A1 Portuguese GrammarReflexive Verbs
Learn Portuguese reflexive verbs with pronouns me, te, se, nos, vos, se. Master daily routine verbs (levantar-se, deitar-se, lavar-se) and understand pronoun placement in European and Brazilian Portuguese.
1Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive verbs show the subject performing an action on themselves. The reflexive pronoun matches the subject. In European Portuguese, the pronoun usually follows the verb with a hyphen. In Brazilian Portuguese, it often precedes.
Reflexive Pronouns
| Subject | Pronoun | Example (EU-PT) | Example (BR-PT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | me | levanto-me | me levanto |
| tu | te | levantas-te | te levantas |
| ele/você | se | levanta-se | se levanta |
| nós | nos | levantamo-nos | nos levantamos |
| eles/vocês | se | levantam-se | se levantam |
Examples
Levanto-me às sete.
I get up at seven.
European - pronoun after
Eu me levanto às sete.
I get up at seven.
Brazilian - pronoun before
Ela deita-se cedo.
She goes to bed early.
deitar-se = to go to bed
Divertimo-nos muito.
We have a lot of fun.
nos drops the -s in nós form
2Common Reflexive Verbs
Many daily routine verbs are reflexive in Portuguese. The reflexive indicates the action affects the subject. Infinitives end in -se (levantar-se). Dictionary form always shows -se at the end.
Daily Routine Verbs
| Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| acordar-se / acordar | to wake up | Acordo às 7 |
| levantar-se | to get up | Levanto-me cedo |
| lavar-se | to wash oneself | Lava-se de manhã |
| vestir-se | to get dressed | Visto-me rapidamente |
| pentear-se | to comb hair | Penteio-me |
| deitar-se | to go to bed | Deito-me às 11 |
Examples
A que horas te levantas?
What time do you get up?
te before verb (question)
As crianças vestem-se sozinhas.
The children get dressed by themselves.
vestir-se - third plural
Lavo-me todos os dias.
I wash (myself) every day.
lavar-se - daily routine
Deitamo-nos tarde ontem.
We went to bed late yesterday.
-s drops before nos
3Pronoun Position
In European Portuguese, reflexive pronouns follow the verb (with hyphen) in affirmative sentences. They precede the verb after negatives, questions, subordinate conjunctions, and certain adverbs.
Pronoun Position Rules (EU-PT)
| Context | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| affirmative | after verb | Levanto-me |
| negative | before verb | Não me levanto |
| question word | before verb | Quando te levantas? |
| conjunction | before verb | Que se levanta cedo |
| adverb (ainda, já) | before verb | Já me levantei |
Examples
Não me lembro do nome.
I don't remember the name.
não triggers pronoun before
Onde te lavaste?
Where did you wash?
question - pronoun before
Já me vesti.
I've already gotten dressed.
já triggers pronoun before
Ele disse que se sentia mal.
He said he felt bad.
que triggers pronoun before
4Reciprocal Actions
Plural reflexive pronouns (nos, vos, se) can express reciprocal actions ('each other'). Context usually clarifies the meaning. The pronoun se with plural subjects often means 'each other'.
Reciprocal Verbs
| Portuguese | Reflexive | Reciprocal |
|---|---|---|
| olham-se | they look at themselves | they look at each other |
| conhecemo-nos | we know ourselves | we know each other |
| amam-se | they love themselves | they love each other |
| escrevem-se | they write to themselves | they write to each other |
Examples
Eles amam-se muito.
They love each other very much.
reciprocal meaning
Vemo-nos amanhã.
We'll see each other tomorrow.
common farewell
Onde se conheceram?
Where did you meet (each other)?
conhecer-se = to meet
Escrevem-se todos os dias.
They write to each other every day.
reciprocal action