Reflexive verbs are used to describe actions that affect the person doing the action directly. Some good examples are many verbs related to daily routine activities.

We can identify them by the addition of -se to the infinitive forms. When we conjugate them, we remove the -se initially and conjugate the verb and then make sure that the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject of the verb (indicated by the verb ending).

The table below reflects the reflexive pronouns:

yo me nosotr@s nos
tu te vosotr@s os
el/ella/Usted se ell@s/Ustedes se

Let’s have a look at an example: levantarse – to get up.

Levantarse – se = levantar.

Conjugate levantar (regular -ar verb) in the required tense – we will use the present tense for the example here: Levantar – ar = levant (stem).

Levant + ending -o for the yo form = levanto. Yo ending requires the matching reflexive pronoun which will be “me”.

End result: me levanto. I am the one getting up, the action is affecting me directly.