SparkAI logoSparkAI
Start learning free

Spanish grammar lessons › Level A2 › Spanish reflexive verbs

Reflexive or not: ir/irse, dormir/dormirse, llamar/llamarse

Voy / me voy, duermo / me duermo, llamo / me llamo

Part of the free A2 Spanish course. Press the speaker next to an example to hear it.

In Reflexive verbs for the daily routine (levantarse) you met reflexive verbs: verbs with a pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) that refers back to the subject, as in me levanto (I get up, literally "I lift myself"). With many verbs, adding the pronoun doesn't just mean "myself": it changes the meaning. These pairs are very common in everyday speech.

The key pairs

Without seWith se
ir: to go (somewhere)irse: to leave, go away
dormir: to sleepdormirse: to fall asleep
llamar: to call (someone)llamarse: to be called
quedar: to meet up, arrangequedarse: to stay
poner: to putponerse: to put on (clothes)
acostar: to put (someone) to bedacostarse: to go to bed
parecer: to seemparecerse a: to look like

Ir or irse

Ir needs a destination. Irse is about leaving the place where you are.

  • Mañana voy a Toledo.Tomorrow I'm going to Toledo.
  • Me voy, que es tarde.I'm off, it's late.
  • ¿A qué hora os vais?What time are you (all) leaving?

Dormir or dormirse

  • El bebé duerme diez horas.The baby sleeps for ten hours.
  • Me dormí viendo la tele.I fell asleep watching TV.

Me he dormido (or me dormí) can also mean "I've overslept". Quedarse dormido is a common alternative for falling asleep.

Llamar or llamarse

  • Llamo a mi abuela todos los domingos.I call my grandmother every Sunday.
  • Mi perro se llama Rufo.My dog is called Rufo.

Quedar or quedarse

Quedar con alguien is the everyday Spain way to say you have arranged to meet someone.

  • He quedado con Marta a las seis.I've arranged to meet Marta at six.
  • Hoy me quedo en casa.Today I'm staying at home.

Ponerse and parecerse a

  • Me pongo el abrigo y salgo.I put my coat on and go out.
  • Mi hija se parece mucho a su padre.My daughter looks a lot like her father.

With clothes and parts of the body, use the article, not "my": me pongo el abrigo, me lavo las manos.

Where the pronoun goes

Before a conjugated verb (me voy), or attached to an infinitive (voy a irme = me voy a ir). More in Where pronouns go: before the verb, or attached.

Latin America

Se replaces os for "you all": ¿A qué hora se van? Quedar con for meeting up is typical of Spain; in many Latin American countries people more often say quedar en vernos (agree to meet) or verse con alguien.

Common mistakes

  • Bueno, voy. when you are leaving → Bueno, me voy.
  • Me llamo a mi madre → Llamo a mi madre. You call someone else: no me.
  • Quedo en casa → Me quedo en casa. Staying needs se.
  • Me pongo mi chaqueta → Me pongo la chaqueta.
  • Me parezco mi madre → Me parezco a mi madre. Parecerse needs a.

Practice

  1. Bueno, _____. ¡Hasta mañana!
    Right, I'm off. See you tomorrow!
    Options: me voy · voy · me va
    Show the answer

    me voy — Leaving the place where you are: irse.

  2. Anoche _____ (yo, dormirse) en el sofá.
    Last night I fell asleep on the sofa.
    Show the answer

    me dormí — Dormirse = to fall asleep. Note the accent on dormí.

  3. Mi abuelo _____ ocho horas cada noche.
    My grandfather sleeps eight hours every night.
    Options: duerme · se duerme · se dormía
    Show the answer

    duerme — Sleeping for a length of time is dormir; dormirse is the moment of falling asleep.

  4. ¿Cómo _____ (llamarse) tu profesora de inglés?
    Show the answer

    se llama

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days, until you've answered it correctly on three separate days.
Learn this in the app, freeAll Spanish lessons