Spanish Reflexive Verbs Practice

Q: What is a reflexive verb in Spanish?

A reflexive verb is one whose action returns to the subject — I wake myself up, you sit yourself down. In the dictionary the infinitive ends in -se: levantarse, ducharse, sentirse. To conjugate, drop the -se, conjugate the verb normally, and add the matching reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se).

Q: What are Spanish reflexive pronouns?

Six forms, one per subject: yo → me, tú → te, él / ella / usted → se, nosotros → nos, vosotros → os, ellos / ellas / ustedes → se. They come before the conjugated verb (me ducho) or attach to infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands (ducharme, duchándome, ¡dúchate!).

Q: Where do reflexive pronouns go in a Spanish sentence?

Default: before the conjugated verb (me levanto a las siete). With infinitives and gerunds: either before the conjugated verb (me voy a levantar / me estoy levantando) or attached to the infinitive / gerund (voy a levantarme / estoy levantándome). With affirmative commands: attached, plus an accent (¡levántate!). With negative commands: before (no te levantes).

Q: What's the difference between levantar and levantarse?

Levantar (without -se) means to lift or raise something else: levanto la silla. Levantarse (with -se) means to get oneself up: me levanto a las siete. The same pattern works with many verbs: lavar / lavarse, dormir / dormirse, ir / irse.

Q: Can two plural subjects use 'se' for each other?

Yes — that's the reciprocal use. Mis padres se besan can mean my parents kiss each other (reciprocal) or my parents kiss themselves (reflexive — usually less natural). Context decides. To force the reciprocal reading, you can add el uno al otro or mutuamente.

Q: Are these reflexive verb exercises free?

Yes. All 30 exercises run in your browser, work without any signup, and include a clear explanation after every answer.

Question 1

Yo ___ a las siete de la mañana.

Accepted Answer

me levanto. Yo + levantarse = me levanto. The reflexive pronoun me matches the subject and goes before the conjugated verb.

Question 2

¿A qué hora ___ por la noche?

Accepted Answer

te acuestas. Tú + acostarse = te acuestas. The reflexive pronoun te matches tú.

Question 3

Mi hermano ___ rápido antes de salir.

Accepted Answer

se viste. Mi hermano (él) + vestirse = se viste. Se is the reflexive pronoun for él / ella / usted. Vestirse is also stem-changing (e → i).

Question 4

Nosotros ___ las manos antes de comer.

Accepted Answer

nos lavamos. Nosotros + lavarse = nos lavamos. Nos is the reflexive pronoun for nosotros.

Question 5

Hoy ___ muy bien. ¿Y tú?

Accepted Answer

me siento. Yo + sentirse = me siento. Sentirse is also stem-changing (e → ie). Note the difference from sentir (without -se), which means to feel something else.

Question 6

Voy a ___ ahora porque tengo prisa.

Accepted Answer

ducharme. When the reflexive verb is in the infinitive after another verb, the pronoun attaches to the infinitive: ducharme. Alternatively: me voy a duchar.

Question 7

Mis padres ___ todos los días al despedirse.

Accepted Answer

se besan. Reciprocal use of se with plural subjects = each other. Mis padres se besan = my parents kiss each other.

Question 8

Yo ___ pronto porque estoy muy cansado.

Accepted Answer

me acuesto. Yo + acostarse = me acuesto. Acostarse is o → ue stem-changing: me acuesto, te acuestas, se acuesta, nos acostamos, os acostáis, se acuestan.

Question 9

Mañana ellos ___ de Madrid a Barcelona.

Accepted Answer

se mudan. Mudarse means to move (residences). Ellos + mudarse = se mudan. Note: mudar (without -se) means to change or to molt — different meaning.

Question 10

¿A qué hora ___ vosotros?

Accepted Answer

os despertáis. Vosotros + despertarse = os despertáis. Os is the reflexive pronoun for vosotros. Despertarse is also stem-changing (e → ie).

Question 11

Cuando llueve, mi madre ___ mucho.

Accepted Answer

se preocupa. Mi madre (ella) + preocuparse = se preocupa. Preocuparse means to worry. Without -se, preocupar means to worry someone (different meaning).

