28. Reflexive Verbs
The subject and the object are the same with reflexive verbs - the subject acts upon itself. A reflexive verb in Spanish will be marked with se attached to the end of the infinitive. These verbs are conjugated like regular verbs, except the reflexive pronoun agrees with case and gender and precedes the verb when not used in the infinitive form. Reciprocal verbs are the same as reflexive except the action passes from one person to another. It can only be used in the first and third person plural forms. Reflexive verbs sometimes use the "-self" forms in English, while the reciprocal verbs use "each other." Some common reflexive verbs:
acostarse - to go to bed bañarse - to bathe oneself casarse - to get married despertarse - to wake up irse - to go away levantarse - to rise sentarse - to sit down vestirse - to dress oneself atreverse - to dare quejarse - to complain |