# Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se

> id: grammar.pronouns.reflexive · category: grammar · depth: standard · levels: A2 · review: internally_reviewed

**Summary.** The subject acts on itself: me lavo, se levanta. The pronoun matches the subject and follows normal clitic placement.

A reflexive pronoun shows that the subject acts on itself. The set matches the subject: me, te, se, nos, os, se. With a reflexive verb every form pairs up: levantarse → me levanto, te levantas, se levanta, nos levantamos, os levantáis, se levantan.

Placement is the standard clitic pattern: before a conjugated verb (me ducho), attached to infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands (quiero ducharme, está bañándose, levántate). Many verbs shift meaning when made reflexive: ir 'to go' vs irse 'to leave', dormir 'to sleep' vs dormirse 'to fall asleep'.

A key Spanish habit: with parts of the body and clothing, the reflexive replaces the possessive — me lavo las manos (not *mis manos), se puso el abrigo. The body part keeps the article because the reflexive already shows whose it is.

## Examples
- Me despierto a las seis. — I wake up at six.
- Se cepilla los dientes. — She brushes her teeth. *(Article, not possessive, with body parts.)*
- Me levanto, me ducho y me visto en veinte minutos. — I get up, shower, and get dressed in twenty minutes.

Related: grammar.verbs.reflexive-verbs, grammar.pronouns.placement

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