Reflexive Verbs

In brief

Italian uses reflexive verbs for actions that affect the person doing them, including many daily routines. For example, svegliarsi means “to wake up,” and lavarsi means “to wash oneself.” English often leaves the reflexive part unspoken: mi sveglio simply means “I wake up.” Not every routine verb is reflexive; learn the verb together with its -si ending.

Form

Remove -si from the infinitive and place the matching pronoun before the conjugated verb: mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si. For example, svegliarsi → mi sveglio, ti svegli, si sveglia.

Usage

• Use the pronoun that matches the person doing the action: ci vestiamo means “we get dressed.”
• Put non before the pronoun to make a negative statement: non mi alzo means “I don’t get up.”
• With body parts, Italian commonly uses the definite article: mi lavo le mani means “I wash my hands.”

Examples

• Mi sveglio alle sette. — I wake up at seven.
• Ti lavi le mani prima di mangiare? — Do you wash your hands before eating?
• Ci vestiamo in fretta. — We get dressed quickly.

Common mistake

❌ Sveglio alle sette.

✅ Mi sveglio alle sette.

To say ‘I wake up,’ use the reflexive pronoun mi. Without it, sveglio is the form used for waking someone else up.

Remember

The -si in the dictionary form signals a reflexive verb; change it to match the subject when you use the verb.