# 29. Reflexive Verbs

> Source: [A Complete Guide To Every Fundamental In Spanish (The Conclusion)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHDZSHCt1DE&t=7780s)

Reflexive verbs in Spanish are verbs whose action is applied to oneself. A useful way to think of them is that the English equivalent often follows a preposition (wash → wash up, sit → sit down, go → go away). The infinitive ends in **-se** (lavar → lavarse), and a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) is placed before the conjugated verb.

## Key Rules
- Drop **-se** and conjugate the base verb normally; add the matching reflexive pronoun in front.
- Pronouns: **me, te, se, nos, os, se**.
- In the present progressive, the pronoun usually goes before *estar* (Te estás lavando), or attached to the gerund (Estás lavándote — accent required).
- The reflexive form often shifts meaning, mirroring English particle verbs (give vs. give up).
- Works in every tense; just conjugate the base verb in that tense and keep the pronoun.

## Conjugation / Pattern Tables

### Reflexive pronouns
| Subject | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| yo | me |
| tú | te |
| él/ella/usted | se |
| nosotros | nos |
| vosotros | os |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se |

### Lavarse — present
| Subject | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me lavo |
| tú | te lavas |
| él/ella | se lava |
| nosotros | nos lavamos |
| vosotros | os laváis |
| ellos | se lavan |

## Examples
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo lavo el coche. | I wash the car. |
| Yo me lavo las manos. | I wash up my hands. |
| Tú te estás lavando. | You are washing up. |
| Estás lavándote. | You are washing up. |
| Él se lavó. | He washed up. |
| Yo me baño. | I take a bath. |
| Tú te levantaste. | You got up. |
| Él se despertó. | He woke up. |
| Yo me duermo. | I fall asleep. |
| Yo me voy. | I leave / I go away. |
| Yo me pongo. | I put (something) on / put down. |
| Yo me siento. | I sit down. |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What is your name? (lit. How do you call yourself?) |
| Me llamo Alex. | My name is Alex. |

## Notes & Gotchas
- Don't say *Me llamo es Alex* or *Yo llamo Alex*; the verb itself contains "call oneself".
- *Sentarse* is also stem-changing: yo me siento, tú te sientas.
- *Ponerse* is irregular in yo: yo me pongo.
- In a present-progressive sentence, attaching the pronoun to the gerund requires a written accent (lavándote, not lavandote).
