When using reflexive verbs in the past tense (Perfect Compus), the reflexive pronouns (mă, te, se, ne, vă, se) combine directly with the auxiliary verbs (am, ai, a, am, ați, au). Because Romanian likes to flow smoothly, these bump into each other and contract with a hyphen.
Structure: Reflexive Pronoun + Auxiliary + Past Participle
| Person | Contraction | Example | Meaning |
|---|
| Eu | m-am | m-am spălat | I washed myself |
| Tu | te-ai | te-ai spălat | You washed yourself |
| El / Ea | s-a | s-a spălat | He/She washed himself/herself |
| Noi | ne-am | ne-am spălat | We washed ourselves |
| Voi | v-ați | v-ați spălat | You (pl.) washed yourselves |
| Ei / Ele | s-au | s-au spălat | They washed themselves |
| (he/she) has … himself/herself (reflexive past) | s-a |
Questions and Plurals
The structure remains exactly the same whether you are asking a question, talking about multiple people, or mentioning the subject by name.
The Negative Reflexive Past
To make these sentences negative, simply place nu right before the hyphenated contraction. The contraction itself does not change.
Structure: nu + contraction + past participle
Washing Specific Body Parts
When talking about washing your hair or brushing your teeth, Romanian uses the reflexive verb a se spăla (to wash oneself) followed by the preposition pe and the specific body part.
- a se spăla pe păr = to wash one's hair
- a se spăla pe dinți = to brush one's teeth
