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Reflexive Verbs - YouTube Lesson Notes

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15 views7 pages

Reflexive Verbs - YouTube Lesson Notes

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rosekatiesamwell
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Spanish Reflexive Verbs Lesson Notes

Non-Reflexive Verbs
Before we can understand reflexive verbs, we have to understand the elements
they use and the roles they serve. Check the following incomplete sentences:

Nora quita... Yo visto...


Nora removes...... I dress…

Take Note: Many Spanish verbs need an object to complete their meaning.

Yo visto a la bebé.
I dress the baby.

Nora quita los zapatos de la mesa.


Nora removes the shoes from the table.

Take Note: Non-reflexive verbs indicate that the subject performs the action to
something or someone else. They involve two different entities.

What Are Reflexive Verbs


Reflexive verbs also need an object, but they indicate that the subject and the
object are the same person. In other words, these are actions we do to ourselves.
Yo visto a la bebé. Yo me visto.
I dress the baby. I get dressed.

Yo acuesto a Luis. Yo me acuesto.


I put Luis to bed. I go to bed/I lie down.

Reflexive pronouns are crucial for indicating that an action is reflexive. Unlike
subject pronouns, they must not be omitted.

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Spanish Reflexive Verbs Lesson Notes

Reflexive Pronouns
Subject Pronoun Reflexive Pronoun Subject Pronoun Reflexive Pronoun

Yo Me Nosotros Nos

Tú Te Vosotros Os

Él / Ella / Ud Se Ellos / Ellas / Uds Se

Yo me baño.
I shower.

Tú te pintas el cabello.
You dye your hair.

¿A qué hora se despiertan?


What time do you wake up?

Take Note: Spanish reflexives are used more extensively than in English.

Tell Me In Spanish Inc. Website | Download Kit | YouTube


Spanish Reflexive Verbs Lesson Notes

How to Conjugate Reflexive Verbs


Reflexive
Subject Pronoun Levantarse Ponerse Vestirse
Pronoun

Yo Me Me levanto Me pongo Me visto

Tú Te Te levantas Te pones Te vistes

Él / Ella / Ud Se Se levanta Se pone Se viste

Nosotros Nos Nos levantamos Nos ponemos Nos vestimos

Vosotros Os Os levantáis Os ponéis Os vestís

Ellos / Ellas / Uds Se Se levantan Se ponen Se visten

Take Note: Reflexive verbs use the same conjugation patterns as their
non-reflexive counterparts.

Reflexive Verbs in Context

Tell Me In Spanish Inc. Website | Download Kit | YouTube


Spanish Reflexive Verbs Lesson Notes

Reflexive Pronouns & Infinitive Verbs


When using reflexive verbs in infinitive form to talk or refer to someone, you must
use the appropriate reflexive pronoun.
Claudia tarda mucho en arreglarse.

Después de bañarme, (yo) me maquillo.

Take Note: Reflexive verbs often relate to personal care and hygiene activities.

Reflexive Pronoun Placement


The placement of the pronoun depends on the number of verbs and the tense used.
Misplacing the pronoun can affect your fluency and the sentence’s meaning or
structure.

Before → [reflexive pronoun] + [verb]


1 conjugated verb Negative commands Perfect tenses

¿Te lavaste las manos? ¡No se duerman! ¡No nos hemos


Did you wash your Don‘t fall asleep! cambiado!
hands? We haven’t changed!

Attached → [verb+pronoun]
Infinitives Gerunds Affirmative
commands
Antes de irme… ¿Estás bañándote?
Before I leave… Are you showering? ¡Quítate los zapatos!
Take your shoes off!

Tell Me In Spanish Inc. Website | Download Kit | YouTube


Spanish Reflexive Verbs Lesson Notes

Both → [pronoun] + [verb] or [verb+pronoun]


Example Before Attached

No puedo peinar. No me puedo peinar. No puedo peinarme.


I can‘t comb my hair. I can‘t comb my hair. I can‘t comb my hair.

Take Note: With compound sentences, the pronoun can be placed before the
conjugated verb or attached to the infinitive/gerund.

Verbs with Change in Meaning


There are certain verbs that can perfectly work in reflexive or non-reflexive form.
However, using one form over the other can change the meaning.

Despedir (to fire) vs Despedirse (to say goodbye)


¿Ya te despediste de Luis? Julio lo despidió.
Did you already say goodbye to Luis? Julio fired him.

Ir (to go) vs Irse (to leave)


Mañana me voy a las 10 porque voy a ir al dentista.
Tomorrow I'm leaving at 10 because I‘m going to go to the dentist.

Llevar (to take) vs Llevarse (get along)


¿Le llevas sus cosas a mi ex? Es que ya no me llevo bien con él.
Can you take his stuff to my ex? It‘s just that I don‘t get along with him anymore.

Quitar (take out) vs Quitarse (take off)


¡Quita tus cosas de la mesa y quítate los zapatos!
Take your things out of the table and take your shoes off!

Tell Me In Spanish Inc. Website | Download Kit | YouTube


Spanish Reflexive Verbs Lesson Notes

Volver (to come back) vs Volverse (to become)


Sí, mañana vuelvo. ¿Desde cuando me volví tan buena para mentir?
Yes, I‘ll be back tomorrow. Since when did I become so good at lying?

Quejarse (to complain) & Negarse (to refuse)


Juan se quejó con Laura porque te negaste a ayudarlo.
Juan complained to Laura because you refused to help him.

Take Note: Pronominal verbs use reflexive pronouns, but they don‘t necessarily
refer to reflexive actions (comerse).

Most Common Reflexive Verbs


1. Acostarse - To go to bed/Lie 11. Levantarse - Toget up
down
12. Llevarse - To get along*
2. Afeitarse - To shave
13. Maquillarse - To put on
3. Arreglarse - To get ready makeup
4. Bañarse - To shower/To bath 14. Pintarse / Teñirse - To dye
5. Cambiarse - To change 15. Ponerse - To put on
6. Cepillarse - To brush 16. Prepararse - To get ready
7. Despertarse - To wake up 17. Secarse - To dry up
8. Dormirse - To go to sleep / To 18. Quejarse - To complain*
fall sleep
19. Quitarse - To take off
9. Irse - To leave*
20. Vestirse - To get dressed
10. Lavarse - To wash

Tell Me In Spanish Inc. Website | Download Kit | YouTube


Spanish Reflexive Verbs Lesson Notes

When to Use Reflexive Verbs: The 1 Rule

Rule: If you can do an action to someone else, you‘re able to do it on yourself too.

Carla peina a Laura primero y después se peina.


Carla combs Laura's hair first and then combs her own.

Marta baña al bebé y ella se baña con agua fría.


Marta bathes the baby and she bathes herself with cold water.

Challenge
Conjugate the verb in parentheses & choose whether to use its reflexive form by
including or omitting the reflexive pronoun.

1. Por la noche, yo _____ (ver) televisión un rato antes de dormirme.


2. Cada mañana, tú y yo _____ (levantar) temprano para hacer ejercicio.
3. Cuando ____ al trabajo, Juan _____ a las 8. (ir)
4. En vacaciones, tú _____ (despertar) tarde.
5. Antes de ____, Lucía _____ a su perro (bañar).

Resources
● YouTube Video Lessons
○ Spanish Reflexive Verbs
○ Verbos Reflexivos En español (Immersion)
● Guide to Reflexive Verbs

Tell Me In Spanish Inc. Website | Download Kit | YouTube

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