Reflexive Pronouns Overview

Spanish has a dedicated set of pronouns called reflexive pronouns that show up whenever the subject of a verb is also the receiver of the action. English rarely uses anything like them — we just say I wash, not I wash myself — but in Spanish they are essential and appear in some of the most common verbs in the language.

If you're learning Spanish, you can't escape reflexive pronouns: they show up in your morning routine (me levanto, me ducho), your name (me llamo), your daily small talk (¿cómo te sientes?), and a thousand other places.

The forms

The reflexive pronouns follow a pattern that looks almost identical to the other object pronouns, with one important difference: the third person (singular and plural) uses the special form se. That single form se is one of the most overworked words in Spanish — it has at least five distinct jobs, all explained on the more specific pages linked at the bottom.

In Latin America you will almost never hear os — the plural "you" is always ustedes, so the reflexive is always se.

The basic idea: the subject acts on itself

The clearest use is when a person literally does something to his or her own body. Compare:

In the first sentence, the action goes outward to a separate object (el carro). In the second, the action stays with the subject — I am washing something that belongs to me, so Spanish marks that with me.

More everyday examples

Placement: same rules as object pronouns

Reflexive pronouns follow the same placement rules you already know from direct and indirect object pronouns:

• Before a conjugated verb: me lavo, se acuestan.
• Attached to an infinitive or gerund: quiero lavarme, está lavándose.
• Attached to affirmative commands: ¡lávate!, ¡siéntense!.

Both versions are equally correct — see pronoun placement with infinitives for the full rules.

The special role of se

The reflexive se covers a lot of third-person ground: él se lava, ella se lava, usted se lava, ellos se lavan, ellas se lavan, ustedes se lavan. Only the verb ending tells you who is doing the action.

Reflexive vs. non-reflexive

Many verbs can be used either with or without a reflexive pronoun. When the pronoun is there, the subject is acting on itself; when it isn't, the action goes to someone or something else.

This flexibility is one of the most elegant features of Spanish grammar. It lets a single verb like vestir express two clearly different situations without needing extra words.

A roadmap of the reflexive system

The reflexive pronoun has more jobs than you'd think. Here's a map of the main categories you'll meet:

Each of these has its own page with examples and rules — see the links at the bottom.

A few more everyday reflexive sentences

What comes next

This page is just the opening tour. The following pages go deeper into the ways reflexive pronouns show up in Spanish: true reflexive verbs, reciprocal actions, inherently reflexive verbs, verbs that change meaning with se, and the use of reflexives for emphasis and completion.