Reflexive Verbs

1. Reflexive Verbs

2. The following verbs from Chapter 5 (page 157) are reflexive. A verb is reflexive when the infinitive has “se” attached to the end of the verb. acostarse(ue) lavarse afeitarse levantarse bañarse maquillarse cepillarse peinarse despertarse (ie) quitarse ducharse sentarse (ie) vestirse (i)

3. “Reflexive” means “-self” (myself, yourself, etc.).What “se” literally means is “himself,” “herself,” “themselves,” “yourself” (formal), or “yourselves” (formal).

4. Reflexive verbs have to have a reflexive pronoun. “Se” is the third person reflexive pronoun. He shaves = (El) se afeita. You can’t simply say “afeita.” That doesn’t mean anything. If you were to say that to a speaker of Spanish, he’d think, “He shaves what?” You have to specify “He shaves HIMSELF.”

5. What you do is take “se” off the end of the verb, put it in front of the verb, and then conjugate the verb: (ie) – (Ella) . – She sits down. – Literally, “she seats herself.” bañarse – (Ellos) se bañan. -- They bathe. – Literally, “they bathe themselves.” vestirse (i) – (El) se viste. – He dresses. – Literally, “he dresses himself.” sentar se sienta

6. CLICK HERE TO GO TO A SHORT PRACTICE

7. “Se” only works for third person. You can’t use it to say “I bathe” or “You wake up.” You need first and second person pronouns.

8. Here are the reflexive pronouns: me nos myself ourselves te os yourself yourselves se se himself, themselves, herself, yourselves (formal) itself, yourself (formal) Notice that four of the pronouns are identical to the direct object pronouns: REFLEXIVE DIRECT OBJECT me nos me nos te os te os se se lo, la los, las

9. So . . . – I bathe. – (Yo) . – Literally, “I bathe myself.” – You dry off. – (Tú) . – Literally, “You dry yourself.” – We get up. – (Nosotros) . – Literally, “We raise ourselves up.” – Y’all take a shower. – (Vosotros) . – Literally, “Y’all shower yourselves.” bañar se me baño te secas secar se levantar se nos levantamos duchar se os ducháis

10. me nos te os se se So how do you say “you shave”? Te afeitas. How about “he shaves”? Se afeita. And “we shave”? Nos afeitamos. “Y’all shave”? Os afeitáis. “They shave”? Se afeitan.

11. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that “me,” “te,” etc., are substitutes for subject pronouns. I can say me afeito and te afeitas but I can also say yo me afeito and tú te afeitas

12. CLICK HERE TO GO TO A SHORT PRACTICE.

13. With most reflexive verbs, if they’re not reflexive, you have to do the action to someone else I shave (myself). Me afeito. Afeito al hombre. I shave the man. I sit down (seat myself). Me siento. Siento a mis amigos. I seat my friends. I wake up (myself). Me despierto. Despierto a mi hija. I wake my daughter up. I go to bed. Me acuesto. Acuesto a mis hijas. I put my daughters to bed. The first one of each pair has “me” as a reflexive pronoun. The second doesn’t have a reflexive pronoun because it has a direct object.

14. Now look again at the sentences from the previous slide. What if, instead of “I shave the man,” you want to say, “I shave him”? I shave (myself). Me afeito. Afeito al hombre. I shave the man. Lo afeito. I shave him. What about “I seat them” instead of “I seat my friends”? I sit down (seat myself). Me siento. Siento a mis amigos. I seat my friends. I seat them. Los siento. And “I wake her up” instead of “I wake my daughter up”? I wake up (myself). Me despierto. Despierto a mi hija. I wake my daughter up. La despierto. I wake her up. Finally, “I put them to bed” instead of “I put my daughers to bed”? I go to bed. Me acuesto. Acuesto a mis hijas. I put my daughters to bed. I put them to bed. Las acuesto.

15. CLICK HERE TO GO TO A SHORT PRACTICE.

16. DORMIRSE The verb “dormirse” is a little different. You can’t sleep someone else. “Dormir” means “to sleep”; “dormirse” means “to fall asleep.” • Duermo. – I sleep. • Me duermo. – I fall asleep. • **Lo duermo.** -- Garbage. Not possible.

17. Other things to remember • If you use certain two-part verb combinations, the reflexive verb can either before the first verb or can be attached to the second verb. • Querer + levantarse • Quiero levantarme • Me quiero levantar • Quieres levantarte • Te quieres levantar • etc. • Make sure that the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject: yo <> me, tú <> te

18. There are four placements of reflexive pronouns. 1. In front of the conjugated verb. • Mebaño. 2. Attached to the infinitive of the verb. • Yoquierobañarme. 3. Attached to the affirmative command. • Báñate. 4. In front of the negative command. • Notebañes.

19. Click here to go to your homework.