4.5: Introduction to ¿A qué hora te levantas?

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A reflexive verb is a verb used with a reflexive pronoun to link the action of the verb to the subject of the verb. We use reflexive pronouns, words that end in -self or -selves, to show that the action of the verb is done to the subject. The word reflexive gives us a clue that the action of the verb is “reflected” back to the subject. In other words, the subject is both the doer and the receiver of the action. Here are some examples that illustrate this concept:

I burned myself on the stove.
We congratulated ourselves on a job well done.
Helooked at himself in the mirror.

In Spanish, as we’ll see, there are number of verbs that are usually used reflexively, and need to be memorized along with their reflexive pronoun. We’ll discuss this in more detail shortly. In the meantime, let’s listen to a song by the classic Puerto Rican salsa orchestra El Gran Combo (as animated by El señor Lafontant).

Thumbnail for the embedded element "Los verbos reflexivos - “Y No Hago Más Na’” por El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico"

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: http://pb.libretexts.org/introductoryspanishi/?p=58

Reflexive verbs and pronouns. Authored by: William Hagen. Provided by: English Grammar for Second Language Learners. Located at: https://courses.dcs.wisc.edu/wp/grammar/category/reflexive-pronouns-adverbs/. License: CC BY: Attribution

Los verbos reflexivos - u201cY No Hago Mu00e1s Nau2019u201d por El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. Authored by: El seu00f1or Lafontant. Located at: https://youtu.be/pNFf4mvIChQ. License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube License