español · A2 · grammar · 4 minutes
Reflexive actions
Match each subject to the action that returns to it.
Understand the choice
Reflexive grammar connects the subject back to the person affected by the action. It appears in literal self-directed actions, daily routines, reciprocal actions, and many verbs whose pronominal meaning must be learned separately.
Core rule: A reflexive pronoun matches the subject when the action returns to that same person.
Notice it in context
Me lavo las manos antes de comer.
I wash my hands before eating.
A reflexive pronoun matches the subject when the action returns to that same person.
Nos preparamos para salir.
We get ready to go out.
Nos matches the nosotros subject.
Ana se peina por la mañana.
Ana combs her hair in the morning.
Se marks Ana as both actor and affected person.
What to remember
- The pronoun must match the subject even when the subject noun is explicit: Ana se peina.
- With an infinitive, placement can vary: me voy a duchar or voy a ducharme.
Common trap: A verb with se in the dictionary is not always literally reflexive. Irse means leave and llamarse means be called; learn each pronominal verb’s complete meaning.