Reflexive verbs are verbs in which the object is the same person as the subject, that is, the subject does the action to itself. Therefore, in Spanish reflexive verbs, the object pronoun must change each time the person of the subject changes. The reflexive verb has the same forms as a nonreflexive verb, but the object pronoun is always included, in the same person as the ending of the verb indicates.
Present of Reflexive Verbs: levantar (se) to get (oneself) up, to arise
Reflexive pronouns are the same for verbs of all three conjugations. The infinitive indicates that the verb is reflexive by having -se attached to it (levantarse). The se is removed with the infinitive ending when the personal endings are attached. The reflexive is also the same form for all tenses of the verb.
Imperfect: yo me levantaba I was getting up. Write the other forms of the imperfect of levantarse, taking care to use the correct reflexive pronoun with each form (Imperfect, p. 8):
Preterit: yo me levanté I got up. Write the other forms of the preterit of levantarse (p. 13):
Future: yo me levantaré I shall get up. Write the other forms of the future of levantarse (p. 20):
Conditional: yo me levantaría I would get up. Write the other forms of the conditional of levantarse (p. 26):
Progressive Tenses: yo me estoy levantando or yo estoy levantándome I am getting up.
Note that the pronoun may either precede or follow in the progressive. Write the yo form of the past progressive of levantarse in Spanish and translate into English:
Perfect Tenses: Present: yo me he levantado I have gotten up. The pronoun precedes the haber verb in all perfect tenses. Write the (1) pluperfect, (2) future perfect, and (3) conditional perfect of levantarse, and translate each into English:
Subjunctive: Present: yo me levante Es posible que yo me levante. It’s possible that I will get up. Write the other forms of present subjunctive:
Es posible que ...
Imperfect: yo me levantara (me levantase) Era imposible que yo me levantara. It was impossible for me to get up. (lit, that I would get up) Write the other forms of the imperfect subjunctive, first the -ra and then the -se forms:
Era imposible que …
Present Perfect: yo me haya levantado Es posible que yo me haya levantado. It’s possible that I got up. Write the singular forms of the present perfect subjunctive and translate into English:
Es posible que …
Pluperfect: yo me hubiera levantado Si yo me hubiera levantado If I had gotten up. Write the plural forms of the imperfect subjunctive (-se form) and translate into English:
Era imposible que …
Two other verbs which are treated in a manner similar to levantarse are lavarse to wash up (to wash oneself), and peinarse to comb one’s hair (to comb oneself).
