pronoun verb
With conjugated verbs (in the indicative or the subjunctive), the reflexive pronoun goes before the verb:
Me acuesto tarde, me levanto temprano → I go to bed late, I get up early
In negative commands, you also put the reflexive pronoun before the verb:
¡No se vayan! → Don’t go!
In positive commands, the reflexive pronoun is attached to the end of the verb, often with a written accent:
¡Levántate! → Get up!
¡Siéntense, por favor! → Sit down, please! (ustedes)
With “nosotros” commands, the final -s of the verb drops before “nos”: “¡Vámonos!” (Let’s go!), not “vámosnos”.
You join the reflexive pronoun to the end of both gerunds and infinitives:
¡Tenemos que levantarnos muy temprano mañana! → We have to get up very early tomorrow!
If the infinitive or gerund follows another verb, then the reflexive pronoun can go either before or after the verb group. If it goes after, it is attached to the verb with no spaces:
Tengo que afeitarme or Me tengo que afeitar → I have to shave
Se están lavando or Están lavándose → They are washing themselves
Notice that with the gerund (“ando” or “(i)endo” form), you will often have to add a written accent to the second syllable, which preserves the stress, as can be seen with “lavándose“.
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Common reflexive verbs
These are some of the reflexive verbs you’ll use every day:
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| levantarse | to get up | Me levanto a las siete |
| acostarse | to go to bed | Nos acostamos tarde |
| ducharse | to have a shower | ¿Te duchas por la mañana? |
| vestirse | to get dressed | Se viste muy rápido |
| llamarse | to be called | Me llamo Lis |
| sentarse | to sit down | Siéntate aquí |
| irse | to leave, go away | Me voy ya |
| darse cuenta (de) | to realise | No me di cuenta |
Notice that some verbs change meaning when they’re reflexive: “ir” is to go, but “irse” is to leave.
Quiz
Test yourself: Spanish reflexive pronouns
Eight quick questions. Pick an answer to check it – the explanation opens underneath.
“I get up at seven” is…
Answer and explanation
Answer: Me levanto a las siete
“Levantarse” is reflexive, and the pronoun for “yo” is “me”.
What does “Nos hablamos todos los días” mean?
Answer and explanation
Answer: We talk to each other every day
In the plural, reflexive pronouns often mean “each other”.
How do you tell a friend “Get up!”?
Answer and explanation
Answer: ¡Levántate!
In positive commands the pronoun is attached to the end, with an accent to keep the stress: “levántate”.
“Don’t go!” to a group (ustedes):
Answer and explanation
Answer: ¡No se vayan!
Negative commands put the pronoun before the verb.
Which of these is not correct for “I have to shave”?
Answer and explanation
Answer: Tengo me que afeitar
The pronoun goes before the whole verb group or on the end of the infinitive.
“They are washing themselves”, with the pronoun on the end:
Answer and explanation
Answer: Están lavándose
When you add the pronoun to a gerund you need a written accent: “lavándose”.
Which reflexive pronoun goes with “ustedes”?
Answer and explanation
Answer: se
“Se” is used for él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas and ustedes. “Os” goes with vosotros.
“Let’s go!” is…
Answer and explanation
Answer: ¡Vámonos!
With “nosotros” commands, the final -s drops before “nos”: “vamos + nos” → “vámonos”.
