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IntermediateReflexive Verbs
How reflexive verbs express actions done to oneself in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
Spanish uses reflexive pronouns extensively, including for inherent reflexives and reciprocal actions. English uses 'myself' only for emphasis or true reflexives. Chinese uses 自己 (self) or omits the reflexive entirely.
Overview
Reflexive verbs express actions where the subject and object are the same person.
- Spanish: Uses reflexive pronouns extensively. Many everyday verbs are inherently reflexive (levantarse, acostarse, acordarse). The se construction also serves passive and impersonal functions.
- English: Uses reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself) only for true reflexives or emphasis. Most Spanish reflexive verbs have no reflexive equivalent in English.
- Chinese: Uses 自己 (self) when emphasis is needed. Most self-directed actions are expressed without any special marker.
Spanish
Reflexive pronouns
| Person | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| yo | me |
| tú | te |
| él/ella/usted | se |
| nosotros | nos |
| vosotros | os |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se |
True reflexives
The subject acts on itself:
- Me lavé. (I washed myself.)
- Te ves en el espejo. (You see yourself in the mirror.)
- Se criticó. (He criticized himself.)
Inherent reflexives (most common)
Many Spanish verbs are always reflexive — the reflexive is part of the verb itself:
| Reflexive | Meaning | Non-reflexive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| levantarse | to get up | levantar | to lift |
| acostarse | to go to bed | acostar | to lay down |
| despedirse | to say goodbye | despedir | to fire |
| acordarse | to remember | acordar | to agree |
| quejarse | to complain | — | — |
| arrepentirse | to regret | — | — |
| atreverse | to dare | — | — |
Rule: Learn these as vocabulary — the reflexive is not optional.
Reciprocal (each other)
With plural subjects, reflexives express reciprocity:
- Se quieren. (They love each other.)
- Nos vemos mañana. (We’ll see each other tomorrow.)
- Se escriben frecuentemente. (They write to each other frequently.)
Context distinguishes reflexive from reciprocal:
- Se lavaron. (They washed themselves. OR They washed each other.)
Reflexive for change of state
Some verbs use reflexive to show a change:
- Se enfadó. (He got angry.)
- Se puso rojo. (He turned red.)
- Se hizo médico. (He became a doctor.)
Passive / impersonal se
Se has multiple functions beyond reflexive:
- Se habla español. (Spanish is spoken. — impersonal)
- Se vendieron las casas. (The houses were sold. — passive)
- Se me cayó el vaso. (I dropped the glass. — accidental)
Position of reflexive pronouns
Reflexives usually precede conjugated verbs:
- Me levanto a las siete. (I get up at seven.)
With infinitives and gerunds, they can attach:
- Voy a levantarme. (I’m going to get up.)
- Estoy levantándome. (I’m getting up.)
With positive imperatives, they attach:
- ¡Levántate! (Get up!)
- ¡Acuéstate! (Go to bed!)
English
Reflexive pronouns
| Person | Reflexive |
|---|---|
| I | myself |
| you | yourself |
| he | himself |
| she | herself |
| it | itself |
| we | ourselves |
| you (pl) | yourselves |
| they | themselves |
True reflexives
Only used when subject = object:
- I hurt myself.
- She taught herself Spanish.
- They blame themselves.
Emphatic use
Reflexives add emphasis — the subject did it alone or personally:
- I myself saw it. (not someone else)
- She did it herself. (alone, no help)
- The president himself spoke. (emphasis on status)
Alone vs by myself:
- I live alone. (no one else lives with me)
- I did it by myself. (without help)
No reflexive for Spanish inherent verbs
English does not use reflexives for many verbs that are reflexive in Spanish:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| me despierto | I wake up |
| me levanto | I get up |
| me acuesto | I go to bed |
| me acuerdo | I remember |
| me quejo | I complain |
Each other / one another (reciprocal)
English uses explicit reciprocal pronouns:
- They love each other.
- We help one another.
Each other is preferred for two people; one another for groups (though this distinction is fading).
Get + past participle (reflexive-like)
English uses get for some change-of-state meanings:
- I got dressed. (= me vestí)
- He got married. (= se casó)
- They got lost. (= se perdieron)
Chinese
No inherent reflexives
Chinese verbs do not require reflexive marking. Many Spanish reflexive verbs translate as simple verbs:
- 我起床。(I get up. — no reflexive)
- 我洗澡。(I take a bath. — no reflexive)
- 我睡觉。(I sleep. — no reflexive)
自己 for emphasis
自己 (oneself) adds emphasis or clarity:
- 我自己做。(I do it myself.)
- 他伤害了自己。(He hurt himself.)
Without 自己, the meaning can be ambiguous:
- 他洗了。(He washed. — himself? someone else? context decides)
Reciprocal: 互相
互相 (each other) marks reciprocity:
- 他们互相帮助。(They help each other.)
- 我们互相认识。(We know each other.)
Natural reciprocals
Some Chinese verbs are naturally reciprocal without 互相:
- 我们见面。(We meet [each other].)
- 他们吵架。(They quarrel [with each other].)
