A reflexive verb describes an action you do to yourself. In the dictionary they end in -se: levantarse (to get up), ducharse (to shower).
Me levanto a las siete. (I get up at seven.)
Te duchas por la mañana. (You shower in the morning.)
Se llama Ana. (Her name is Ana — literally "she calls herself Ana".)
Quick rule: reflexive pronoun + conjugated verb. The pronoun matches the subject.
Each subject has its own reflexive pronoun, placed before the verb:
| yo | me levanto |
| tú | te levantas |
| él / ella / usted | se levanta |
| nosotros | nos levantamos |
| vosotros | os levantáis |
| ellos / ustedes | se levantan |
The verb itself conjugates normally — the pronoun is an extra piece in front.
Reflexives dominate the daily-routine vocabulary:
despertarse (to wake up) — Me despierto a las seis.
levantarse (to get up) — Me levanto en seguida.
ducharse (to shower) — Te duchas con agua fría.
vestirse (to get dressed) — Se viste rápido.
cepillarse (to brush) — Nos cepillamos los dientes.
acostarse (to go to bed) — Se acuestan a las once.
Many verbs exist in both forms — the -se changes the meaning:
lavar (to wash something) — Lavo el coche. (I wash the car.)
lavarse (to wash yourself) — Me lavo las manos. (I wash my hands.)
llamar (to call someone) — Llamo a mi madre. (I call my mother.)
llamarse (to be called) — Me llamo Pedro. (My name is Pedro.)
Note: with body parts, Spanish uses the article, not a possessive: me lavo las manos (not "mis manos").
The pronoun sits directly before the conjugated verb; "no" goes before the pronoun:
Me ducho por la noche. (I shower at night.)
No me ducho por la mañana. (I don't shower in the morning.)
¿Te levantas temprano? (Do you get up early?)
With an infinitive, the pronoun may attach to the end: Voy a ducharme or Me voy a duchar — both are correct.
Some routine reflexives also change their stem (you will study stem changes fully later):
despertarse (e → ie): me despierto, te despiertas… nos despertamos
acostarse (o → ue): me acuesto, te acuestas… nos acostamos
vestirse (e → i): me visto, te vistes… nos vestimos
Tip: the nosotros/vosotros forms keep the original stem — nos acostamos, never "nos acuestamos".
Traps for English speakers
These are the errors English speakers make most often.