Reflexive verbs for the daily routine (levantarse)

What is a reflexive verb?

A reflexive verb describes something you do to yourself. English sometimes says "myself" (I wash myself), but often leaves it out (I get up, I shower). Spanish shows it with a small reflexive pronoun: me, te, se, nos, os, se.

In the dictionary, reflexive verbs end in -se: levantarse = to get (yourself) up. You already know one: llamarse, as in me llamo Ana = I'm called Ana (literally "I call myself Ana") (Introducing yourself).

How to conjugate

Conjugate the verb as normal and put the matching pronoun before it:

Daily routine verbs

despertarse (to wake up, e → ie), levantarse (to get up), ducharse (to have a shower), lavarse (to wash), lavarse los dientes (to brush your teeth), afeitarse (to shave), peinarse (to comb your hair), vestirse (to get dressed, e → i), acostarse (to go to bed, o → ue). The stem changes are the ones you know from Stem-changing verbs e → ie (querer, empezar), Stem-changing verbs o → ue, u → ue (poder, jugar) and Stem-changing verbs e → i (pedir, repetir).

• Me despierto a las siete.I wake up at seven.
• Me ducho por la mañana.I shower in the morning.
• ¿A qué hora te levantas?What time do you get up?
• Mi hermano se afeita todos los días.My brother shaves every day.
• Nos acostamos tarde los sábados.We go to bed late on Saturdays.
• ¿Os acostáis temprano?Do you all go to bed early?
• Los niños se lavan los dientes.The children brush their teeth.
• Mi hija se viste sola.My daughter gets dressed on her own.

Body parts take el, la, los, las

With a reflexive verb, the pronoun already says whose body it is, so Spanish uses the article, not mi, tu, su: me lavo las manos = I wash my hands.

Reflexive or not

Without the pronoun, the action is done to something or someone else:

• Lavo el coche los domingos.I wash the car on Sundays.

With an infinitive

After voy a, quiero, tengo que…, the pronoun can go before the conjugated verb or be attached to the end of the infinitive. Both are correct (Where pronouns go: before the verb, or attached).

• Voy a ducharme.I'm going to have a shower.
• Me voy a duchar.I'm going to have a shower.

Latin America

Plural "you" is ustedes se levantan. In Mexico and many other countries bañarse is often used for having a shower, and in many countries cepillarse los dientes is common for brushing your teeth.

Common mistakes

• Levanto a las siete → Me levanto a las siete. Without me, it means you lift something.
• Me levantamos → Nos levantamos. The pronoun matches the person.
• Me lavo mis manos → Me lavo las manos.
• Levanto me → Me levanto. With a conjugated verb, the pronoun goes in front.