Reflexive and Pronominal Verbs

Kurz erklärt

Reflexive and pronominal verbs are used with me, te, se, nos, or se. With a reflexive verb, the action relates back to the subject: Me lavo means “I wash myself.” Some verbs, such as llamarse and irse, normally include the pronoun as part of their meaning. The pronoun must match the subject and usually comes directly before the conjugated verb.

Bildung

subject + me/te/se/nos/se + conjugated verb; the infinitive includes -se: lavarse

Verwendung

• Talk about daily routines and personal care.
• Say someone’s name with llamarse.
• Use common pronominal verbs such as irse with their required pronoun.

Beispiele

• Me llamo Ana. — My name is Ana.
• ¿A qué hora te levantas? — What time do you get up?
• Nos lavamos las manos antes de comer. — We wash our hands before eating.
• Ellos se van temprano. — They leave early.

Typischer Fehler

❌ Yo levanto a las siete.

✅ Yo me levanto a las siete.

Do not omit the reflexive pronoun just because English says “I get up” without one.

Merke

Match the pronoun to the subject: me, te, se, nos, se. Keep the pronoun when learning a verb written with -se.