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You already know that pronominal verbs use reflexive pronouns (**me**, **te**, **se**, **nos**, **se**). While many verbs use these pronouns to show that the subject performs an action on itself, adding a pronoun to certain other verbs changes their meaning entirely.

### Changing the focus of an action

Some verbs change their focus to the *beginning* or *end* of an action when used pronominally.

For example, **dormir** means "to sleep," but **dormirse** means "to fall asleep" (the start of sleeping).

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Similarly, **ir** means "to go" (to a specific place), but **irse** means "to leave" or "to go away" (focusing on the departure itself).

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### Creating new meanings

Other verbs change to a completely new meaning when a pronoun is added.

**encontrar** (to find) becomes **encontrarse** (to feel / to be located).

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**poner** (to put) becomes **ponerse** (to become / to get). It is often used for temporary physical or emotional changes.

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**llevar** (to carry / to transport) becomes **llevarse** (to take away / to carry off).

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Pronominal meaning changes (dormirse, irse)

adjective

adverb

auxiliary verb

conjunction

determiner

expression

interjection

noun

numeral

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Subject pronouns and the verb to be (yo soy)

Noun gender and definite articles (el, la)

Basic sentences and negation (no)

Indefinite articles (un, una)

Formal and informal you (tú vs. usted)

Plural pronouns and the verb to be (somos, son)

Making nouns plural (-s, -es)

Plural articles (los, las, unos, unas)

Noun gender exceptions

Adjective agreement

Invariable adjectives

State and location (estar)

Ser vs. estar

There is / there are (hay)

Hay vs. estar

To have (tener)

Possession (de)

Possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su)

Regular -ar verbs

Yes/No questions

What and who (qué, quién)

Regular -er verbs

Regular -ir verbs

Asking where (dónde, adónde)

How, when, and why (cómo, cuándo, por qué)

How much and how many (cuánto)

Days of the week

Going to a place (ir a)

Preposition contractions (al, del)

In and by (en)

With me and with you (conmigo, contigo)

Prepositional pronouns (mí, ti)

Conjunctions (y, o, pero)

Giving reasons (porque)

Stem-changing verbs (e to ie)

Stem-changing verbs (o to ue)

Stem-changing verbs (e to i)

Irregular yo forms (hago, salgo)

To know (saber vs. conocer)

Weather expressions (hace, está)

Desires and plans (querer)

Ability and requests (poder)

Obligations (tener que)

Expressing likes (me gusta)

Plural likes (me gustan)

Verbs like gustar (encantar, doler)

Very vs. a lot (muy, mucho)

Numbers 0 to 15 (cero, uno, dos…)

Numbers 16 to 31 (dieciséis, veinte…)

Numbers 30 to 1000 (treinta, cien, mil)

Months of the year (enero, febrero, marzo)

Seasons and dates (el dos de mayo)

Telling time (es la..., son las...)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (primero, segundo, tercero)

Reflexive pronouns and verbs (me, te, se, nos)

Direct object pronouns (lo, la, los, las)

The near future (ir a)

The present continuous (estar + -ando, -iendo)

Near demonstrative adjectives (este, esta, estos, estas)

Medium demonstrative adjectives (ese, esa, esos, esas)

Comparatives of inequality (más / menos ... que)

Comparatives of equality (tan ... como)

Indefinite and negative pronouns (algo, nada, alguien, nadie)

Affirmative commands

Far demonstratives (aquel, aquella)

Possessive pronouns (el mío, el tuyo)

Shortened indefinite adjectives (algún, ningún)

Adverbs of quantity (demasiado, bastante)

Adverbs of frequency (a menudo, a veces)

Adverb formation (-mente)

Exclamations (¡Qué...!)

Irregular comparatives (mejor, peor, mayor, menor)

Relative superlatives (el más... de)

Adjective intensification (-ísimo)

Indirect object pronouns

Pronoun placement with infinitives

Double object pronouns (me lo, te la)

The 'se lo' rule (se lo, se la)

Impersonal statements (se)

Impersonal obligation (hay que)

Personal obligation (deber)

Starting actions (empezar a)

Finishing and quitting actions (terminar de, dejar de)

Repeating actions (volver a)

Continuing actions (seguir + gerundio)

Question	Answer
to feel / to be located (to find oneself)	encontrarse
the anesthesia	la anestesia
The patient was feeling bad because of the anesthesia.	El paciente se encontraba mal por la anestesia.
to fall asleep	dormirse
the operation	la operación
We hope that the patient falls asleep before the operation.	Esperamos que el paciente se duerma antes de la operación.
the operating room	el quirófano
The patient had just fallen asleep in the operating room.	El paciente acababa de dormirse en el quirófano.
the surgeon	el cirujano
to leave (go away)	irse
After the operation, the surgeon left.	Después de la operación, el cirujano se fue.
to become (temporary state)	ponerse
the effect	el efecto
The patient gets nervous if the effect goes away soon.	El paciente se pone nervioso si el efecto se va pronto.
The patient falls asleep fast with the anesthesia.	El paciente se duerme rápido con la anestesia.
The surgeon gets nervous if the anesthesia does not work.	El cirujano se pone nervioso si la anestesia no funciona.
to take away	llevarse
The doctor took away the medicine and the patient felt better.	El doctor se llevó la medicina y el paciente se encontraba mejor.
They took away the bed through the hallway toward the operating room.	Ellos se llevaron la cama por el pasillo hacia el quirófano.
The doctor had just taken away the medicine when the effect began.	El doctor acababa de llevarse la medicina cuando el efecto empezó.
We want the surgeon to leave for an hour.	Queremos que el cirujano se vaya por una hora.
Was the patient feeling very tired in the operating room?	¿El paciente se encontraba muy cansado en el quirófano?
to say goodbye (despedirse de)	despedirse
I said goodbye to my friends at the airport.	Me despedí de mis amigos en el aeropuerto.
He said goodbye and left.	Se despidió y se fue.
to look like, to resemble	parecerse a
She looks like her mother.	Ella se parece a su madre.
That boy looks like my brother.	Ese niño se parece a mi hermano.