-arse/-erse/-irse
Reflexive Verb Forms
Reflexive verbs describe actions you do to yourself, like washing your hands or getting dressed. They always use a special pronoun (me, te, se, etc.) that matches the subject.
How It Works
Reflexive verbs indicate that the subject of a sentence is also the object of the action. Think of it as the action 'reflecting' back on the person doing it. In English, we often use words like 'myself', 'yourself', 'himself', etc.
How to form them:
1. Start with the reflexive infinitive (e.g., lavarse - to wash oneself).
2. Take the reflexive pronoun 'se' from the end.
3. Place it before the verb and change it to match the subject.
4. Conjugate the main verb according to its -ar, -er, or -ir ending and the subject.
Let's conjugate lavarse (to wash oneself):
- (yo) me lavo - I wash myself
- (tú) te lavas - you wash yourself
- (él/ella/usted) se lava - he/she/you (formal) wash(es) himself/herself/yourself
- (nosotros/as) nos lavamos - we wash ourselves
- (vosotros/as) os laváis - you (plural, informal) wash yourselves
- (ellos/ellas/ustedes) se lavan - they/you (plural, formal) wash themselves/yourselves
Notice that 'lavar' is a regular -ar verb, so its endings are standard. The only new part is adding the correct reflexive pronoun in front.
Examples (5)
- Yo me levanto a las siete de la mañana.
I get up at seven in the morning.
Word by Word: I myself get up at the seven of the morning.
- ¿Tú te duchas por la noche?
Do you shower at night?
Word by Word: You yourself shower in the night?
- Ella se llama Ana.
Her name is Ana.
Word by Word: She calls herself Ana.
- Nosotros nos vestimos para la fiesta.
We get dressed for the party.
Word by Word: We ourselves get dressed for the party.
- Ellos se acuestan tarde.
They go to bed late.
Word by Word: They themselves put to bed late.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting the reflexive pronoun.
Yo lavo las manos antes de comer.Yo me lavo las manos antes de comer.Without the reflexive pronoun 'me', 'lavo las manos' could mean you are washing someone else's hands. The pronoun is necessary to show the action is done to yourself.
Using the wrong reflexive pronoun for the subject.
Tú se peinas el pelo.Tú te peinas el pelo.The reflexive pronoun must always match the subject. For the subject 'tú' (you), the correct pronoun is 'te', not 'se'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand reflexive verbs, you must first know the reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, etc.) that accompany them. Additionally, since reflexive verbs are conjugated like regular verbs, you need a solid grasp of subject pronouns and standard present tense verb endings for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.
Related Patterns
- levantarse/acostarse/ducharseDaily Routine Reflexives
These are very common reflexive verbs used for daily routines. They are perfect examples of this pattern in action.
Level 1 - -o/-as/-a/-amos/-áis/-anPresent Tense -AR Verbs
Reflexive verbs ending in '-arse' (like 'lavarse') follow the standard conjugation rules for -ar verbs.
Level 1 - -o/-es/-e/-emos/-éis/-enPresent Tense -ER Verbs
Reflexive verbs ending in '-erse' (like 'ponerse') follow the standard conjugation rules for -er verbs.
Level 1 - -o/-es/-e/-imos/-ís/-enPresent Tense -IR Verbs
Reflexive verbs ending in '-irse' (like 'vestirse') follow the standard conjugation rules for -ir verbs.
Level 1 - yo/tú/él/ella/ustedSubject Pronouns (Singular)
These subject pronouns determine which reflexive pronoun you need to use. For example, 'yo' always pairs with 'me'.
Foundations
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice -arse/-erse/-irse in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Spanish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
