Quarter 4 Flashcards
Reflexive verbs.
REFLEXIVE VERBS
Pattern: A verb is reflexive if the subject and the object of a sentence are the same.
Introduction
In other words, if the subject of a sentence also receives the action of the verb, it will be reflexive. Consider these two sentences:
Andrew lava el coche. Andrew washes the car.
Andrew se lava. Andrew washes himself.
Since Andrew is receiving the action of the verb in the second sentence, the verb is reflexive. In the first example, the verb lavar is used. In the second sentence the reflexive verb lavarse is used.
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive verbs are always accompanied by a reflexive pronoun. To form a reflexive infinitive verb, you simply place the reflexive pronoun se at the end of the infinitive, like this:
Llamar To call (not reflexive)
Llamarse To call oneself (reflexive)
When the verb is conjugated, however, the pronoun will change to match the subject of the sentence. The reflexive pronouns in Spanish are:
Reflexive Pronouns
me myself nos ourselves; each other te yourself os your selves [informal, Spain]; each other se him/her/yourself [formal] se themselves; each other; yourselves [formal]
Conjugating Reflexive Verbs
When a reflexive verb is conjugated, the matching reflexive pronoun goes in front of the conjugated verb. Here are the present tense conjugations of the verb llamarse:
Llamarse
me llamo
I call myself
nos llamamos
we call ourselves/
we call each other
te llamas
you call yourself
os llamáis
you guys call yourselves/
you guys call each other
se llama
he calls himself/
she calls herself/
you (formal) call yourself
se llaman
they call themselves/
they call each other/
you guys (formal) call yourselves/
each other
Special Cases
Body Parts
In the case of body parts, reflexive verbs can be tricky. Consider the following sentence and its Spanish translation:
Daniel washes his hands.
Daniel se lava las manos.
Even though the second sentence literally means “Daniel washes himself the hands,” it is correct. It is understood in Spanish that “the hands” are his, since the verb is reflexive. (Remember that this is NOT the case when talking about an object that belongs to the subject, such as a car.)
Word Order
As is the case with object pronouns, reflexive pronouns generally come before the verb. However, just like object pronouns, reflexive pronouns can be directly attached to the end of an infinitive verb. For example, the following sentence is acceptable:
Daniel necesita lavarse las manos. (Daniel needs to wash his hands.)
Change in Meaning
Some verbs change slightly in meaning in their reflexive forms. Here are some examples:
hacer to do, to make
hacerse to become (literally to make oneself)
volver to return
volverse to become (literally to [re]turn oneself)
ir to go
irse to go away (literally to go oneself)
Passive Voice
Reflexive verbs can be used to express something in the passive voice. For example:
El sol secó la ropa. The sun dried the clothes.
La ropa se secó al sol. The clothes were dried in the sun. (literally: the clothes dried themselves in the sun.)
Emphasis
Sometimes verbs can be reflexive just to emphasize the action or the person performing it:
Puedes comer el helado. You can eat the ice cream.
¡Cómetelo! Eat it (up)!
UNO
One
Cero
0
Dos
2
Tres
3
Cuatro
4
Cinco
5
Seis
6
Siete
7
Ocho
8
Nueve
9
Diez
10
Once
11
Doce
12
Trece
13
Catorce
14
Quince
15
Dieciseis ( diez y sies )
16
Diecisiete ( diez y siete )
17
Dieciocho ( diez y ocho )
18
Diecinueve ( diez y nueve )
19
Veinte
20
Vientiuno ( viente y uno )
21
Veintidos
22
Veintitres
23
Treinta
30
Cuarenta
40
