Spanish grammar · interactive
Spanish Reflexive Verbs Exercises
Me levanto, te duchas, se va… the little pronoun changes everything. Drill reflexive verbs with instant feedback — no signup, no setup.
These Spanish reflexive verbs exercises drill the two things learners actually get wrong: matching the pronoun to the subject (me, te, se, nos, os, se) and knowing when the pronoun changes the verb’s meaning entirely. Every answer comes with an explanation, so you learn the pattern instead of guessing.
The short version: a reflexive verb points the action back at the subject — the pronoun always matches the person doing it — and with an infinitive or gerund the pronoun either attaches to the end of that verb or moves in front of the conjugated one, never in between.
Try the reflexive verbs exercise
Pick the form that fits. You’ll see why after each answer.
Yo a las siete todos los días.
I wake up at seven every day.
How it works
- 1
Read the sentence
A real Spanish sentence appears with the verb or pronoun blanked out.
- 2
Pick the right form
Choose the option you think fits. Instant right/wrong feedback.
- 3
Learn the why
Every answer explains the rule behind it, so the pattern sticks.
What you’ll learn
- Matching me/te/se/nos/os/se to the subject automatically
- Meaning-changing pairs: ir vs irse, dormir vs dormirse, quedar vs quedarse
- Where the pronoun goes with infinitives and gerunds (and where it never goes)
- Daily-routine verbs (levantarse, ducharse, vestirse) in natural sentences
Think “who receives the action,” not “-se verb”
Learners often memorize reflexive verbs as a list of special words ending in -se. A more useful mental model: the pronoun tells you the subject and the receiver of the action are the same person. ‘Lavo el coche’ — I wash the car. ‘Me lavo’ — I wash myself. Same verb, and the pronoun is doing the pointing. That’s why the pronoun always agrees with the subject: yo me lavo, tú te lavas, ella se lava.
This model also explains the body-parts pattern that trips up English speakers: Spanish says ‘me lavo las manos’ (I wash myself the hands), not ‘lavo mis manos’. The reflexive pronoun already says whose hands they are, so the possessive would be redundant — Spanish uses the definite article instead.
The traps: verbs that change meaning with se
The real difficulty isn’t the pronouns — it’s that adding se can shift a verb’s meaning. Ir = to go, irse = to leave. Dormir = to sleep, dormirse = to fall asleep. Quedar = to arrange to meet, quedarse = to stay. Llevar = to carry, llevarse = to take away (or to get along: ‘se llevan bien’). Poner = to put, ponerse = to put on, or to become. These aren’t irregularities; se often adds a sense of change, beginning, or completeness to the action.
The other classic trap is pronoun placement. With one conjugated verb, the pronoun goes right before it: ‘me levanto’. With an infinitive or gerund you get a choice — attach it to the end (‘voy a levantarme’, ‘estoy levantándome’) or put it before the conjugated verb (‘me voy a levantar’, ‘me estoy levantando’). The one position that is always wrong is the middle: ‘voy a me levantar’ doesn’t exist.
Quick reference: same verb, different meaning with se
| Without se | With se |
|---|---|
| ir — to go (somewhere) | irse — to leave, go away |
| dormir — to sleep | dormirse — to fall asleep |
| quedar — to arrange to meet | quedarse — to stay |
| llevar — to carry, wear | llevarse — to take away; to get along |
| poner — to put | ponerse — to put on; to become |
Frequently asked questions
What are reflexive verbs in Spanish?
Reflexive verbs are verbs where the subject performs the action on itself, marked with a pronoun that matches the subject: me levanto (I get up), te duchas (you shower), se viste (she gets dressed). The dictionary form ends in -se, like levantarse.
What is the difference between dormir and dormirse?
Dormir means to sleep — the ongoing activity (‘dormí ocho horas’). Dormirse means to fall asleep — the moment it starts (‘me dormí a las once’). The reflexive form marks the change of state.
Where does the reflexive pronoun go with an infinitive?
Either attached to the end of the infinitive (‘voy a ducharme’) or before the conjugated verb (‘me voy a duchar’). Both are correct; the pronoun just can’t sit between the two verbs.
How do I know if a Spanish verb is reflexive?
Check whether the action loops back to the subject, or whether the -se version has its own meaning (irse, quedarse). Many verbs exist in both forms — lavar vs lavarse — so it’s less about memorizing a list and more about who receives the action.
Make reflexive verbs automatic
Exercises teach the rule — real sentences make it instinct. HablaCore drills reflexive verbs in real AI-generated sentences with instant feedback, and resurfaces the ones you keep missing.
Practice reflexive verbs in real sentences