自 as prefix
自 can prefix verbs for “self-” meanings:
- 自杀 (suicide — self-kill)
- 自学 (self-study)
- 自动 (automatic — self-moving)
Comparison at a glance
| Feature | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| True reflexive | Yes (me lavo) | Yes (I wash myself) | Rare (自己 optional) |
| Inherent reflexives | Many (required) | None | None |
| Reciprocal | se (ambiguous) | each other / one another | 互相 |
| Emphatic | yo mismo / a mí mismo | myself (alone) | 自己 |
| Change of state | se + verb | get + participle | verb + 了 |
| Passive/impersonal | se + verb | be + past participle | verb + 了 / context |
| Reflexive set | me, te, se, nos, os, se | myself, yourself… | 自己 |
| Position | Before verb / attached | After verb / after noun | Before verb (自己) |
Examples in context
I get up at 7
- ES: Me levanto a las siete.
- EN: I get up at seven.
- ZH: 我七点起床。
They love each other
- ES: Se quieren.
- EN: They love each other.
- ZH: 他们互相爱。
I did it myself
- ES: Lo hice yo mismo.
- EN: I did it myself.
- ZH: 我自己做的。
He got angry
- ES: Se enfadó.
- EN: He got angry.
- ZH: 他生气了。
Common mistakes
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Omitting reflexive: Me despierto not Despierto
-
Spanish speakers learning English: Adding ‘myself’: I wake myself up → I wake up
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Adding 自己 unnecessarily: 我自己洗澡 → 我洗澡
-
Spanish speakers learning English: Confusing each other: They love themselves → They love each other
Related topics
- Pronouns: How reflexive pronouns fit into the pronoun system
- Passive: How se functions as a passive marker in Spanish
- Imperatives: How reflexive pronouns attach to positive commands
- Verb Tenses: How reflexive verbs conjugate in different tenses
Examples
True reflexive (I wash myself)
me lavo
Reciprocal (They love each other)
se quieren
Inherent reflexive (to fall asleep)
me duermo (required)
Emphatic (I did it myself)
lo hice yo mismo
Reflexive pronouns set
me, te, se, nos, os, se
Change of state (se rompió)
Yes (passive/se accidental)
Examples
True reflexive (I wash myself)
I wash myself
Reciprocal (They love each other)
they love each other
Inherent reflexive (to fall asleep)
I fall asleep (no reflexive)
Emphatic (I did it myself)
I did it myself
Reflexive pronouns set
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Change of state (se rompió)
It broke (no reflexive)
Examples
True reflexive (I wash myself)
我洗澡 / 我洗自己
Reciprocal (They love each other)
他们互相爱
Inherent reflexive (to fall asleep)
我睡着了 (no reflexive)
Emphatic (I did it myself)
我自己做的
Reflexive pronouns set
自己 (zìjǐ) + optional pronoun
Change of state (se rompió)
坏了 (no reflexive)
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| True reflexive (I wash myself) | me lavo | I wash myself | 我洗澡 / 我洗自己 |
| Reciprocal (They love each other) | se quieren | they love each other | 他们互相爱 |
| Inherent reflexive (to fall asleep) | me duermo (required) | I fall asleep (no reflexive) | 我睡着了 (no reflexive) |
| Emphatic (I did it myself) | lo hice yo mismo | I did it myself | 我自己做的 |
| Reflexive pronouns set | me, te, se, nos, os, se | myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves | 自己 (zìjǐ) + optional pronoun |
| Change of state (se rompió) | Yes (passive/se accidental) | It broke (no reflexive) | 坏了 (no reflexive) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| True reflexive (I wash myself) | me lavo | I wash myself | 我洗澡 / 我洗自己 |
| Reciprocal (They love each other) | se quieren | they love each other | 他们互相爱 |
| Inherent reflexive (to fall asleep) | me duermo (required) | I fall asleep (no reflexive) | 我睡着了 (no reflexive) |
| Emphatic (I did it myself) | lo hice yo mismo | I did it myself | 我自己做的 |
| Reflexive pronouns set | me, te, se, nos, os, se | myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves | 自己 (zìjǐ) + optional pronoun |
| Change of state (se rompió) | Yes (passive/se accidental) | It broke (no reflexive) | 坏了 (no reflexive) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
True reflexive (I wash myself)
Spanish
me lavo
English
I wash myself
Chinese
我洗澡 / 我洗自己
Reciprocal (They love each other)
Spanish
se quieren
English
they love each other
Chinese
他们互相爱
Inherent reflexive (to fall asleep)
Spanish
me duermo (required)
English
I fall asleep (no reflexive)
Chinese
我睡着了 (no reflexive)
Emphatic (I did it myself)
Spanish
lo hice yo mismo
English
I did it myself
Chinese
我自己做的
Reflexive pronouns set
Spanish
me, te, se, nos, os, se
English
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Chinese
自己 (zìjǐ) + optional pronoun
Change of state (se rompió)
Spanish
Yes (passive/se accidental)
English
It broke (no reflexive)
Chinese
坏了 (no reflexive)
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Uses reflexive pronouns extensively. Many everyday verbs are inherently reflexive (levantarse, acostarse, acordarse). The se construction al...
English: Uses reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself) only for true reflexives or emphasis. Most Spanish reflexive verbs have no reflexive equ...
Chinese: Uses 自zì己jǐ (self) when emphasis is needed. Most self-directed actions are expressed without any special marker.
Key concepts compared: True reflexive (I wash myself), Reciprocal (They love each other), Inherent reflexive (to fall asleep).
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Last updated: June 4, 2026