Mi hermana quiere hacerse unas mechas, pero primero necesita hablar con la peluquera.

to want

Breakdown of Mi hermana quiere hacerse unas mechas, pero primero necesita hablar con la peluquera.

• mi: my
• con: with
• pero: but

Questions & Answers about Mi hermana quiere hacerse unas mechas, pero primero necesita hablar con la peluquera.

What does hacerse mean here, and why is it reflexive?

Here hacerse means to get something done to oneself.

So hacerse unas mechas is not literally to make oneself some highlights. It means to have highlights done, or more naturally in English, to get highlights.

The reflexive se is very common in Spanish for personal grooming or beauty treatments:

• hacerse las uñas = to get one’s nails done
• hacerse un tatuaje = to get a tattoo
• hacerse un corte de pelo = to get a haircut

It often suggests that the person is arranging the treatment for themselves, even if someone else actually performs it.

Why is it quiere hacerse?

Because after querer (to want), Spanish normally uses an infinitive:

• quiere + infinitive = wants to ...

So:

• Mi hermana quiere hacerse unas mechas = My sister wants to get highlights

The verb hacerse stays in the infinitive because it depends on quiere.

This same pattern appears all the time:

• Quiero comer = I want to eat
• Quiere salir = He/She wants to go out
• Queremos comprarlo = We want to buy it