Reflexive vs. Non-Reflexive Verbs in Spanish
Many Spanish verbs have a reflexive and a non-reflexive form — and the meaning often changes completely. Learn dormir vs dormirse, ir vs irse, comer vs comerse and more, with 20+ exercises.
One of the most interesting parts of learning Spanish is discovering that many verbs exist in two forms: a non-reflexive form and a reflexive form. Sometimes the meaning changes only a little — other times it changes completely.
In this lesson you'll learn: what reflexive verbs are, how reflexive pronouns work, the difference between reflexive and non-reflexive forms, common verb pairs, and plenty of practice.
1. What is a reflexive verb? A reflexive verb uses a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, se) to show that the action affects the same person who performs it.
| Subject | Reflexive pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | me levanto |
| tú | te | te acuestas |
| él / ella / usted | se | se duerme |
| nosotros | nos | nos vestimos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | se | se maquillan |
Compare: 'Yo lavo el coche' (I wash the car) vs 'Yo me lavo' (I wash myself). In the second sentence, the action returns to the subject.
2. Many Spanish verbs exist in two versions — non-reflexive and reflexive. The reflexive version does not always mean 'doing something to yourself' — very often it changes the meaning or adds a nuance.
3. Main differences between reflexive and non-reflexive verbs — four common patterns:
| Pattern | Non-reflexive | Reflexive | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal action vs change of state | volver (to return) | volverse (to become) | Juan volvió a casa. / Juan se volvió muy serio. |
| Simple action vs completed action | comer (to eat) | comerse (to eat up) | Comí pizza. / Me comí toda la pizza. |
| Movement vs leaving | ir (to go) | irse (to leave) | Voy al supermercado. / Me voy de la fiesta. |
| State vs process | dormir (to sleep) | dormirse (to fall asleep) | Duermo ocho horas. / Me dormí en el sofá. |
4. Common reflexive vs non-reflexive verbs at a glance:
| Non-reflexive | Reflexive | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| dormir | dormirse | sleep / fall asleep |
| ir | irse | go / leave |
| comer | comerse | eat / eat up |
| poner | ponerse | put / put on |
| quitar | quitarse | remove / take off |
| quedar | quedarse | meet / stay |
| llevar | llevarse | carry / take away |
| parecer | parecerse | seem / resemble |
| volver | volverse | return / become |
| encontrar | encontrarse | find / run into |
5. Where do reflexive pronouns go? Usually before the conjugated verb: • Me levanto temprano. (I get up early.) • Se puso nervioso. (He became nervous.) • Nos quedamos en casa. (We stayed at home.) They can also attach to infinitives and gerunds: • Voy a dormirme. (I'm going to fall asleep.) • Está poniéndose la chaqueta. (He's putting on his jacket.)
6. Common mistakes — and how to avoid them: Adding a reflexive pronoun when you don't need one: • Voy al cine. = I'm going to the movies. • Me voy al cine. = I'm leaving for the movies. Confusing similar-looking pairs: • Quedo con Ana. = I meet up with Ana. • Me quedo en casa. = I stay at home.
Free practice
Yo ______ muy tarde anoche. (dormir / dormirse — past tense)
María ______ el abrigo porque hace frío. (poner / ponerse — present, 3rd person)
Nosotros ______ al cine todos los viernes. (ir / irse — present)
Él ______ toda la pizza. (comer / comerse — past, emphasis on completion)
¿Tú ______ en casa hoy? (quedar / quedarse — present)
Ellos ______ en el supermercado por casualidad. (encontrar / encontrarse — past)
Me ______ los zapatos al llegar a casa. (quitar / quitarse — past)
Siempre ______ una mochila al trabajo. (llevar / llevarse — present, yo)
Ana ______ temprano.
Nosotros ______ en este hotel durante las vacaciones.
Él ______ muy nervioso durante la entrevista.
Yo ______ la chaqueta porque hace frío.
Rewrite as reflexive: 'Ella pone el vestido.' → Ella ______ el vestido.
Rewrite as reflexive: 'Nosotros vamos de la fiesta.' → Nosotros ______ de la fiesta.
Rewrite as reflexive (emphasis on completion): 'Él come la manzana.' → Él ______ la manzana.
Rewrite as reflexive: 'Yo quedo con mis amigos.' → Yo ______ con mis amigos.
Translate: 'I fell asleep very quickly.'
Translate: 'She put on her shoes.'
Translate: 'We stayed at home.'
Translate: 'He ate all the cake.'