Spanish Reflexive Verbs
Updated October 30, 2026
A Spanish reflexive verb uses a pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) to show that the subject does the action to itself: me levanto, I get up. You need them for any daily routine. WanderMundo, an AI language learning app, lets you practice them by describing your day to an AI tutor that corrects every mistake.
What are reflexive pronouns?
In the dictionary, a reflexive verb ends in -se: levantarse, ducharse, llamarse. When you conjugate it, the -se turns into the pronoun that matches the subject and usually moves in front of the verb.
Think of the pronoun as a mirror: «Lavo el coche» (I wash the car) has a separate object, but «Me lavo» (I wash myself) points the action back at me.
Reflexive pronouns with lavarse (to wash oneself)
| Subject | Pronoun | lavarse | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me | me lavo | I wash (myself) |
| tú | te | te lavas | you wash (yourself) |
| él / ella / usted | se | se lava | he / she washes, you (formal) wash |
| nosotros | nos | nos lavamos | we wash (ourselves) |
| vosotros | os | os laváis | you all wash (Spain) |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se | se lavan | they wash, you all wash |
Which daily routine verbs are reflexive?
Most of your morning and evening routine is reflexive in Spanish. Learn these verbs together and you can describe a whole day.
Daily routine verbs
| Verb | yo form | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| despertarse | me despierto | I wake up | e → ie |
| levantarse | me levanto | I get up | regular |
| ducharse | me ducho | I take a shower | regular |
| lavarse los dientes | me lavo los dientes | I brush my teeth | regular |
| vestirse | me visto | I get dressed | e → i |
| peinarse | me peino | I comb my hair | regular |
| acostarse | me acuesto | I go to bed | o → ue |
| llamarse | me llamo | my name is | regular |
| sentarse | me siento | I sit down | e → ie |
How do stem-changing reflexive verbs work?
Stem changes work exactly as in non-reflexive verbs: the vowel changes in every form except nosotros and vosotros. Acostarse changes o to ue, and vestirse changes e to i.
acostarse (o → ue) and vestirse (e → i)
| Person | acostarse | vestirse |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me acuesto | me visto |
| tú | te acuestas | te vistes |
| él / ella / usted | se acuesta | se viste |
| nosotros | nos acostamos | nos vestimos |
| vosotros | os acostáis | os vestís |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se acuestan | se visten |
Where does the reflexive pronoun go?
Put the pronoun right before a conjugated verb: «Me ducho por la mañana.» (I shower in the morning.) With an infinitive or a gerund (-ando, -iendo) you have two correct choices: before the whole phrase or attached to the end.
«Me voy a duchar» and «Voy a ducharme» both mean "I'm going to take a shower". «Me estoy vistiendo» and «Estoy vistiéndome» both mean "I'm getting dressed"; when you attach the pronoun to a gerund, add a written accent to keep the stress. With affirmative commands the pronoun is attached: «¡Levántate!» (Get up!). With negative commands it goes in front: «No te levantes.» (Don't get up.)
Why is it me lavo las manos, not mis manos?
With reflexive verbs, Spanish uses the article (el, la, los, las) for body parts and clothes, because the pronoun already says whose they are. «Me lavo las manos» (I wash my hands), «Se pone la chaqueta» (She puts on her jacket). Saying «mis manos» here sounds odd to native speakers.
Which verbs change meaning when they are reflexive?
Some verbs take on a different meaning with the pronoun. These are worth learning as pairs because they come up in almost every conversation.
Verbs that change meaning
| Without se | Example | With se | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ir: to go | «Voy al trabajo.» I go to work. | irse: to leave | «Me voy.» I'm leaving. |
| dormir: to sleep | «Duermo ocho horas.» I sleep eight hours. | dormirse: to fall asleep | «Me duermo en el sofá.» I fall asleep on the sofa. |
| llamar: to call | «Llamo a mi madre.» I call my mom. | llamarse: to be called | «Me llamo Ana.» My name is Ana. |
| poner: to put | «Pongo la mesa.» I set the table. | ponerse: to put on (clothes) | «Me pongo el abrigo.» I put on my coat. |
| quedar: to arrange to meet | «Quedamos a las seis.» We'll meet at six. | quedarse: to stay | «Me quedo en casa.» I'm staying home. |
What does a day sound like with reflexive verbs?
Here is a short routine. Read it out loud, then try telling your own day the same way.
«Me despierto a las siete, pero me levanto a las siete y cuarto. Me ducho, me visto y desayuno. Por la noche leo un poco y me acuesto a las once. Los sábados me quedo en la cama hasta tarde.»
English: I wake up at seven, but I get up at a quarter past seven. I shower, get dressed and have breakfast. At night I read a little and go to bed at eleven. On Saturdays I stay in bed until late. Notice that desayuno and leo are not reflexive: you do not eat or read "yourself".
Practice: 5 reflexive verb questions
Fill in the right form, then check the answers.
- 1. Yo ___ (levantarse) a las seis. (I get up at six.)
- 2. ¿A qué hora ___ (acostarse) tú? (What time do you go to bed?)
- 3. Nosotros ___ (vestirse) rápido. (We get dressed fast.)
- 4. Say it two ways: "I'm going to take a shower."
- 5. Choose: «Mañana ___ a Madrid.» (Tomorrow I'm leaving for Madrid.) voy / me voy
Answers
| Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | me levanto | yo → me + levanto. |
| 2 | te acuestas | tú → te; o → ue stem change. |
| 3 | nos vestimos | No stem change with nosotros. |
| 4 | Me voy a duchar. / Voy a ducharme. | Pronoun before the phrase or attached to the infinitive. |
| 5 | me voy | Irse means to leave; ir alone means to go. |
How can you practice reflexive verbs with WanderMundo?
Tell an AI tutor about your morning, your weekend or your trip, and a correction card appears under any sentence where the pronoun is missing or in the wrong place, with a one-line reason in English. Story mode also has you tell what happened yesterday, which is where me levanté and me acosté come in.
The structured Spanish path teaches reflexive verbs in Unit 14 ("Things I do to myself: me levanto"), with a grammar tip card in plain English and 3 to 5 minute lessons that end with a short practice chat. Open the Spanish path, or try the 1-minute mini lesson on this page with no sign-up. See pricing or go back to the WanderMundo home page.
Who it's for
- Beginners who want to describe their daily routine
- Learners unsure where me, te and se go in a sentence
- Anyone who wants to practice out loud with corrections
Who it's not for
- Learners who need an official grammar certificate
- People who only want a printable verb list
Frequently asked questions
Are all verbs ending in -se reflexive?
In the dictionary, any verb listed with -se uses a pronoun, but not all are truly reflexive. Quejarse (to complain) and arrepentirse (to regret) always take a pronoun without meaning "to oneself".
What does se mean in se habla español?
That is a different use, the impersonal se: "Spanish is spoken here". It is not a reflexive verb.
Can the pronoun go after the verb?
Only when it is attached to an infinitive, a gerund or an affirmative command: voy a ducharme, estoy vistiéndome, ¡levántate!
What does nos vemos mean?
See you. Here nos means "each other": we see each other. Plural reflexive pronouns can show a two-way action.
What happens if I leave out the pronoun?
The meaning changes or the sentence sounds wrong. Levanto alone means "I lift" something; me levanto means "I get up".
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