Spanish Reflexive Verbs: Daily Routine Made Easy
Learn Spanish reflexive verbs through your daily routine: me levanto, me baño, me visto, plus meaning changes like ir vs irse and dormir vs dormirse.
By Ayoub Farid · · 2 min read
Reflexive verbs describe actions you do to yourself, and they're everywhere in everyday Spanish. The easiest way to learn them is by describing your daily routine.
The pattern
Reflexive pronoun + verb:
| levantarse (to get up) | |
|---|---|
| yo | me levanto |
| tú | te levantas |
| él/ella/usted | se levanta |
| nosotros | nos levantamos |
| ellos/ustedes | se levantan |
With infinitives and commands, the pronoun can attach: Voy a levantarme. ¡Levántate!
Your daily routine
- Me despierto a las siete. — I wake up at seven.
- Me levanto. — I get up.
- Me baño / me ducho. — I bathe / shower.
- Me lavo los dientes. — I brush my teeth.
- Me visto. — I get dressed.
- Me peino. — I comb my hair.
- Me voy al trabajo. — I leave for work.
- Me acuesto a las once. — I go to bed at eleven.
- Me duermo enseguida. — I fall asleep right away.
Note: body parts use el/la, not "my": Me lavo las manos (not mis manos).
Feelings and changes
- Me siento bien. — I feel good.
- Me enojo / me enfado. — I get angry.
- Me preocupo. — I worry.
- Me alegro. — I'm glad.
- Me aburro. — I get bored.
Meaning changes
| Non-reflexive | Reflexive |
|---|---|
| ir — to go | irse — to leave |
| dormir — to sleep | dormirse — to fall asleep |
| llamar — to call | llamarse — to be named |
| poner — to put | ponerse — to put on / become |
| quedar — to remain / meet | quedarse — to stay |
- Me voy. — I'm leaving.
- Me llamo Ana. — My name is Ana.
- Me quedo en casa. — I'm staying home.
Practice: describe your day
Complete out loud:
- Normalmente me despierto a las ____.
- Después me ____ (ducharse).
- Me ____ (vestirse) rápido.
- Por la noche me ____ (acostarse) a las ____.
- Los fines de semana me ____ (quedarse) en casa.
Practice
Describe your morning out loud in Spanish tomorrow, then tell Lolo about your day in a free chat. See talk about yourself and Spanish verb conjugation basics.
Frequently asked questions
What is a reflexive verb?
A verb where the subject does the action to itself, marked with me, te, se, nos.
Why "me lavo las manos" and not "mis manos"?
The reflexive pronoun already shows whose hands, so Spanish uses the article.
What's the difference between "ir" and "irse"?
Ir means to go (somewhere); irse means to leave.