FHUHS Spanish

A reflexive verb is any verb in which the doer of an action is also the receiver of the action. A perfect example of this in English is the verb used to describe what one is doing when looking in the mirror:

I see myself.

The pronoun myself is a clear indicator that the verb ‘to see’ is being used reflexively. Other reflexive pronouns in English include “yourself, himself, herself, yourselves, ourselves, themselves.”

The reflexive pronouns in Spanish are as follows:

The problem of relating English reflexives to those in Spanish, is that in English, we frequently omit the reflexive pronouns. The verbs used in sentences such as the following are in fact reflexive, even though the reflexive pronoun is not stated:

• I am washing my hair.
• She is taking a shower.
• He is combing his hair.

Including the reflexive pronoun in the above would seem odd in most circumstances, but might be generated for clarification:

• I am washing my hair myself.
• She is taking a shower herself.
• He is combing his hair himself.

In Spanish the reflexive pronouns are never omitted. Thus the above sentences in Spanish would be:

• Me lavo el pelo.
• Se ducha.
• Se peine el pelo.

Some common reflexive verbs in Spanish which may not feel reflexive to the native speaker of English include:

• acercarse a — to approach, or to near
• acordarse de — to remember
• acostumbrarse a — to become accustomed to something
• asustarse — to become scared
• burlarse de — *to make fun of someone
• casarse con — to get married to
• desanimarse — to become disheartened
• despertarse — to wake up
• dormirse — to fall asleep
• enamorarse de — to fall in love with
• enojarse — to become angry
• equivocarse — to make a mistake, to be mistaken
• irse — to leave, to go away
• juntarse — to join
• marcharse — to leave, to walk out
• molestarse — to be bothered, annoyed
• morirse — to die
• olvidarse de — to forget something
• preocuparse de — to be worried about
• quedarse — to remain, to stay
• quejarse — to complain
• reunirse — to get together