Question 12

Ya es muy tarde. Yo ___ ahora.

Accepted Answer

me voy. Irse means to leave or to go away. Yo + irse = me voy. Without -se, ir simply means to go (often with a destination): voy a casa.

Question 13

El bebé está ___ en su cuna.

Accepted Answer

durmiéndose. When the reflexive verb is in the gerund, the pronoun attaches to the gerund and an accent is added: durmiéndose. Alternatively: se está durmiendo.

Question 14

Which sentence sounds wrong?

Accepted Answer

Nosotros se levantamos temprano.. Nosotros uses nos, not se. Nos levantamos is the natural Spanish.

Question 15

Mi hija ___ los dientes después de cada comida.

Accepted Answer

se cepilla. Mi hija (ella) + cepillarse = se cepilla. Note: with body parts in Spanish, you don't say los suyos — you use the reflexive: se cepilla los dientes (literally she brushes herself the teeth).

Question 16

Carlos y Ana ___ por correo electrónico cada semana.

Accepted Answer

se escriben. Reciprocal — they write to each other. Plural subject + se = each other.

Question 17

Por favor, ___ ahí, en esa silla.

Accepted Answer

siéntate. Affirmative command with reflexive: pronoun attaches to the verb, accent added on the original stressed syllable. Sentarte is the infinitive form, not a command.

Question 18

No ___ todavía, espera un momento.

Accepted Answer

te levantes. Negative command: pronoun goes before the verb, and the verb takes the present subjunctive form. No te levantes.

Question 19

Antes de salir, yo ___ delante del espejo.

Accepted Answer

me maquillo. Yo + maquillarse = me maquillo. Reflexive because the action returns to the subject (you put makeup on yourself).

Question 20

Después del concierto nos ___ en casa de Pablo.

Accepted Answer

quedamos. Quedarse means to stay. Nosotros + quedarse = nos quedamos. The pronoun nos is already given — you only need the conjugated verb.

Question 21

Mi abuela ___ cuando recibe noticias de la familia.

Accepted Answer

se alegra. Alegrarse = to be glad / to feel happy. Mi abuela (ella) + alegrarse = se alegra.

Question 22

Tienes que ___ las manos antes de comer.

Accepted Answer

lavarte. After tener que + infinitive, the reflexive pronoun attaches to the infinitive: lavarte. Alternatively: te tienes que lavar.

Question 23

El padre ___ al niño en la mejilla.

Accepted Answer

besa. Here the action goes to someone else (the child), not back to the subject — non-reflexive. Use besar without the reflexive pronoun.

Question 24

Ellos siempre ___ las manos después de cocinar.

Accepted Answer

se lavan. Ellos + lavarse = se lavan. Plural ellos takes se as the reflexive pronoun.

Question 25

En esa clase, los estudiantes ___ porque el profesor habla muy lento.

Accepted Answer

se aburren. Aburrirse = to get bored (feel bored). Los estudiantes + aburrirse = se aburren. Without -se, aburrir means to bore someone.

Question 26

Which sentence has the wrong placement?

Accepted Answer

Voy a me duchar.. The pronoun must go either before the conjugated verb (me voy a duchar) or attached to the infinitive (voy a ducharme). It cannot sit between them.

Question 27

Yo nunca ___ corbata para trabajar.

Accepted Answer

me pongo. Ponerse = to put on (clothes). Yo + ponerse = me pongo. Note: poner (without -se) means to put / place something somewhere.

Question 28

Hace dos años que mi mejor amigo y yo ___ todos los meses.

Accepted Answer

nos vemos. Reciprocal — we see each other. Plural nosotros + reflexive = nos vemos.

Question 29

Después de la ducha, ella ___ con la toalla.

Accepted Answer

se seca. Secarse = to dry oneself. Ella + secarse = se seca. Without -se, secar means to dry something else.

Question 30

¡___ ahora mismo, llegamos tarde!

Accepted Answer

Vístete. Affirmative command with reflexive: pronoun attaches to the verb, accent on the originally stressed syllable. Vístete = get dressed!

Spanish Reflexive Verbs Practice

How reflexive verbs work.

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