A. Add reflexive pronouns so that the verbs express the idea of a subject acting on itself.
1. lavéis _________________________
2. peinaban _________________________
3. levantó _________________________
4. peinemos _________________________
5. levantábamos _________________________
6. lavan _________________________
7. levantamos _________________________
8. hayan peinado _________________________
9. lavabas _________________________
10. peiné _________________________
11. lavantáis _________________________
12. hubieras levantado _________________________
13. peina _________________________
14. lavaré _________________________
15. peinarías _________________________
B. Change each simple tense to a corresponding compound tense, keeping the person of the original verb.
1. se levanten _________________________
2. nos levantamos _________________________
3. te peinas _________________________
4. os levantáis _________________________
5. nos peinaremos _________________________
6. me peiné _________________________
7. se levantaba _________________________
8. nos levantaríamos _________________________
9. se peinaron _________________________
10. se lave _________________________
11. os peinéis _________________________
12. nos lavemos _________________________
13. me levante _________________________
14. se levantarán _________________________
15. me lavaré _________________________
Write in Spanish, using reflexive verbs:
1. I hope he has washed up _________________________
2. they were washing _________________________
3. they comb their hair _________________________
4. It was possible that he would wash up _________________________
5. I had gotten up _________________________
6. they got up _________________________
7. they will have washed _________________________
8. I am combing my hair _________________________
9. they would have gotten up _________________________
10. I used to get up _________________________
11. I wash _________________________
12. It’s possible that she will get up _________________________
13. We will wash up _________________________
14. He has washed up _________________________
15. It was impossible for us to comb our hair _________________________
16. they washed up _________________________
17. I would wash up _________________________
18. they get up _________________________
19. you (s., fam.) washed up _________________________
20. It was impossible for them to wash up _________________________
A. Change each verb to represent more than one person in the same tense. Example: hablo - hablamos
1. acabo _________________________
2. comprendiste _________________________
3. él temía _________________________
4. necesitaré _________________________
5. partirías _________________________
6. estoy enseñando _________________________
7. partes _________________________
8. Ud. hable _________________________
9. ha enseñado _________________________
10. hayas hablado _________________________
11. estaba lavándose _________________________
12. habías vendido _________________________
13. él hubiese asistido _________________________
14. bebieras _________________________
15. habrá preguntado _________________________
16. habrías tomado _________________________
17. escucha _________________________
18. he estudiado _________________________
19. habrás temido _________________________
20. aprenderá _________________________
21. comprendas _________________________
22. está viviendo _________________________
23. Ud. había acabado _________________________
24. contesté _________________________
25. Ud. vendiese _________________________
26. yo habría partido _________________________
27. abrías _________________________
28. Ud. entraría _________________________
29. estabas comiendo _________________________
30. Ud. haya tomado _________________________
1. parto _________________________
2. Uds. escribieron _________________________
3. asistiréis _________________________
4. ellos vivían _________________________
5. tomaríamos _________________________
6. enseñasteis _________________________
7. él está estudiando _________________________
8. temeremos _________________________
9. Ud. estaba abriendo _________________________
10. ella vendería _________________________
11. has asistido _________________________
12. Ud. ha comido _________________________
13. ellos habían comprendido _________________________
14. estás escuchando _________________________
15. habremos tenido _________________________
16. yo había estudiado _________________________
17. estaba levantándome _________________________
18. habrás hablado _________________________
19. si bebiéramos _________________________
20. Ud. habría contestado _________________________
21. comas _________________________
22. él escriba _________________________
23. es imposible que él se haya lavado _________________________
24. si aprendiésemos _________________________
25. si hubieras estudiado _________________________
26. Ojalá que hayáis hablado _________________________
27. si Uds. hubieran comido _________________________
28. ellos temen _________________________
29. Uds. habrían llevado _________________________
30. Uds. llevaban _________________________
C. Write in Spanish:
1. they fear _________________________
2. if she had left _________________________
3. you (s., fam.) used to eat _________________________
4. it is possible that we spoke _________________________
5. did you (pl., fam.) speak? _________________________
6. I used to leave _________________________
7. we will learn _________________________
8. it was possible that you (s., fam.) would take _________________________
9. he would not write _________________________
10. they understood _________________________
11. you (s., fam.) are answering _________________________
12. they would have left _________________________
13. you (pl., fam.) were speaking _________________________
14. I have studied _________________________
15. do not finish! (pl., fam.) _________________________
16. they had left _________________________
17. I will have taught _________________________
18. you (s., for.) will have lived _________________________
19. we are living _________________________
20. you (pl., for.) would have taught _________________________
21. let us fear _________________________
22. you (s., fam.) do not read _________________________
23. it was possible that he would sell _________________________
24. it is possible that you (pl., fam.) haven’t eaten _________________________
25. he was selling _________________________
26. it was possible that you (pl., fam.) didn’t listen _________________________
27. I sell _________________________
28. will you (s., fam.) read? _________________________
29. they used to carry _________________________
30. you (s., fam.) wrote _________________________
31. you (pl., fam.) will attend _________________________
32. we would take _________________________
33. she is not studying _________________________
34. you (pl., fam.) were opening _________________________
35. you (s., for.) have not attended _________________________
36. I had understood _________________________
37. you (s., fam.) would carry _________________________
38. they will have studied _________________________
39. you (pl., for.) would not have needed _________________________
40. drink! (pl., for.) _________________________
41. it was possible that we wouldn’t attend _________________________
42. you (s., fam.) have lived _________________________
43. it’s possible that he hasn’t finished _________________________
44. it was possible that you learned _________________________
45. do you (pl., fam.) open? _________________________
46. I used to fear _________________________
47. you (s., fam.) had taken _________________________
48. they asked _________________________
49. you (s., for.) will enter _________________________
50. would you (s., fam.) read? _________________________